The Wichita school district will no longer hold an annual event designed to showcase its magnet schools and other special programs.
For more than 20 years, the district has hosted a Choices Fair — or Showcase of Choices and Opportunities — at Century II. Schools from across the district set up booths or demonstrations, and families could browse the displays to learn more about the dozens of special schools or programs.
Spokeswoman Susan Arensman said district officials opted to cancel the event because they could not tell whether the effort was worthwhile.
“While many people have enjoyed coming to the Choices Fair for decades,” Arensman said in an email, “we didn’t have sufficient data to determine if the expense of resources and staff time equated to an increase in applications for our magnet schools and special programs.”
The annual Choices Fair, usually held in the late fall, was considered a “one-stop shop” for families wanting to learn more about Wichita public schools and the dozens of optional magnet school programs. It was especially popular with parents of kindergartners and those new to the district.
Wichita offers 23 magnet schools focused on technology, foreign language, fine arts and other topics, as well as career development and college-prep programs.
Two years ago, the district launched its newest magnet — the Creative Minds Academy microschool, which features a one-room schoolhouse approach, with students of different grades learning from one teacher.
Wichita leverages its extensive network of magnet programs as the cornerstone of its public “school choice” system, offering tailored academic environments that allow families to opt out of traditional neighborhood school assignments. By offering specialized programs free of charge — including free bus transportation — the district positions its magnet options as a tool to keep families in public schools.
The annual Choices Fair, held each year in the Century II Exhibition Hall, was billed as a way for families to learn more about the array of options by seeing them all in one place.
Moving forward, Arensman said parents interested in learning more about magnet options should visit the district’s website — www.usd259.org/choosewps — or explore specific programs during School Visitation Week in January.
Applications for the 2027-28 school year are already available online. The application deadline for secondary-school programs, such as the International Baccalaureate program at East High or the Early College Academy at Northwest, is Jan. 29. The deadline for elementary school magnet programs is March 12.
