LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Jefferson County Public Schools begin accepting applications open next month, and another group of west Louisville students are eligible to choose where they want to go to school. The annual showcase of schools is helping families make that decision. 

Last year's event was hosted at the Kentucky Expo Center, but this year it's happening in west Louisville for the first time, at Norton Sports and Learning Center at 3029 W. Muhammad Ali Blvd. JCPS officials say they hope the location will encourage families that live nearby in the School Choice Zone to attend.

The annual event is a one-stop shop for parents looking to find out what the district's schools have to offer. 

"It's literally all of JCPS under one roof for one day only," said JCPS spokesperson Carolyn Callahan. "You can learn about the school atmosphere, leadership, what your students will learn, their activities, if they have their magnet programs -- everything the school offers."

And with the new School Choice Zone, the next round of incoming kindergarteners, sixth graders and ninth graders in west Louisville will have a chance to see their options.

"We saw an overwhelming amount of elementary and middle school families choose to keep their child close to home," Callahan said. 

The Saturday showcase at Norton Sports and Learning Center is also a resource for families considering magnet schools, which are known for career pathway opportunities  -- like aviation programs offered at the Academy@Shawnee and a new STEM focused magnet opening at Western.

"They're doing all of this in high school experiences that I think a lot of us did not have in our high schools, and we're really trying to provide that for our students here," Callahan said. 

The application period for all schools opens Nov. 6 and closes on Dec. 22.

But one timing issue: the district is still working on bus issues and hasn't announced if buses will continue for magnet school students next year.

"We can't guarantee it (transportation for magnet schools), but we do not know," Callahan said. "We're hoping that the board will make a decision on that sometime at the beginning of 2024. So in February or March at the latest, so that we'll be able to provide that information for families."

Typically students who apply to attend a magnet school find out if they were accepted in April. Students who have been accepted can then choose to enroll or decline at that time.

Registration is not required for the Oct. 14 event, which starts at 9 a.m. and continues through 4 p.m. 

For a list of JCPS magnet and traditional schools, click here.

To learn more about student assignment plans and boundary maps, click here. To learn more about school choices, click here. 

Related Stories:

Copyright 2023 WDRB Media. All rights reserved.