WCPSS posts 2026-27 Choice school notifications; families urged to check accounts

Wake County Public School System posted notification guidance in mid‑February and began releasing assignment results to applicants starting Feb. 19, 2026, for the 2026‑27 Choice school cycle covering magnet, year‑round and early college programs. The district, which serves over 150,000 students across nearly 200 schools, told families to check accounts and follow options as results appeared.

The application window for magnet and year‑round schools ran from October 2025 through January 2026, with WCPSS listing Jan. 22 as the closing date for magnet and year‑round applications. WCPSS also lists Dec. 12 as the closing date for early college applications. Eligibility is limited to students enrolled in WCPSS for the 2025‑2026 school year. WCPSS guidance and application pages emphasize that applications are not first‑come, first‑served and that families may apply to multiple schools.

WCPSS describes magnet programs as curriculum‑focused public schools intended to “reduce high concentrations of poverty, and promote school integration and maximize use of school facilities, and provide innovative and/or expanded educational opportunities.” Outside summaries note that magnet student selection incorporates socioeconomic priorities, and WCPSS materials state applications are prioritized based on the type of school, though the excerpts provided do not include the full selection algorithm or the detailed lottery mechanics.

The district provided a specific sibling assignment example for Enloe High School: “Rising 9th grade siblings of returning siblings - those who would get sibling priority to your school - the 9th grade sibling WILL BE been assigned to Enloe with the older, returning sibling.” WCPSS materials explain that if Enloe does not appear on a younger sibling’s magnet application, that is likely because the younger student has already been assigned; families may contact Tamani Anderson‑Powell at tanderson‑powell@wcpss.net to confirm assignments related to Enloe.

WCPSS outreach this cycle included a Magnet and Early College Fair and Kickoff to Kinder on Nov. 1 at Southeast Raleigh Magnet High from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., a public hearing on the district’s enrollment proposal on Oct. 21, and a Family and Community Engagement Summit with the State of Schools Address set for March 20 and 21. As an example of an early college option, Wake STEM Early College High School, a joint project with NC State University located at 2205 Walnut Street, Cary NC 27518, posts calendar items including Spring Break March 18‑20 and school events through March 27, 2026.

The notification excerpts provided do not include acceptance deadlines, the detailed steps families must take after assignment, or how many students applied and how many seats remain. Families who received assignments on or after Feb. 19, 2026 are advised to review their account notices and to contact WCPSS communications for the full posted notification guidance and any follow‑up deadlines.