High School Choice
Norwalk Public Schools continues its commitment to choice with 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 2025-2026 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.
The High School Choice Lottery will open on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024 and close on Jan. 13, 2025. The lottery drawing will take place on Jan. 21, 2025, and families will be notified by Jan. 24, 2025.
Each high school will host open house events 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.
Brien McMahon High School and Norwalk High School will each host an open house for prospective 8th grade students and their families the week prior to the lottery closing.
- NHS - Monday, Jan. 6 at 6 p.m.
- BMHS - Wednesday, Jan. 8 at 6 p.m.
P-TECH Norwalk will host multiple open houses through January for families in Norwalk and surrounding communities. Open houses will be held 5 to 7 p.m. at P-TECH, located at 23 Calvin Murphy Dr.
Tuesday, Oct. 29Tuesday, Nov. 19- Wednesday, Jan. 8
The Center for Global Studies will also host multiple open houses through January for families in and outside of Norwalk who are interested in the inter-magnet school. The Jan. 8 date will allow students and families to see the school while its in session.
Wednesday, October 30, 6:30PM-8:30PMSaturday, December 7, 10AM-11:30AM- Wednesday, Jan. 8, 8AM-10AM
All Open Houses are held at the Center for Global Studies, located at 300 Highland Ave. in Norwalk, in the Community Room.
How It Works
Which students will be a part of this year’s High School Choice?
Students entering ninth grade in fall 2025 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 2025-2026 school year.
What choice programs does each high school offer?
Brien McMahon High School
- International Baccalaureate (Middle Years Program; Diploma Program & Career Program starting in 11th grade)
- Marine Science Academy
- McMahon Medical Pathway
- Project Lead the Way
- Biomedical Science
- Engineering
Center for Global Studies
- Arabic
- Japanese
- Mandarin
Norwalk High School
- Culinary Arts
- Digital Media and Communications
- Performing Arts
- Visual Arts
P-TECH Norwalk
- Mobile Programming*
- Software Engineering*
- Web Development*
* upon entering 10th grade
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.
(Lottery application link will go live at 6 p.m. on Dec. 4, 2024.)
The High School Choice Lottery will open on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024 and close on Jan. 13, 2025. The lottery drawing will take place on Jan. 21, 2025, and families will be notified by Jan. 24, 2025.
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 open on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024 and close on Jan. 13, 2025. The lottery drawing will take place on Jan. 21, 2025, and families will be notified by Jan. 24, 2025.
(Lottery application link will go live at 6 p.m. on Dec. 4, 2024.)
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.
Brien McMahon High School and Norwalk High School will each host an open house for prospective 8th grade students and their families the week prior to the lottery closing.
- NHS - Monday, Jan. 6 at 6 p.m.
- BMHS - Wednesday, Jan. 8 at 6 p.m.
P-TECH Norwalk will host multiple open houses through January for families in Norwalk and surrounding communities. Open houses will be held 5 to 7 p.m. at P-TECH, located at 23 Calvin Murphy Dr.
Tuesday, Oct. 29Tuesday, Nov. 19- Wednesday, Jan. 8
The Center for Global Studies will also host multiple open houses through January for families in and outside of Norwalk who are interested in the inter-magnet school. The Jan. 8 date will allow students and families to see the school while its in session.
Wednesday, October 30, 6:30PM-8:30PM- Saturday, December 7, 10AM-11:30PM
- Thursday January 8, 8AM-10AM
All Open Houses are held at the Center for Global Studies, located at 300 Highland Ave. in Norwalk, in the Community Room.