High School Choice
Norwalk Public Schools continues its commitment to choice with the second year of High School Choice. All incoming freshmen will have the opportunity to explore and apply for more than a dozen choice programs offered by our four high schools during the 2024-2025 school year.
Through our high school academies, pathways and programs, students can gain hands-on industry experience, earn a college degree or health certification, and engage with their global peers. The learning opportunities range from engineering to marine science to the performing and visual arts. And if our incoming ninth graders prefer to stay in their feeder pattern school, they can attend our comprehensive high schools – Norwalk High School or Brien McMahon High School.
To achieve our mission to provide an excellent and equitable education for all students to graduate future ready, we need to provide options, and we’re proud that we can expand those options this year.
How It Works
Which students will be a part of this year’s High School Choice?
Students entering ninth grade in fall 2024 who wish to apply for a choice program will enter the lottery for High School Choice, ranking their top choices.
Do current high school students get to participate in High School Choice?
No. This year’s High School Choice lottery will be limited to incoming freshmen for the 2024-2025 school year.
How does the High School Choice lottery process work?
If students are interested in an academy, pathway or other choice program, they will have the opportunity to enter a centralized lottery for available seats in their program of interest.
Parents will log into the lottery system where they can apply to multiple programs for their child. An algorithm based on prioritization set by the district randomly selects students for each program. Our lottery will be weighted for sibling preference.
Once the lottery has been run, the acceptance list is generated and a wait list is generated as well for each program. Students will be notified by email to their application status as well as acceptance into each program.
The high school choice process will mirror our middle school process.
What is the High School Choice lottery system?
The system is an online lottery system managed centrally, connected to PowerSchool. Once students enter the lottery, a formula will randomly generate accepted students and waitlists for each choice program.
What is the timeline for High School Choice?
The High School Choice lottery drawing will take place on a date to be determined.
We will hold our third annual High School Choice Fair in late October or early November.
Each high school will host an open house event for families to visit and learn more about the school, its culture and its programs prior to the lottery drawing. The open houses will serve as another opportunity for students and families to speak directly with school representatives.