Wichita school district’s Choices Fair scheduled for November

The Wichita school district’s Choices Fair will be held earlier than normal this year.

The fair, normally held in January, is scheduled for Nov. 5 at the Century II Exhibition Hall. The annual event is an information fair for the Wichita district, intended for families to learn about magnet schools, neighborhood schools and other education options.

District officials said they’re holding the fair earlier to give families more time to visit schools and consider the options before the magnet school application deadline.

“Hopefully parents will appreciate the extra time to explore their options and then go visit the schools that they’re interested in,” said spokeswoman Susan Arensman. “Before, it was kind of a quick turnaround.”

The magnet application deadline also will be earlier this school year – in mid-January, Arensman said. That will allow the district to make magnet placements and notify families of their placements earlier, she said.

Wichita – the state’s largest school district, with more than 51,000 students – offers technology, foreign language, fine arts and traditional magnet schools, among others. It also has alternative high schools, career development schools and college-preparatory programs.

The Choices Fair is free. Spanish and Vietnamese translators will be available.

For more information, including a booth locator you can take to the event, go to www.choicesfair.usd259.org.

This story was originally published September 18, 2015 at 10:58 AM with the headline "Wichita school district’s Choices Fair scheduled for November."