If You Want to Get Your Child Into a DISD Magnet or Academy, You Had Best Hustle

Here you'll find a list of how many slots are available at each of the Dallas Independent School District's elementary vanguards, middle-school academies and magnet high schools for the 2011-'21 school year. Might wanna glance at it, hard, if you're trying to get the wee one into one of the district's crown jewels: DISD sends a reminder this morning that the schools began accepting applications today, for which you'll need a small stack of required docs: "a copy of your most recent report card and ITBS or TAKS reading and math scores, teacher survey, parental letter of interest, portfolio if applicable) and proof of residence to the first choice school/program." And you'd best hustle too: Applications will only be accepted till January 14. (Update: I've been informed the district began taking applications December 13 and resumed this morning following the two-week winter hiatus.)

On a related note: I see on the DISD website that eight days later, the district will host its High School Redesign Showcase at Adamson, during which there will be a discussion about the college and career academies that will welcome incoming freshman during the next school year at one of the 18 redesigned high schools. They're open to all at-the-moment eight-graders, for whom that new school will become their home school upon acceptance. But there are these caveats, because DISD never makes it easy: "Because of a limited number of spaces at each school, acceptance will be determined through a lottery. The district will not provide transportation for students who are accepted."