4131 - MAGNET SCHOOLS

The Board of Education is committed to providing educational settings for students that promote diversity to foster understanding of cultural and economic differences so that students may be successful citizens in our pluralistic society.

The purpose of this policy is to clarify assignments to magnet schools.

4131.1 Assignment to Magnet Schools

Except as listed below, students will be assigned to magnet programs through a lottery process that first takes into account any sibling, priority zone, and program links established by the Board of Education, and then randomly assigns students from the applicant pool to the remaining seats.

A. Students who reside in the attendance zone for W. G. Pearson Magnet Elementary School will be assigned to the school automatically.

B. Students who are domiciled in the one-half mile walk zone for Burton Magnet Elementary School, Club Boulevard Magnet Elementary School and R.N. Harris Magnet Elementary School will be assigned to their respective school automatically. Once a student is enrolled at that school, the student will be eligible for continued enrollment, as long as the student is domiciled in the school walk zone. Relocating outside the school walk zone will result in loss of assignment, pursuant to Policy 4130.1 Change of Residence During the School Year.

C. Students will be assigned to Sandy Ridge Elementary through an application and lottery process in the following order, provided they submit a magnet application by the published deadline and there is space available at the grade level requested.

• Applicants who are domiciled in the designated choice zone will receive first consideration for assignment.
• Applicants who are domiciled in the attendance zones of the selected schools: Easley, Eno Valley, Glenn, Hillandale, Holt, Little River and Mangum will receive second consideration for assignment that first takes into account any sibling preference and then randomly assigns students from the applicant pool to the remaining seats.
• Applicants who are domiciled outside the selected schools will receive third consideration for assignment that first takes into account any sibling preference and then randomly assigns students from the applicant pool to the remaining seats.
• Only applicants assigned from the designated choice zone and the selected school attendance zones will receive transportation services.

D. Students of full-time, part-time or itinerant school employees may apply for a transfer to the magnet school in which their parent is employed following Board Policy 4132-Student Transfers.

E. Once a student is enrolled in a magnet school, the student will be eligible for continued enrollment for the duration of grades in that school, as long as their enrollment is continuous. A student who withdraws from a magnet school loses eligibility for continued enrollment in that school. However, the student may reapply for a new assignment through the application/lottery process.

F. A request to transfer into a magnet school filed under policy 4132 will not be considered for the general student population.

4131.2 Assignment Preferences

A. Siblings of students assigned to an elementary magnet program will receive a sibling preference through the application/lottery process. The applicant must indicate this on the magnet application. Also, there must be space available at the grade level requested.

B. Siblings of those students in membership at Durham School of the Arts, W.G. Pearson Magnet Middle, Shepard Magnet Middle, Lakewood Montessori Magnet Middle and Hillside IB Schools are not eligible for an enrollment preference.

C. Rising sixth graders from Burton Magnet Elementary School will be assigned to Shepard Middle Magnet School if a magnet application is submitted listing Shepard as first choice by the published deadline.

D. Rising ninth graders from Shepard Magnet Middle School will be assigned to the International Baccalaureate magnet program at Hillside High School if a magnet application is submitted listing Hillside IB as first choice by the published deadline.

E. Rising sixth graders from George Watts Montessori and Morehead Montessori Magnet Elementary Schools will receive first consideration for placement at Lakewood Montessori Magnet Middle School provided they submit a magnet application listing Lakewood Montessori Magnet Middle School as their first choice by the published deadline.

F. Students who relocate to Durham and were enrolled in an International Baccalaureate (IB) Program will receive consideration as a late applicant/assignment into an IB program in Durham Public Schools. 

Legal Reference:     G.S. 115C-366
Adopted Effective:       July 2, 1992
Revised Effective:        November 13, 1997
Revised Effective:        July 1, 1999
Revised Effective:        May 18, 2006
Revised Effective:        January 25, 2007
Revised Effective:        October 22, 2009
Revised Effective:       April 29, 2010
Revised Effective:        January 27, 2011
Revised Effective:        June 23, 2011
Revised Effective:    December 15, 2011