Eighth graders and eligible students are invited to attend the 2013 Magnet School Fair from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday Jan. 9 at the Northside Activity Center, 7001 Culebra Road.

Applications are being accepted for the 2013-14 school year for all five NISD magnet programs, which include Business Careers, Communications Arts, and Health Careers high schools, and Construction Careers and Science and Engineering academies.

Northside magnet schools offer a focused, career-specific education for students who show an interest in a particular field or know what career path they want to take. Today, about 3,000 students are enrolled in NISD magnet programs.

For a complete description and contact information for each program, please read the NISD Magnet Schools brochure.

All Northside eighth graders are eligible for enrollment, and some schools accept applications from students already in high school and from outside the District. Please check with individual programs for applications and age and residency requirements. Enrollment is limited at each school.

The deadline for applications is in early February; please check with your middle school for a specific date.

At the Magnet School Fair on Wednesday, representatives will be available to provide details about the program and information on the application process.

In addition, representatives of the magnet schools will be giving presentations and passing out applications at each middle school campus on the following dates:

Jan. 9:  Jordan and Pease
Jan. 10:  Connally and Stevenson
Jan. 11:  Rudder and Briscoe

Jan. 22:  Vale and Luna
Jan. 23:  Neff and Ross
Jan. 25:  Hector Garcia and Stinson

Jan. 28:  Jefferson and Zachry
Jan. 29:  Hobby and Rawlinson
Jan. 30:  Jones and Rayburn