MPS answers questions about magnet school application process

Alex Gladden, Montgomery Advertiser
·2 min read

More than 100 parents gathered Wednesday night to learn more about the application process for Montgomery magnet schools.

Kristy Hatch, the district's director of strategy and innovation, went through the application steps with parents and then answered individual questions.

The application process opens Jan. 4. Parents will have the opportunity to apply until Jan. 31. They must have their children's transcripts turned in by 4 p.m. Feb. 14.

Students now studying at a magnet school will not have to turn in transcripts.

Families listen as Kristy Hatch, the district's director of strategy and innovation, goes through the steps to apply to a magnet school.
Families listen as Kristy Hatch, the district's director of strategy and innovation, goes through the steps to apply to a magnet school.

Kindergarteners and first-graders will need to take assessments to verify that they are academically eligible for magnet schools. Kindergarteners will have a reading assessment, while first-graders will be tested in both literacy and math.

Second-graders and 12th-graders will not have to take assessments unless they have lost their records or if they are applying from a district that is not accredited by Cognia.

Applicants with elementary students will have to select their first and second choices for magnet schools. Students older than elementary school will have to select their first, second and third choices for magnet schools.

Once students submit their applications, they cannot change them. That includes their choices for schools.

Students become academically eligible for the schools if their GPAs reach the level determined by each school. For students who have to take performance assessments, these will also factor into whether they are deemed academically eligible.

When students are found to be academically eligible, they enter the lottery. Their names are entered into a computer system that randomly selects students for the schools.

Students who are offered a seat will receive an email confirming their place at one of the magnet schools. They must accept the offer either by email or by printing out the offer and taking it to their accepted school.

Most parents said they wanted their children to go to magnet schools to better their education. That was the case for Eun Lee and his child.

Evette Sandifer moved into the area with her daughter about a year ago but have had a difficult time adjusting since then. Sandifer said she hopes a spot at a magnet school will help her daughter.

“I want the best quality education for my daughter," Sandifer said.

Alex Gladden is the Montgomery Advertiser's public safety reporter. She can be reached at agladden@gannett.com or 479-926-9570.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: MPS answers questions about magnet school application process