Saint Louis Public Schools

SLPS Magnet Schools Application Beginning Steps

If your child is already enrolled in an SLPS school, or you have completed the Focus Registration for re-entering or new potential student into the SLPS, you may apply for your child to an SLPS Magnet School for the 2026-2027 school year.

Focus Registration is required prior to submitting placement requests to an SLPS Magnet School and steps are outlined below and at this link .

To submit a 2026-2027 Magnet Schools Application for your child after Focus registration is completed, click your child’s name in the left column of your Focus Parent Portal Dashboard.

This will drop down information about your child and will also link to the SLPS 2026-2027 Magnet Schools Application Options.

Click on the appropriate Application option for your child to begin the Magnet School Application Process.

Elementary & Middle applicants may submit for both General and Gifted Education prior to Gifted Evaluation.

The options include…

SLPS General Education Application

Use to apply for the following SLPS Elementary and Middle Magnet School Sites:

(PK age 3, PK age 4 and KG age 5 applicants must be age appropriate on or before July 31, 2026)

Elementary

*Ames Elementary- Visual and Performing Arts (PK4-5^th)

*George Washington Carver General Academics [House System] (PK4-5^th)

*Dewey- International Studies (PK3-5^th)

*Gateway Elementary- Math Science Technology (PK4-5^th)

*Lyon at Blow- General Academics (KG-8^th)

*Mullanphy Elementary- Math Science Technology (PK3-5^th)

*Shaw- Visual and Performing Arts (PK4-5^th)

*Washington Montessori- General Academics (PK3-5^th)

*Humboldt Academy of Higher Learning- General Academics (3^rd-5^th)

*Stix Early Childhood Center- General Academics (PK3-2^nd)

*Wilkinson Early Childhood Center- General Academics (PK3-2^nd)

Middle

*AESM at L’ouverture- General Academics (6^th-8^th)

*Busch- Character Education (6^th-8^th)

*Gateway Middle- Math Science Technology (6^th- 8^th)

*Compton/Drew- Math Science Technology (6^th-8^th)

*Carr Lane- Visual and Performing Arts (6^th-8^th)

*Lyon at Blow- General Academics (KG-8^th)

*Carnahan STEAM- Science Technology Engineering Arts Mathematics

SLPS Gifted Education Application (All placed applicants must be certified Gifted Eligible by SLPS Gifted Office)

Use to apply for the following Gifted Programs SLPS Magnet Schools

              *Columbia Gifted Elementary- Gifted Education (PK4-5^th)

              *Stix Early Childhood (Gifted Classroom)- Gifted Education(KG-2^nd)

              *Mallinckrodt Elementary School- Gifted Education (PK4-5^th)

              *Betty Wheeler Classical Junior Academy- Gifted Education (PK4-5^th)

              *McKinley Classical Middle School- Gifted Education (6^th-8^th)

SLPS High School Application (All placed applicants must be certified Eligible by staff of school(s) requested)

              Use to apply for the following SLPS Magnet High Schools

*Gateway STEM High- Science Technology Engineering Mathematics (9th-12th)

*Soldan- International Studies High (9th-12th)

*Metro Academic and Classical High School- General Academics (Applicants for grades 9^th and 10^th only)

*Central- Visual and Performing Arts (Applicants for grades 9^th and 10^th only)

*McKinley Classical Leadership Academy High- Accelerated Secondary Education (Applicants for grades 9^th and 10^th only)

*Clyde C. Miller Career Academy- Career, Technical Education (Apply for grades 9^th & 10^th only)

*Collegiate School of Medicine and Bioscience (CSMB)- Pre-College Curricula (Applicants for grades 9^th and 10^th only)

SLPS High School Application may also be used to apply for an SLPS Comprehensive High School

                             *Roosevelt High School

                             *Sumner High School

                             *Vashon High School

Please do not submit a request for your child to be placed at a school you are unwilling to have your child attend. You are not required to list more than one choice, and a maximum of two choices is permitted. If your child is offered placement to any choice requested, they will no longer be considered for placement to any other choice requested, even if the choice offered is not the first choice. In addition, your child will not remain on the wait list for other choices requested, if offered placement to any choice requested.

Applicants to SLPS Gifted Elementary Programs may submit up to four Gifted Programs choices depending on the child's grade level. You may also submit "dual" requests for both Gifted Programs (Columbia Gifted, Gifted Classroom at Stix KG-2nd, Mallinckrodt Gifted, Wheeler CJA, and McKinley CL Middle ) and General Education Programs while awaiting evaluation of your child for Gifted Eligibility through the SLPS Gifted Offices. Click HERE to access the SLPS Gifted Offices webpage.

