November 4, 2026 – Decatur Public Schools District 61 has announced the dates for its mandatory parent meetings prior to applications for its magnet schools for the 2027-2028 school year. Parents and guardians must attend an informational meeting for their applications to be eligible.
The district has announced several upcoming meeting dates, including a general parent information meeting November 18th at 5:30 p.m. at Eisenhower High School and December 16th at 5:30 p.m. at MacArthur High School.
Parents may also attend a building-specific meeting at the magnet school they wish to apply to.
Upcoming school-specific meetings include:
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Ellsworth Dansby Jr.: December 2nd at 5:30 p.m.
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Johns Hill: December 8th at 5:30 p.m.
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Montessori: December 10th at 5:30 p.m.
Parents must attend either a general community meeting or a meeting at each magnet school for which they are applying. Applications will be marked ineligible if the required meeting is not attended.
Families whose children are already enrolled in a magnet school do not need to attend a meeting for that child, but must still complete an application. Parents who attended a meeting last year but were not selected must attend another meeting this year.
The application deadline is January 31st, 2027.
The district’s magnet programs include Ellsworth Dansby Jr., Johns Hill and Montessori Academy for Peace. Families can rank their school preferences when applying through the district’s lottery process.
You can pre-register for a parent meeting HERE.
