HISD Magnet & Vanguard Programs: How And When To Apply

Look below for an overview of the HoustonISD Magnet Programs and how to apply!

HISD Magnet Programs offer specialized curriculum and opportunities related to a given theme, including theme based electives and other learning opportunities. If you are interested in attending one of these schools, instead of your zoned school, you need to apply the year before.

It's almost time to apply for 2024-2025 HoustonISD Magnet Schools! Tours and fairs are open now... and the lottery application goes live in January 2024.

Over the last 12 years, I've applied eight times to HISD Magnet Programs. The first time around, I found it very overwhelming… but over the years, I’ve almost figured it out.

In case you are also overwhelmed and confused by the HoustonISD application process, here is a summary of the process and what I know so far for 2023.

For the official information on applying to HoustonISD Magnet Schools, go HERE.

AND if you know of updates for this year, leave us a comment!

Jump to:

• HISD Magnet Program Key Dates For The 2024-2025 School Year:
• Recent Changes to the HISD Magnet Application Process & Answers to FAQs:
• What You Need To Know About HoustonISD:
• Wrap Up:

HISD Magnet Program Key Dates For The 2024-2025 School Year:

Update from 2022: HISD will be opening phase one of the school choice application in December 2022 through February 2023. Phase two of the application process will open in April 2023 and go through June 2023. This will provide families with the time to settle into the current school year before they have to decide on the school that they want to attend for the next school year. The district is also rolling out a new application system to help streamline and improve the school choice application experience.

• School Choice Fairs (Optional, but informative)
• School Tours (Optional, but informative)
• Phase One Application Opens - 1/18/24
• Phase One Application is Due - 2/23/2024
• Lottery Notification Date - 3/26/2024
• For Vanguard Magnet Programs, you will need to request a test:
  • The HISD school where he/she is enrolled
  • If not enrolled in HISD, at the HISD school where he/she is zoned to attend
  • You must sign them up for a Saturday testing appointment using this link.
  • Note: All current 2nd grade students are universally tested so parents do not need to request testing for 2nd grade students.
    • You MUST request testing on or before December 8, 2023.
    • Testing appointments are available from 8:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m. on the following days:
      • Saturday, December 2, 2023
      • Saturday, December 9, 2023
      • Saturday. December 16, 2023
      • Saturday, January 13, 2024

Recent Changes to the HISD Magnet Application Process & Answers to FAQs:

In case you have not applied in several years, some things have changed.

• Magnet and Choice transfers are submitted using one system.
• Families can select up to 10 school programs, with a maximum of 5 magnet programs.
• You can apply online or with paper… but with just one method. You use the same application for all school choices.
• It only takes 10 minutes to complete… but deciding on which schools to apply to can take longer. There are a lot of open houses and school tours that help you decide.
• Your favorite school is likely the favorite school of hundreds of other families. You will likely want to apply for several schools.
• When HISD contacts parents of the outcome of the applications, all applications ranked below the top choice will be dropped automatically. Any programs you are wait listed that rank above the highest accepted choice, remain active. See the example HERE.
• In the past, students needed to be in attendance on day one of school. Magnet seats were not saved if there were zoned students to fill the spaces.
• New a few years ago: Pre-K Enrollment address exception transfers will not be renewed for students who will be five years of age on or before September 1, 2022. Therefore, any students offered a seat at a magnet campus for prekindergarten grade levels must reapply for a magnet seat to remain at the magnet campus for their kindergarten school year.

What You Need To Know About HoustonISD:

ZONED SCHOOL

The school that you are zoned to is your neighborhood school and the one that your child will be automatically accepted into (as long as it is not too full).

If you don’t already know which school you are zoned to, go to THIS website, type in your address, and choose the grade level your child will be in for the school year.

If you are happy with your neighborhood school and want your child to go there, you don’t need to worry about the magnet application process*. (One note is that a few HoustonISD neighborhood schools are over full. Call your zoned school to see if there is any issue at all with attending your local neighborhood school.)  Contact the school to find out what you need to do to enroll your child and when to do it.