Applications submitted in prior years for non-offered students must be resubmitted each year. Applications do not carry over from one year to the next.

If a school and/or grade level is not available as a choice to request, this is due to your child not being age/grade eligible for the school; the school and/or grade not being an available grade to request (i.e. Metro A&C, McKinley CLA High, Central VPA and Clyde C. Miller  11th and 12th grades); or the school and/or grade level is projected as full with a lengthy wait list, and additional placement requests are not being processed.

Any duplicate accounts created and multiple applications submitted will be merged with the initial account created, #1 and #2 choices (if 2 are requested), and demographic data submitted being the default. Any additional accounts will be deleted and choices withdrawn. Please do not request placement into schools you are not willing to send your child to attend.

Email to SLPSMAGNETSCHOOLS@SLPS.ORG with questions. Please include:

• Parent name and email believed to be used on Focus account
• Child's full name and birth date on file with SLPS

SLPS Focus Registration Steps

The SLPS is using the Focus School Choice System to process applicants for SLPS Magnet Schools in the 2026-2027 school year and beyond.

1. If your child is currently enrolled into an SLPS school you should have a Focus parent account and a student file, meaning the child is currently in Focus for the current 2025-2026 School Year. You should login and add 2026-2027 Magnet Schools Placement Request Choices for your currently enrolled child.
2. If your child does not currently attend an SLPS school but did prior to the current 2025-2026 school year, you will need to set up your (new) Focus parent account, then add your child to your account from within the system. You will need your child's SLPS Student ID# to do this. Email Register@slps.org to learn your child's ID#. Please be sure to include the child's full name when enrolled in the SLPS, and the child's birthdate in the email.
3. If you have one child currently attending the SLPS and wish to apply for another who is not currently enrolled and never has been enrolled, you may create the child in your Focus account, and then add 2026-2027 Magnet Schools Placement Request Choices for your child.
4. If your child never attended an SLPS school, you will need to establish a parent account and create a file for your child to submit 2026-2027 school year SLPS Magnet Schools Placement Requests.

STUDENT RECORDS INCLUDING:

• ACCEPTABLE VERIFICATION OF ST. LOUIS CITY RESIDENCY IN THE PARENT NAME
• PARENT IDENTIFICATION
• CHILD'S ORIGINAL BIRTH RECORD/CERTIFICATE
• CHILD'S UP TO DATE IMMUNIZATION RECORDS

...MUST BE UPLOADED TO THE FOCUS SYSTEM PRIOR TO ANY SLPS MAGNET SCHOOL PLACEMENT REQUEST SUBMISSION, TO BE CONSIDERED FOR POTENTIAL PLACEMENT FOR ALL APPLICANTS.

If you have questions about Focus registration email REGISTER@SLPS.ORG. Please include

• Parent name and email believed to be used on Focus account
• Child's full name and birth date on file with SLPS

Please do not submit a request for your child to be placed at a school you are unwilling to have your child attend. You are not required to list more than one choice, and a maximum of two choices is permitted. If your child is offered placement to any choice requested, they will no longer be considered for placement to any other choice requested, even if the choice offered is not the first choice. In addition, your child will not remain on the wait list for other choices requested, if offered placement to any choice requested.

Applicants to SLPS Gifted Elementary Programs may submit up to four Gifted Programs choices depending on the child's grade level. You may also submit "dual" requests for both Gifted Programs (Columbia Gifted, Gifted Classroom at Stix KG-2nd, Mallinckrodt Gifted, Wheeler CJA, and McKinley CL Middle ) and General Education Programs while awaiting evaluation of your child for Gifted Eligibility through the SLPS Gifted Offices. Click HERE to access the SLPS Gifted Offices webpage.

Applications submitted in prior years for non-offered students must be resubmitted each year. Applications do not carry over from one year to the next.

If a school and/or grade level is not available as a choice to request, this is due to the school and/or grade not being an available grade to request (i.e. Metro A&C, McKinley CLA High, Central VPA and Clyde C. Miller  11th and 12th grades), or the school and/or grade level is projected as full with a lengthy wait list, and additional placement requests are not being processed.

Any duplicate accounts created and multiple applications submitted will be merged with the initial account created, #1 and #2 choices (if 2 are requested), and demographic data submitted being the default. Any additional accounts will be deleted and choices withdrawn. Please do not request placement into schools you are not willing to send your child to attend.