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Middle School Choice

Norwalk Public Schools is proud to offer Middle School Choice. All incoming sixth graders will have the opportunity to choose from our 10 amazing middle school programs to enhance their education, to pursue their passions and to further explore their interests.

Middle School Choice allows students to choose…

  • what they want to learn
  • how they want to learn
  • where they want to learn
  • and with whom they want to learn

… regardless of where they live in Norwalk.

We can’t wait to see which Middle School Choice programs our students choose to pursue to enrich their education over the next three years.

The lottery application will open on Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024 and closes on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024.

Middle School Choice Open Houses

Were you unable to attend the Middle School Showcase on Oct. 9 but still want to learn more about the five middle schools and what they can offer your child next year?

Each middle school will host an open house before Nov. 15, inviting fifth-grade students and their families to visit the school, meet the principal and staff, and learn more about the programs and pathways offered by the school.

See open house dates below for each school:

  • Concord Magnet School - Tuesday, Oct. 22, 6 to 7 p.m.
  • Nathan Hale Middle School - Wednesday, Nov. 6, 6 to 7:30 p.m.
  • Ponus Ridge STEAM Academy - Wednesday, Oct. 23, 6 to 7:30 p.m.
  • Roton Middle School - Wednesday, Nov. 13, 6 to 8 p.m.
  • West Rocks Middle School - Tuesday, Nov. 12 from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Middle School Choice Catalog

How It Works

Which students will be part of Middle School Choice?

Students entering sixth grade in fall 2025 who wish to apply for a choice program outside their feeder/neighborhood school will enter the lottery for Middle School Choice programs, ranking their top choices.

Do current middle school students get to participate in Middle School Choice?

No. Middle School Choice is only open to students entering sixth grade in fall 2025.

What choice programs does each middle school offer?

Click the Middle School Choice catalog above to learn more about each school and what it offers.

Concord Magnet School

  • Bank Street School model

Nathan Hale Middle School

  • International Baccalaureate Candidate School*

Ponus Ridge Middle School

  • STEAM Academy

Roton Middle School

  • Mandarin
  • Japanese
  • International Baccalaureate Candidate School*

West Rocks Middle School

  • Dual-Language
  • Environmental Marine
  • Visual and Performing Arts

*Roton Middle School and Nathan Hale Middle School are Candidate Schools for the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme. This school is pursuing authorization as an IB World School. These are schools that share a common philosophy—a commitment to high quality, challenging, international education that Roton and Nathan Hale believe is important for our students.

How do I know what my child's feeder/neighborhood middle school will be?

NPS School Feeder System
Elementary School Middle School High School

Brookside

Roton Brien McMahon
Rowayton Roton Brien McMahon
Fox Run Ponus Ridge Brien McMahon
Jefferson Ponus Ridge Brien McMahon
Kendall Ponus Ridge Brien McMahon
Cranbury West Rocks Norwalk
Silvermine West Rocks Norwalk
Tracey West Rocks Norwalk
Marvin Nathan Hale Norwalk
Naramake Nathan Hale Norwalk
Wolfpit Nathan Hale Norwalk
Concord Concord Determined by Residence

 

Click here to view School Assignments by street name.

How does the Middle School Choice lottery process work?

If students are interested in a program that is not in their feeder/neighborhood middle school, they will have the opportunity to enter a centralized lottery for available seats in their program of interest.​

Parents log into the lottery system where they can apply to multiple programs. The lottery application will open on Oct. 9, 2024. The closing of the lottery will be Friday, Dec. 6, 2024 and the drawing will take place on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024.

Families will be notified by Friday, Dec. 20, 2024.

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 the wait list is generated as well. Parents are notified by email to the application status as well as acceptance into each program. 

Throughout the application process, school counselors will be available to assist families with their selection. The NPS Family Center will also have representatives available to help families with the process.

What is the Middle 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.​

NOTE: If a student is accepted into a program in middle school, this is not a guarantee of acceptance to the equivalent high school program.

What is the timeline for Middle School Choice?

The Middle School Choice lottery will open on Oct. 9, 2024.

Guidance counselors at each elementary school will meet with the fifth-grade classrooms and lead information sessions for the students leading up to the lottery.

The lottery will close on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. The lottery drawing will take place on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024, and families will be notified by Friday, Dec. 20, 2024.

Each middle school will host an open house before Nov. 15, inviting fifth-grade students and their families to visit the school, meet the principal and staff, and learn more about the programs and pathways offered by the school.

See open house dates below for each school:

  • Concord Magnet School - Tuesday, Oct. 22, 6 to 7 p.m.
  • Nathan Hale Middle School - Wednesday, Nov. 6, 6 to 7:30 p.m.
  • Ponus Ridge STEAM Academy - Wednesday, Oct. 23, 6 to 7:30 p.m.
  • Roton Middle School - Wednesday, Nov. 13, 6 to 8 p.m.
  • West Rocks Middle School - Tuesday, Nov. 12 from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

How can my child qualify for transportation through Middle School Choice?

Transportation will be provided to students accepted into a Middle School Choice program that is not at their neighborhood feeder school as allowed by the state school transportation requirements (1.5 miles from the school for students enrolled in grades 4-8).