magnet school

American  

noun

1. a public school with special programs and instruction that are not available elsewhere in a school district and that are specially designed to draw students from throughout a district, especially to aid in desegregation.

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magnet school British  

noun

1. a school that provides a focus on one subject area throughout its curriculum in order to attract, often from an early age, pupils who wish to specialize in this subject

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Etymology

Origin of magnet school

An Americanism dating back to 1965–70

Example Sentences

By far the biggest factor in admission, however, is whether an applicant has matriculated from another magnet school and how long an applicant has been on the waiting list for a magnet school.

From Salon • Mar. 10, 2026

Unified parent who was unable to get into a magnet school of choice.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 20, 2026

Twenty miles away in Gig Harbor, Pioneer Elementary, a science, technology, engineering, arts and math magnet school, also received the Green Ribbon award.

From Seattle Times • May 12, 2023

Sherice Sargent, a Black mother, is not amused that her daughter Skye, who thrived at Carver Engineering and Science magnet school, was assigned by the lottery to a school with a different specialty: farming.

From Washington Post • Mar. 24, 2023

Her elementary school is a magnet school, so even though we moved across town, she can still keep going there.

From "A Soft Place to Land" by Janae Marks