Preschool applications for CPS' Magnet schools are submitted using the online Magnet Lottery.

Preschool applications are processed separately by CPS' Early Childhood Education Department; order of acceptance is based on the computerized lottery and a child's age.

The preschool application process includes interviews with parents, where proof of income, home address and the child's age are required.

CPS preschool programs offer multiple funding options. A family that is not eligible for a subsidized program or tuition assistance may be required to pay tuition.

The timeline varies for processing Magnet preschool applications due to funding and licensure requirements.

More Preschool information

Or, contact CPS' Early Childhood Education Department: (513) 363-0240

• Magnet applications are submitted a school year ahead of when the child would enter the Magnet school or program.

• To Apply

  • Go to the Magnet Lottery Application. Parents or guardians create an online account and password, then enter the requested student information.
  • Only parents or guardians may submit lottery applications.Each lottery application allows parents or guardians to select up to three Magnet schools or programs, ranking them in order of preference.
  • Magnet seats are given out via random lottery.
  • One Magnet application may be submitted per child per school year.
  • Only the first lottery application will be accepted; any subsequent applications for the same student will not be considered.
• Parents or guardians may enter Magnet applications from any computer with internet access.

If needed, parents or guardians may access computers in CPS schools and at the CPS Customer Care Center in the CPS Education Center, 2651 Burnet Avenue, Corryville, 45219. Schedule an appointment with Customer Care or call (513) 363-0123.

Each online application is given a random computer-generated lottery number, which determines the order in which space at each Magnet school or program is assigned.

There is no rush to be "first in line" in the Magnet Lottery.

Each application has an equal chance to receive the student’s top choice Magnet school, as long as the application is submitted during the lottery application period — December 1, 2023, through March 1, 2024. 

Parents will be notified by mail regarding magnet school placement within 30 days after the magnet lottery closes. (Additionally, when the lottery closes, applicants will be reminded by email to log back into their account in the next 30 days to check on the status of their application.) 

If a student's first choice Magnet school or program is filled, the student will be placed in the second or third choice school listed by the parent or guardian on the lottery application (if space is available).

Magnet seats are assigned until spaces fill up, starting with the lowest numbers.

Magnet waiting lists are created as capacity limits are reached. Applicants to Magnet programs with entrance requirements also are placed on waiting lists, pending confirmation that requirements have been met.

Waiting lists are in effect until June 30. If a child who applied in the Magnet Lottery has not been placed by June 30, the child’s parents or guardians should register the child at the neighborhood school assigned to the child’s home address, or the child can stay in the school where already enrolled.

Preschool age 4 students attending a CPS preschool, who have not received a magnet lottery award letter or have not enrolled in a non-CPS school, will automatically roll up into the neighborhood school associated with their home address.

CPS is not responsible for any incorrect information entered on a Magnet Lottery application.

Corrections are made using the Student Change of Information form. The completed form and required documents must be turned in to the student’s current school or at the CPS Customer Care Center, 2651 Burnet Avenue, 45219, Corryville.

• Student Change of Information Form

All information submitted with an online application — names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses — must be correct.

If CPS cannot contact parents/guardians using the information provided, the student will lose the seat assigned in the lottery.

• If, after submitting an application, there are changes to the contact information, notify CPS by using the Student Change of Information form. The completed form and required documents should be turned in to the student's current school or at the CPS Customer Care Center, 2651 Burnet Avenue, 45219, Corryville.

Process: Siblings are given priority for entering magnet schools.

• Please note, CPS will be using its new Student information System (Focus) to process applications electronically. We encourage all to use this new system, but we understand some families may not be able to access Focus. As a result, CPS will allow paper applications to be submitted at each magnet school.
  • View and download the application: 2024-2025 Magnet School Sibling Application

Who may apply during the Application Period for siblings?

Siblings of in-district students already enrolled in magnet schools may apply to the sibling's magnet schools. The entering student must meet the magnet school's eligibility requirements, if any, and live within the CPS district at the same address as the current student.

The sibling who is currently attending the magnet school must be in grades preschool to 5 (or, at AMIS, AWL, Roberts or Roselawn, to grade 7). This means if the sibling has left the magnet school when the applying sibling is entering, sibling priority will not be given.

A student enrolled in the assigned area Magnet school or program, or in a Citywide Magnet, is eligible for bus transportation if the student lives one mile or more from the school. If a student is enrolled in a school outside the assigned East or West Area, families must provide transportation to and from school.

Bus transportation is not provided for preschoolers.

CPS is not responsible for any incorrect information entered on a Magnet Lottery application.

 

After a child is accepted into a magnet school and before the school year begins, the parent/guardian must fill out the Student Registration Information Form and complete the registration process, which includes required documentation.

Only a parent or legal guardian may register a student in school. A legal guardian must present proper documentation (i.e., custody granted by a court or accredited agency).

Important: The information on this page applies only to in-district students (living within the Cincinnati Public School District's boundaries). Students who live outside CPS may apply to CPS schools ONLY during the Open Enrollment Online Application Period. In-district students get priority for seats in CPS schools.

Information, assistance for magnet school applications and registration: CPS Customer Care Center (513) 363-0123