The school district provides middle school magnet students with arterial bus service to and from school. Parents of fundamental program students must provide their own transportation. If too many students seek admission to a middle school magnet or fundamental program, a computerized lottery is triggered. Students are assigned random numbers, and those not accepted are placed on waiting lists. This year, there were 285 students on the fundamental middle school waiting list and 479 students waiting to get into middle school magnet programs.
Applications are available at elementary school and at the program schools.
The school district allows parents to apply for more than one magnet or fundamental program. By Feb. 1, parents will be mailed notice of either acceptance or placement on a waiting list or notice of ineligibility. Enrollment in both programs is governed by court-ordered racial balance ratios. Parents must let the school district know by March 1 whether or not their child will attend the magnet or fundamental program or if the child can be placed on the waiting list. Parents whose children are placed on waiting lists should not despair, however.