Magnet Schools or Private???

Welcome to NC! I moved here 12 years ago and love it. As the mom of two children, ages 4 and 8, I have also encountered the struggle regarding the best education for my children. I am fortunate in that I have found a wonderful option that keeps me out of the drama of school reassignments and year-round vs. traditional calendars AND is in my community (I live in Holly Springs). Both of my children attend Southern Wake Montessori School which is on Old Powell Road right off of Highway 55 on the border between Holly Springs and Fuquay (10 wooded acres with lots of natural areas and outdoor educational opportunities). I never intended for my daughter to stay there beyond preschool, but now that she is in third grade and excelling far beyond her grade level I can't imagine her anywhere else. As with any private school, there is a cost involved, but for my family we decided that the cost now to instill the love of learning was well worth it...and I'm confident it will pay off for my children in the long run. I could go on and on about how much I think of this school, but you should come and see for yourself. Check out the Web site at www.swmsnc.org and/or call for a tour at ###-###-####. The tour is well worth it and you'll at least have another option. Also wanted to mention that I did look briefly at magnet schools...all are located pretty far from FV and I didn't want to have to either drive or put my children on a bus for 45 minutes each way. I'm sure others will have different opinions - I just know that Montessori has been a blessing for my children and Southern Wake Montessori is the best one in the area (also check out our ratings on Great Schools). Best of luck with your decision and please do come check out our school (you can come for a tour anytime; in addition we have two Open Houses in April on the 16th from 6-8 and the 19th from 2-4).

Why don't you like Westlake Elementary? Just wondering because my child will be attending there soon.
Thanks!

Magnet schools are through the public schools. You can find out information on the different programs at www.wcpss.net. Magnet schools are schools with specialized programs or teaching methods. Some are placed in certain schools to increase diversity, which I think is great. If you can manage a private one financially, you may as well. The deadline for magnet school applicatinos was in February, but you may be able to get an exception depending on available space. Not all will have direct transportation. I highly suggest looking them up on the website. Good luck!

Magnet schools are public schools that have a specific focus or emphasis. For example, my kids went to an International Baccalaureate primary magnet school, which means they tried to make every class include international understanding of the subject.

Some magnet schools are great, some aren't. It varies just as with any public school. The great ones are harder to get into. You submit your application, I believe by the end of February for the following school year, and if more people apply than there are openings they use the lottery way of picking winnters. The less great magnet schools are easier to get into. That's the avenue we took. There was a magnet school very near our house, the principal was horrible, but my kids hated their base elementary school and it worked out good. We got into the nearby magnet school easily, we tried to avoid the principal as best we could, and my kids liked it much better than their base school. All of my neighbors applied for a year round magnet school, and no one made it in. We could not afford a private school, so this worked out great for us. Good luck!