Magnet School Information

 Stamford's magnet schools offer educational choices to parents through innovative programs of theme-based instruction. All other schools enroll students based on residence. Details about each school's programs are available on the individual school websites. 

SPS has four intra-district magnet schools that enroll students from Stamford (Hart Elementary, Toquam Elementary, Westover Elementary, and Scofield Middle School) and three inter-district magnet schools that are required to enroll at least 25 percent of their students from Connecticut public school districts outside of Stamford (AITE High School, Rogers International K-8, and Strawberry Hill K-8).

The magnet school program was created by the Stamford Board of Education to help manage enrollment and balance all schools to the District’s +/- 10 percent integration standard while offering educational choice through unique programs and theme-based instruction. All magnet schools follow the Connecticut State Standards and are implementing the new K-12 curricula in all subjects being developed by Stamford educators as part of the district’s three-year master curriculum plan.

General Magnet Information

• New Kindergarten Age Requirements. The kindergarten age cutoff in Connecticut is September 1, meaning children must turn 5 years old on or before that date to be eligible for kindergarten. This change went into effect for the 2024–2025 school year, replacing the previous cutoff of January 1.
• Hart, Toquam, Westover, and Scofield Magnet Middle School are local magnet schools and enroll students from all parts of Stamford by a lottery process.
• Academy of Information Technology & Engineering (AITE), Rogers International School and Strawberry Hill, an extension of Rogers International, are Interdistrict Magnet Schools and invite students from Stamford and the surrounding towns within the state of Connecticut. Rogers and Strawberry Hill include grades K-8. Both of the schools have preferred areas for admission (see below).
  • Rogers International School Preferred Areas 1 and 2
  • Strawberry Hill Preferred Area 1

For a full description of the Stamford Public Schools Magnet Lottery School Application process please click on the left.  Lottery applications will be available on September 16, 2024. All magnet schools will hold orientation meetings. All applications submitted by the published deadlines will be included in the lottery draw. This lottery does not operate on a first-come, first-serve basis.

If your child is on a magnet school waitlist for the current (2025-26) school year, those waitlists will remain active until December 1, 2025. If a spot opens up before December 1 for which your child qualifies, you will be contacted by a member of the central office staff. The individual schools do not manage the waitlist process.