Magnet Quick FAQ's

NOTE: for the 20-21 school year, the Magnet Lottery Application will open December 1st after the current year second semester learning option window closes on November 20th.

Barger Academy of Fine Arts is a zoned-magnet school. Students living in the zone for Barger Academy may register without being awarded a magnet seat and volunteer hours for zoned families are not recorded.

Please check the zone finder on Hamilton County's website to determine your zoned school. All families wishing to attend Barger Academy that do not live in the zone must apply for a magnet seat and go through the lottery process. We strongly encourage families to complete a tour of the school. 

Admission into a magnet school is by application on a space-available basis. Applications are made available yearly from November 1st to January 31st. Seats are then filled by a lottery or random selection process completed by HCDE in February. During this time, parents can apply directly through the online Magnet Lottery Application. 

Bus transportation is provided for magnet families.


Magnet Requirements & FAQ's

  • Perform 18 service hours (per family) to the magnet school that your child attends. If you have children in different magnet schools, the hours must be split equally between the schools.

  • Families are highly encouraged to have HALF of their magnet volunteer hours completed every year by the end of the first semester of school in December.

  • All volunteer hours MUST be completed by April 30th every year without exception.

  • All volunteer hours MUST be recorded on "Record of Volunteer Hours" slip. Parents retain the yellow copy for their records and the white copy is turned into the Parent Volunteer Coordinator. Field trips and other school events are used when groups of parents volunteer for the same activity (such as a PTA meeting.)

  • Make sure your child has good attendance.

  • Make sure your child follows the discipline policy as outlined in the Code of Acceptable Behavior published by the Hamilton County Department of Education.

  • Attend 2 parent conferences per year.

  • Once registered at the magnet school, you must stay for the remainder of that school year. No transfer to another Hamilton County School will be allowed.

  • Parents, guardians, and grandparents should complete volunteer hours. Extended family is approved on a case-by-case basis. All volunteers must be 18 years of age.

  • If a family completes their 18 hours of volunteer service before April 30th, any extra hours may not be "gifted" to other families or rolled over to the following school year. 

    • Volunteer hours completed after April 30th may count towards the following school year's hour requirement at Barger Academy, but may not be carried over to magnet middle schools for exiting 5th graders.

If any of the above conditions are NOT met, the child may lose his/her magnet seat and will be expected to attend his/her zone school.

What qualifies for Parent Involvement Time?

Time that assists the school, teachers, and classes qualifies to earn parent involvement hours. These items include:

  • Completing tasks in a teacher/parent workroom

  • Completing assigned tasks at home with specific instructions, depending on availability

  • Assisting a teacher in the classroom

  • Acting as a monitor in hallways, cafeteria, car line, etc.

  • Chaperoning field trips (limit of 9 hours at each school per family)

  • Attending parent classes

  • Serving on the PTA board

  • Working on PTA events

  • Working athletic events

  • Saturday/Sunday workdays

  • Organizing special events (performances, auctions, candy sales, etc.)

  • Working to improve school building and grounds

  • Bringing food or drink for events (limit of 1/3 of total hours at each school)

What does not qualify as involvement time?

Time that is spent with only your child, at school or away from school, is good parenting time and not considered involvement time for the school. These items will not satisfy the parent involvement commitment:

  • reading with your child

  • helping your child with homework

  • visiting your child for lunch

  • watching your child in a performance

  • volunteering with groups like Girl Scouts

  • attending parent/teacher conferences

  • visiting your child's classroom

 

The Magnet Lottery will be held every year in the Spring, after January 31st. Results will be posted on www.hcde.org

All content © 2024 Hamilton County Schools. All rights reserved. | Privacy Notice | Website by School Messenger