OCPS offers 41 magnet programs to expand educational choices, and local applications are currently being accepted.
All parents and students in greater Orlando are invited to learn more about the 41 magnet programs offered in 29 sites across elementary, middle and high schools.
OCPS says the award-winning, focused programs encourage academic excellence in highly specialized areas of study and often pave a road into post-secondary schools and colleges.
All OCPS magnet programs offered at the elementary, middle and high school level are outlined by the school system. To promote its specialized learning programs, known as magnets, Orange County Public Schools is hosting a virtual Magnet Fair.
Parents must complete an application for their students to apply for a magnet program. The window to apply is through February 17, 2025.
Spotlight programs include:
Dr. Phillips High School’s Center for International Studies – This program provides a strong academic curriculum with an international dimension. Students develop the skills, attain the knowledge, and cultivate an attitude of cross-cultural awareness that will assist them in whatever direction they pursue in their future. Students are exposed to major concepts and issues in international affairs, politics, history, world religions and humanities. As part of their commitment to international studies, students become proficient in a foreign language. This is a Magnet School of Distinction, a national merit award from Magnet Schools of America.
Liberty Middle School’s Cambridge Middle School Academy –The Cambridge curriculum prepares students for life, helping them to develop an informed curiosity and a lasting passion for learning. The focus of the program is to provide an opportunity for middle school students to explore rigorous high school level coursework requiring knowledge, understanding, application and skills through research projects, investigation, and written response, as well as practical oral labs relying on student-supported perspectives. This is a Magnet School of Distinction, a national merit award from Magnet Schools of America.
Sally Ride Elementary School’s Aviation and Aerospace – This magnet program provides an enhanced curriculum focusing on science with connections to the worlds of aviation and aerospace. Students will have the opportunity to learn science content through hands-on, minds-on experiments in a science lab and in the regular classroom. For the applicable science units, teachers extend the concepts to include any aviation or aerospace links, creating a web of understanding between the state standards and the magnet topic.
The Office of School Choice Services in Orange County Public Schools works to increase awareness among parents and community members about voluntary public school choice options in Florida. School Choice means providing parents the opportunity to be involved in selecting the school their child will attend. It also means providing services and assistance to help children receive the instruction that best meets their needs.
