Magnet Programs and Schools
Magnet programs and schools are designed by local authorities to attract parents, guardians, and students who are free to choose, subject to local rules, the school in which they enroll. These programs and schools are established by district Governing Boards. A Governing Board can make a wide range of choices depending upon the needs, demands, board purposes, and available funding. Magnet schools and programs include those that provide unique instruction in the arts, in various sciences, and in career education. Others reflect a district strategy to achieve racial and ethnic balance, generally with the benefit of federal funding. When one or more magnets are established at a particular school, students from across the district may select the magnet subject to available space. Often school districts publish a list explaining their magnet options.
There is no state financial support for magnets as such. Magnet schools and schools with magnet programs receive the regular funding for instruction. The federal government provides limited support in the form of grants to school districts that apply for a portion of the available national funding directly from the U.S. Department of Education.
Resources
- Creating Successful Magnet School Programs
Available from the U.S. Department of Education, this fourth book in the Innovations in Education series identifies six school districts whose successful magnet programs offer a range of contexts, experiences, and perspectives. - Magnet Programs and Schools - CalEdFacts
Part of California Department of Education's information and media guide about education in the State of California. For similar information on other topics, visit the full CalEdFacts. - U.S. Department of Education Magnet Schools Assistance
Contact Information
Carol Abbott, Education Programs Consultant
916-319-0943
cabbott@cde.ca.gov
