The programs attempt to draw students of another race or ethnicity to create a racial balance more in line to the system average. Except for the Spanish-immersion program, all students, whether they are there by assignment or by choice, take part in a school's magnet program. Most magnet schools also have a small attendance zone that includes children from nearby neighborhoods. The school board's redistricting guidelines call for magnet schools to draw only between 20 percent and 50 percent of their students from surrounding neighborhoods. That means students who attend a magnet school by choice will be between 50 percent and 80 percent of total enrollment.
Some schools are dedicated magnets, which means every student enrolled has chosen to be there.
The school board has not yet approved future magnet school program changes. Future programs might be different.