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Phasing Out Magnets?

By Peter Downs

Filed Saturday, January 7 at 10:43 AM

by Another Parent

It is interesting that the district is closing down magnet rooms, if not
entire schools, citing lack of enrollment. As a parent I received my
brochure in the mail announcing the Dec. 6th open house, on Dec. 17th. In
past years when the district really recruited, schools sent out notices of
the open house in advance,in addition to the mailing and newspaper ads. Now
the magnet school staff isn't even notified of open house days. Never fear
though, there is an additional open house day scheduled on Feb. 2nd, one day
before the lottery and four weeks after the deadline for five of the
schools.

It is also worth noting that the priorities have changed. Continuity, sibling, and a new 35% neighborhood placement will get the vast majority of the seats available. While neighborhood groups have long asked for, and been denied, access to a percentage of set-aside seats, 35% does indeed seem high. Of course,that will make it much easier to dissolve the whole magnet system in 2 years when deseg ends.

I attended school board candidate forums last year when EVERY candidate expressed support for the magnets as the jewel in the crown of the system. But that was BC (before Creg).


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