*One more note on zoned schools and Vanguard Programs:  If you are going to your zoned school and it’s not a Vanguard Magnet School (like Wilson, Poe, etc), your kids will be tested at school for the Vanguard Neighborhood Program. If you are going to your zoned school and it’s a Vanguard Magnet (like ROE, Travis, etc), the official word from HISD is: “In October, when the online application system opens, go ahead and apply to ROE, even if you are zoned. You will be provided details about testing.” You can also contact your zoned school to get all the details.

MAGNET FOCUS

If you would like the opportunity for your child to attend a school you are not zoned to, you will have apply for a magnet transfer. THIS  is the part of HISD’s website about the magnet programs.

Each magnet school has a specialized theme that is incorporated into their classes and curriculum. For example, a fine arts magnet school may offer more exposure to music, dance, art and drama than other schools would.

APPLICATIONS

You can submit up to 5 magnet school applications, of which 5 can be for Vanguard schools. Know that magnet schools can be very hard to get in to, so apply to several! Also, children must quality for Vanguard programs. In case they do not do well on the test, make sure you have selected some non-Vanguard magnet programs when you apply.

Apply online or print an application... the link will be updated when I have it. It changed from last year!

VANGUARD

The Vanguard Magnet schools are different than the other Magnet programs. Vanguard is HISD’s term for G/T or gifted and talented. Students must pass a test in order to be accepted as a transfer student at these schools.

You can apply to up to 5 Vanguard schools and must rank your top choices. When you apply, you will be directed to contact your zoned school for GT testing.

From the HISD website: Please contact the G/T Coordinator at your child’s current HISD school or HISD zoned campus to request testing.

I always get asked for resources to help prepare kids and parents for testing. Here is what has been recommended by other parents over the years… but review each to see what is best for you. And do NOT feel like you MUST prepare.

Lollipop Logic
Wiz Kidz
Kindergarten Test Prep Bundle for ITBS

LOTTERY

Once the deadline for turning in applications has passed, the schools hold a lottery where they draw the names of the students they’ll accept. Any students who applied but were not chosen are placed on a waiting list in the order their names were drawn.

Many of the schools that you’ll be applying to will probably have long wait lists and you are not guaranteed to be accepted as a transfer student into any of the schools that you’ve applied to. Our first year, we were waitlisted at around number 320 for one of them, in the 200s for another and actually got in to one school.

So, if you really don’t want your child to attend your zoned school you should to turn in applications to more schools to increase your chance of acceptance.

Status notifications (whether you’ve been accepted or your number on the waitlist) are online, usually in January (and will be sent via mail).

If you are on a waitlist you can monitor the changes online through the parent dashboard.

If you are accepted you have two weeks to inform the school of your “intent to attend”.

Your place on any higher ranked waitlists will remain the same, so if you receive a spot at your second choice school, but are waitlisted at your first, accepting the second choice will not affect your chances of getting into your first choice.

SIBLINGS

Those of you who have, or who plan to have, additional children may be wondering if you’ll have to go through this whole process again. The answer is yes, but special consideration is currently given to siblings in the lottery.

Find the latest information, HERE. One thing I noticed (that is new to me) is that if one of your kids is accepted to a school but the other is denied, the FAQs say that another transfer type can be requested for principal approval to keep siblings together. Please contact the Office of School Choice for more information.

The FAQs also say that students who have siblings that will also attend the same magnet school will have limited priority in the application process for initial grade level (like kindergarten, 6th or 9th).

For Vanguard schools the younger child(ren) will have to pass the Vanguard test, but as long as they do the above will hold true for them as well.

For twins (and all multiples), you can have them treated like all other siblings or opt to have all the children receive one lottery spot. All will be offered a seat or all placed on the wait list. If they are on a wait list, they will not be offered seats until there is room for all of them. (Each sibling must have a separate application on file.)

Wrap Up:

After all this, there is a good chance you will not get into your first choice school. I've certainly had my heart broken by the HoustonISD lottery. Maybe THIS post will encourage you.