Orange County magnet schools offer an alternative to traditional public school education.
Anyone wishing to enroll in an OCPS magnet program must submit an application online through the School Choice website. This must be done during the application window of the year. Placement in the program depends in part on the number of seats available for the specific grade and program. Popular shows fill up faster.
If there are more seats available than the number of students applying, all eligible students are notified of acceptance and given detailed instructions on how to accept the invitation to the program. If more applications are submitted than the number of seats available, a lottery is used to select students for acceptance. Students will receive acceptance notices in the mail with instructions for accepting the invitation. A waiting group is then created for all students not selected during the first lottery round.
A list of magnet schools and details on how to apply to the program are available on the Orange County Public Schools School Choice website. You can also obtain information by contacting each magnet school directly. Each November a Magnet Fair is held to help parents choose the best possible school for their children. Because magnet programs can change each year, it is important to wait for updated information before making any final decisions or requesting a specific program.
Core objectives of the Magnet program
The OCPS magnet program offers excellent opportunities to enrich students and develop their budding interests. The show cites these main goals as its drivers:
- Give students the opportunity to exceed the core requirements and performance standards of Florida public schools in education.
- Increase student diversity through choice.
- Promote equal access to high quality education.
- Improve student knowledge in ways that increase opportunities for personal and professional success
- Allow beneficial reforms of the school system
Elementary School Magnets
Admission preference is given to siblings of all current elementary magnets in Orange County. Visit each individual school website and the School Choice website for more information on each individual program.
- Aviation and Aerospace Magnet Program – Durrance Elementary School
- Foreign Language Academy – Hillcrest Elementary School
- Two-Way Dual Language Program – Hunter’s Creek Elementary School
- Dual Language Enrichment Program – Tildenville Elementary School
Middle School Magnets
Siblings of current Orange County middle school magnet students do NOT have admissions preference. Visit each individual school website and the School Choice website for more information on each individual program.
- Howard Academy for Visual and Performing Arts Magnet – Howard Middle School
- Magnet Middle Years International Baccalaureate Program – Carver Middle School, Memorial Middle School, Robinswood Middle School, Stonewall Jackson Middle School
High school magnets
Siblings of magnet students from the current high school in Orange County do NOT have admissions preference. Visit each individual school website and the School Choice website for more information on each individual program.
- Advanced Engineering Applications Magnet (AEA) – Apopka High School
- Aviation and Aerospace Engineering Magnet – Oak Ridge High School
- Center for International Studies (CIS) Magnet – Dr. Phillips High School
- Criminal Justice, Law and Finance Magnet – Boone High School
- Engineering, Science and Technology Magnet (EST) – Edgewater High School
- Magnet Global Technologies – College High School
- International Baccalaureate (IB) Magnets: Cypress Creek, Evans, Jones, Winter Park, based on drawing zones.
- Laser Photonics Academy Magnet – Wekiva High School
- NAF Information Technology Magnet – Colonial High School
Considerations
Each individual magnet program has different criteria for acceptance and continued enrollment. It is important to check with each individual school and carefully read the magnet contracts or other documents that are sent to you.
Additionally, magnet students are typically not eligible for transportation unless they attend a magnet program in their school zone. The District OCPS website offers more information on transportation issues.
