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CMS school choice lottery is open

The lottery for students to choose magnet programs opened on Monday, and Superintendent Crystal Hill said families submitted more than 1,200 applications on the first day.

Parents will be able to explore school choice options and ask questions at this year’s Endless Possibilities event. That will be held at the Park Expo and Conference Center on Oct. 25 and Nov. 1.

To apply to the school lottery, parents have to register students in CMS and get a student ID. You can register online. You can then apply to your chosen school using the family dashboard.

All applications are processed after the window closes in December, so applying early doesn’t give you a higher chance of being assigned to your school. Email notifications will be sent in January.

James Farrell is WFAE's education reporter. Farrell has served as a reporter for several print publications in Buffalo, N.Y., and weekend anchor at WBFO Buffalo Toronto Public Media. Most recently he has served as a breaking news reporter for Forbes.