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 8 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 2026-27 lottery application is now closed. The lottery drawing will occur on Monday, Dec. 15, 2025.
[Reminder: New student registration for the 2026-27 school year will open in February 2026.]
A note on transportation: Transportation will be provided to students accepted into a Middle School Choice program via lottery 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).
Middle School Choice Catalog
How It Works
Which students will be part of Middle School Choice?
Students entering sixth grade in fall 2026 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 2027.
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 School - Middle Years Programme
Ponus Ridge Middle School
- STEAM Academy
Roton Middle School
- Mandarin
- International Baccalaureate School - Middle Years Programme
West Rocks Middle School
- Dual-Language
- Environmental Marine
- Visual and Performing Arts
How do I know what my child's feeder/neighborhood middle school will be?
| 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 closed on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. The lottery drawing will occur on Monday, Dec. 15, 2025. Families will be notified by Friday, Dec. 19, 2025.
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 2026-27 lottery application is now closed. The lottery drawing will occur on Monday, Dec. 15, 2025.
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 closed on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. The lottery drawing will occur on Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, and families will be notified by Friday, Dec. 19, 2025.
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).