The Clark County School District Magnet Schools Fair is Saturday, November 14, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to noon PT at South Career and Technical Academy, 225 E. Starr Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89183. The October 5 CCSD newsroom post says the Magnet Schools Department is hosting it "for families interested in learning about the programs at the 45 Magnet Schools throughout the District." That is the big room event.
It is not the start of the process. 2027 to 2028 School Choice applications opened Monday, October 5, 2026, and close Tuesday, January 12, 2027, at 3:00 p.m., per magnet.ccsd.net and the Magnet Application Information page (both checked Wednesday, November 4, 2026). Three things matter before you walk into South CTA.
1. The fair is not when applications open, and your first choice carries extra weight
You apply in SchoolMint at applyccsd.schoolmint.com through the Apply link on magnet.ccsd.net. The hard close is January 12. The Magnet Application Process page says "Application changes are only permitted before the application deadline," and tells families to check email for a submission confirmation.
You may list up to three magnet programs inside a wider School Choice cap of five total schools or programs across Magnet, Open Enrollment, and Central Technical Training Academy. Rank before you fall in love with a booth.
The Selection Process page says magnet preferences apply only to a student's first choice on time magnet application. There are five, and each one has its own rule:
Sibling preference: a sibling must already be enrolled and attending that magnet and be enrolled there again for the upcoming year. It does not apply when siblings apply at the same time for the same year.
Geographic preference: for qualified applicants living inside a school's geographic preference area, set by CCSD's Demographics, Zoning, and GIS Department.
Feeder preference: for qualified students now in a magnet elementary or middle school who apply to an entry grade at a magnet middle or high school.
CTA transportation preference: for qualified Career and Technical Academy applicants inside a CTA's transportation zone. It does not apply to Veterans Tribute Career and Technical Academy or Advanced Technologies Academy.
Continuum preference: fifth graders at Gordon McCaw STEM Academy get priority at Lyal Burkholder Academy of Environmental Science when they list it first on time.
At the middle and high school level, a preference still requires the student to meet the program's qualification rules.
If your child qualifies for one of these at a particular school, that is a strong reason to make it your first choice. If not, rank purely on fit.
Know the entry type, too. Elementary and middle magnets are interest based. High school magnets can be interest based, criteria based, or audition based. Criteria programs need at least 16 points out of 26 from first semester or trimester grades, and the first semester ends Friday, December 18, 2026, according to CCSD's 2026 to 2027 student calendar. A student who falls short is marked NOT QUALIFIED, which Application Process says means the student "did not meet the criteria qualifications for the program," and families may contact the school about that status. Las Vegas Academy and Del Sol Academy applicants must complete an audition at the school they apply to before the application is complete, per Qualification Requirements.
Check grade eligibility before you go. Application Information says applications are for students entering kindergarten through 10th grade, and that "Ed W. Clark High School, Las Vegas Academy, Del Sol Academy, and some International Baccalaureate (IB) programs accept applications for 11th grade." For kindergarten, a child "must be 5 years of age on or before August 1st."
For caps, Open Enrollment, and Central Technical Training Academy on the same form, see CCSD Insider's School Choice open window guide. Themes, lottery preferences, and bus maps sit in the Magnet parent guide.
2. Walk in with a shortlist, not a wandering plan
Three hours and 45 Magnet Schools is a lot of carpet. Lyal Burkholder Academy's CCSD Magnet Events page says families can "Meet representatives from all Elementary, Middle, and High School Magnet & CTA programs." Build a shortlist first on Find a Magnet School or the September 2026 Magnet Schools Catalog. The district's Magnet Programs and Career and Technical Academies Map for 2026 to 2027 puts every magnet school and CTA on one page, which helps you drop campuses that are too far for your family's daily drive. Write the exact program names the district uses, not just campus nicknames. You apply to a program, not only a building.
At each booth that stays on your list, ask the questions that change ranking or transportation:
Will this program use interest, criteria, or audition entry for 2027 to 2028?
Does our address sit inside the magnet transportation zone, and more than two miles from the campus under Regulation 3531? Magnet bus service is not automatic.
Is there a program fee after enrollment? Application Information says admission has no application, tuition, or entrance fee, but some schools charge a program fee once a student is enrolled.
What does a full year commitment look like in practice? Selected students attend the magnet full time for the entire school year. Part time magnet attendance is not allowed.
Ask for the school's own tour, open house, or shadow day date before you leave the table. The fair is a meet and greet, not a substitute for time on campus. CCSD Insider's Magnet tours guide covers campus visits.
Bring your child if you can.
3. After the fair, chase campus dates on school pages and apply on time
Do not wait for a master district tour sheet. The Magnet events calendar read "0 events found" on Wednesday, November 4, 2026. Application Process still tells families to explore through school events. Those dates live on individual campus sites under Find a Magnet School.
Verified examples as of November 4, 2026 (confirm before you drive):
South Career and Technical Academy lists after school presentations and campus tours led by student ambassadors on Mondays November 23 and December 7, 2026, and January 11, 2027, with signup on its Save the Date page. The same page lists Magnet Preview Night on Thursday, November 19, 2026, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., and a second Preview Night on Friday, January 8, 2027, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Roy W. Martin Middle School lists a Magnet Open House on Tuesday, December 1, 2026, from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at 200 N. 28th St., Las Vegas, NV 89101, per its Open House and Magnet Events page.
Those are examples, not a full Clark County tour list. If your first choice campus has nothing posted, call the school office or the Magnet Schools Department.
Then apply before January 12. A late window opens after spring break, but the Late Application Information page says no preferences apply to late applications, and they wait behind every on time applicant. CCSD Insider's Magnet deadline guide has the rest.
South CTA's page lists on time lottery notifications as "(Date TBD) March 2027." Weighing Open Enrollment too? CCSD Insider's Open Enrollment checklist covers what to finish by the same deadline.
Who do parents call?
Magnet Schools Department: 702 799 8492, magnetschools@nv.ccsd.net, Monday through Friday 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., 3050 E. Flamingo Rd., Las Vegas, NV 89121, per magnet.ccsd.net. School Choice hub: itsyourchoice.ccsd.net. Fair site: South Career and Technical Academy, 225 E. Starr Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89183, 702 799 1111, per its Save the Date page.
CCSD Insider is an independent parent resource and is not affiliated with the Clark County School District.