Wichita school district’s Choices Fair set for Thursday

The Wichita district will show off magnet schools and other special programs at its annual Choices Fair on Thursday.

The fair, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Century II Exhibition Hall, will feature booths and demonstrations showcasing magnet schools, neighborhood schools and the wide range of special programs offered by the Wichita district. It provides “one-stop shopping” for families exploring education options within the district.

Parents can visit Wichita magnet schools next week. A visitation schedule can be found at www.magnet.usd259.org. The application deadline for most magnets is Feb. 13 at 4:45 p.m.

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.

There are no testing or selection criteria to qualify for a magnet school. Students who apply are selected by a random, computerized lottery conducted in late March. The most popular schools typically have waiting lists.

Notification letters will be sent out in late March for Northeast Magnet High School and mid-April for elementary and middle schools. Those who are not selected are placed on a random waiting list for all schools they applied for.

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

This story was originally published January 28, 2015 at 11:42 AM with the headline "Wichita school district’s Choices Fair set for Thursday."