Magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. Because the schools draw students from across normal school zone boundaries regardless of zip code, they are called “magnets.”  There are elementary magnet school, magnet middle school, and magnet high school programs.  Like traditional public schools, magnet schools are accountable to the local school board and to the state, and they are held to the same academic standards. 

Admission to a magnet school program sometimes requires an entrance exam, audition, or may be decided by a lottery.  Magnet schools exist within the traditional public school system but offer a particular academic focus alongside the standard curriculum.