Nearly half of all schools in DPS are magnets -- which means an extraordinary number of choices for families and their students. Our magnet schools showcase special programming, small sizes and/or year-round calendars, and operate at all levels from K-12.

 

DPS Magnet Schools serve specific purposes for our school district.  The three purposes are included in the Magnet Guiding Principles adopted by the Board of Education in August of 2011:

• Utilize school facilities effectively
• Promote school diversity
• Provide diverse and relevant program offerings throughout the district that meet student interest and provide expanded learning opportunities 

 

Students are eligible to enroll in our magnet schools only after completing an application to enter the lottery -- a random selection process that allows families to register their magnet choices and then see if they get accepted. The annual lottery period typically runs through the month of January, with selection notifications going out in March. 

 

To Apply (Late Applications)

The online magnet application window has closed. However, we are offering families hard copy applications to magnet schools with remaining seats after the lottery pool has been exhausted. Interested families should come to the Office of Student Assignment at 511 Cleveland St., Durham, NC 27701 to complete and submit a hardcopy application. The parent or legal guardian must present their proof of residency in the form of a lease or deed and their picture ID at the time of submission.

Magnet School/Program	Available Grades
School for Creative Studies	10th 11th
Shepard IB	6th   8th
Hillside Business and Finance	9th  10th
Hillside IB	9th 10th 11th
Hillside JROTC	9th 10th
New Tech	9th 10th 11th 12th
Northern High JROTC	9th 10th
Northern High Ag Science	9th 10th
Northern High Transportation	9th 10th
Northern Hospitality	9th 10th
Riverside JROTC	9th 10th
Southern School of Energy & Sustainability	9th 10th 11th
WG Pearons Elementary STEAM	Kindergarten
Burton Elementary IB	Kindergarten

Students who have relocated to Durham after the magnet application deadline of February 3, 2017, should contact the office of student assignment with proof of residency.

Applications submitted will be assigned on a first come first served basis until all seats are filled the last day of June (year-round schools) or July (traditional calendar magnet) 5:00pm EOB.

See a list of our magnet schools and quickly visit their websites by clicking on the "schools" icon at the top of this web page. Then select the "Magnets" tab in the box that pops up.

 

Still have questions? There are handy and informative Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on the menu to the left. You can also check out our magnet schools brochure for more information.