2025-26 SLPS Magnet School Placement Priorities

Lottery Eligible Priorities

Priority 0: Direct Continuity – Elementary students continuing from one school level to the next with the same magnet theme, i.e. Ames VPA Elementary to Carr Lane VPA Middle. Assignment occurs automatically without application. Refusal requires written documentation. An assignment notice is provided to parents when the District Back to School Assignment Notification is sent over the summer. 8th grade Middle School to 9^th grade High School Direct Continuity students must apply for a seat in the high school with the continuing theme if they wish to attend that school, and must still meet eligibility criteria for placement consideration.

Students determined eligible for SLPS District Gifted Programs who attend SLPS General Education Magnet Schools or SLPS Neighborhood Schools are not given Continuity Placement Priority into Gifted Program Magnet Schools. Parents wishing for their child to attend one of the Gifted Education Program Magnet Schools must apply and be considered in the lottery with the priority assigned as a student currently enrolled in a magnet or choice school.

Priority 1: Indirect Continuity – Students graduating from one school level to the next with no continuing theme. These students are currently limited to Busch MSC, Carnahan STEAM and AESM @ L’ouverture 8^th grade to Magnet/Choice High School 9^th grade. Any 8^th to 9^th grade Magnet middle school student wishing to apply to a Magnet high school outside the continuing theme must meet the criteria to be eligible to attend that Magnet high school. These applicants will be provided Indirect Continuity Priority for placement in a Magnet high school with space available, but and application MUST be submitted.  These students are limited to, but not required to list 2 choices on an application to continue in Magnet schools if they desire. Assignment occurs via general lottery, or first come-first served if submitted after the Lottery application deadline.

Priority 2: Siblings – Students who have a brother or sister currently attending a particular Magnet school that is also scheduled to attend the same Magnet school for the following school year, may be eligible for Sibling Priority. The two students must have at least one parent in common, and must reside at the same address. Parents must submit an application before stated deadlines; must request Sibling Priority on the application submitted; and must complete the Sibling Priority information requested for their children. Also, the application must have the Magnet school the sibling currently attends listed as the first choice. This priority is not available for students applying after the Lottery Application Period Deadline. There is no guarantee any or all siblings will be placed in a particular Magnet school requested. Adding a sibling name to an application is not considered a valid application for the child whose name is added. Separate applications must be submitted for individual students to be considered for placement.

Priority 3: Neighborhood – Students living within Transportation Dept. designated boundaries for walk-to-school students are eligible for this priority which is generally within a one-mile radius of the school. Placement is limited to 35% of seats in any grade at each Magnet school.

Priority 4: Students currently enrolled in a General Education/Neighborhood St. Louis Public School – General Education (non-Magnet) students currently enrolled St. Louis City Public School Schools are the first group of general applicants considered for placement in Magnet schools in the lottery.

Priority 5: Students currently enrolled in schools outside The St. Louis Public Schools System meeting St. Louis City residency requirements- The second group of students to be considered for placement in the general lottery.

Priority 6: Students currently enrolled in a St. Louis Magnet School - The final group of students to be considered for placement in the lottery. This priority is NOT applied for Magnet Middle 8^th to Magnet 9^th grade applicants. This priority IS applied for matriculating elementary students applying for Magnet schools outside of the current schools' feeder pattern, including Early Childhood Center 2^nd to 3^rd grade, and Elementary 5^th to Middle 6^th grade applicants. 2^nd grade students in the Stix ECC Gifted Classroom will automatically be assigned to Wheeler CJA Elementary for 3^rd grade. Please review the SLPS Magnet Schools Feeder Pattern for more information.

Post-Lottery Priorities

Priority 7: St. Louis City Resident Students applying after the Lottery Application Period Deadline.

Applicants are placed on a waiting list for possible placement in the order the applications were submitted in the online application system and then for potential placement offer on a first come-first served basis.

The online application will remain open until Friday, July 25, 2025.

After Friday July 25, 2025 only paper application submissions for Elementary and Middle General Education Program schools will be processed for potential placement offers and ONLY to schools and grade levels with open seats.

Paper applicant submissions after Friday, July 25, 2025 NOT offered seats will NOT be notified of status.

Paper applicant submissions after Friday, July 25, 2025 who are offered seats will receive an email notification of the placement offer if a valid email is provided.

 Families interested in SLPS Gifted Magnet Programs after Friday, July 25, 2025 will be referred to the SLPS Gifted Offices for possible evaluation prior to any placement offer for Gifted Eligible students.

Families interested in SLPS Magnet High Schools after Friday, July 25, 2025 will be referred directly to the high school(s) for the high school staff to determine eligibility prior to the high school completing enrollment if the student is determined eligible by the high school staff.   

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