5 Underrated CMS Magnet Elementary Schools to Tour This Fall

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) has a robust magnet program. Students can opt into specialty programming such as Dual Language Immersion, STEM/STEAM, Montessori, and more.

Naturally, some schools have become more popular than others. While we know they are beloved for a reason, there are several magnet schools that deserve their flowers!

Charlotte school experts Natalie Parmenter of Primary Focus (opens in a new tab) and Savannah Keith Gress of RYSE (opens in a new tab) share magnet schools that often fly under the radar.

By applying to these schools, you may have a better chance of getting in and enjoy a smaller community, unique programming, and a school that may be a great fit for your child. These schools are listed in no particular order.

1. Winget Park Elementary

About: STEM School, K-5

Winget Park Elementary (opens in a new tab) is a STEM school (science, technology, engineering, and math). Like the other STEM/STEAM schools, you’ll see similarities in curriculums with the standard CMS curriculum. However, they enhance it with science, technology, engineering, and math concepts. It is a partial magnet with a mix of assigned students and school choice lottery students.

Winget Park offers unique enrichment opportunities through their Makerspace and STEM Lab. The school focuses heavily on students' critical thinking skills, engineering, and mathematics.

Each May, they host STEAM Night, which showcases projects from every student. Students take ownership over this event and invite their families and the community to attend. In addition to their projects, students transform the main hallway into a beautiful art gallery, with artwork from every student.

• Getting In | Winget Park is a partial magnet. That's a neighborhood school that also takes magnet lottery students.
• Student Growth | Students at Winget Park have been making strong academic progress over the past three years. The school supported students to learn more than the state expected in 2023-24 and 2024-25, and about as much as expected in 2025-26.
• Bus | Blue transportation zone. Families outside the zone can still apply but must provide their own transportation.

Prospective Parent Open Houses

• November 4, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. – Virtual using this link: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/219935299783449?p=lc77VYOUAWauFdzvWD (opens in a new tab)
• November 12, 2026 at 2:30 p.m. – In person at Winget Park Elementary

Thinking about waiting a year before kindergarten? Check out The K Delay (opens in a new tab), an online course for parents from Primary Focus. It helps parents decide whether to start kindergarten now or later. Created by former kindergarten teacher Natalie Parmenter, it covers the research, how to gauge academic, social, and emotional readiness, and what to ask teachers. Most parents finish it in one evening.

2. Elizabeth Traditional School

About: Leadership School, K-5 (Leader in Me Program based on The 7 Habits of Happy Kids)

Elizabeth Traditional School (opens in a new tab) is a historic school in the Elizabeth neighborhood. Established in 1912, it is next door to CPCC and Independence Park and walking distance to Elizabeth Ave’s restaurants, including an ice cream shop. This offers a unique community feel to the school.

Elizabeth Traditional Elementary School currently offers the Leader in Me Program. This is a social-emotional learning program based on Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. It teaches children how to develop their voice and character to be confident, make smart decisions, and be a leader.

This school offers a lot of individualized support for learners, whether they need remediation or extension. They are also partnered with the Dottie Rose Foundation (opens in a new tab), whose goal is to close the gender gap in the tech field by providing fun learning opportunities to girls.

CMS has proposed changing the magnet programming at both Elizabeth Traditional and Myers Park Traditional from their current leadership focus to IB (International Baccalaureate) programming. If this happens, the transition would be in the 2028-29 school year. Though change may come, do not let this deter you from looking at Elizabeth Traditional! The curriculum may change, but the spirit of the school will stay the same.

• Getting In | Elizabeth Traditional School is a full magnet, meaning 100% of students enter through the school choice lottery.
• Student Growth | Elizabeth Traditional has exceeded growth expectations for the past three years, a strong sign that it’s effectively supporting student learning.
• Bus | CMS lists the Green and Violet transportation zones, and busing depends on the high school boundary your home is in. CMS proposals to change the magnet system in the spring of 2026 included changes to the transportation zone for Elizabeth Traditional, moving it to the Blue zone in the 2028-29 school year. However, those changes have not yet been adopted.

Prospective Parent Open Houses

• Wednesday, October 28, 2026 at 5:30pm
• Friday, November 6, 2026 at 9:30am

3. Oakhurst STEAM Academy

About: STEAM School, K-5

Oakhurst STEAM Academy (opens in a new tab) is a STEAM school (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) for kindergarten through 5th grade. The school is smaller than a typical CMS elementary school with around 500 students. In September 2026, the state named it a North Carolina STEM School of Distinction.

Like other STEAM schools, Oakhurst STEAM Academy infuses extra science, technology, engineering, arts, and math into the CMS curriculum. Every month, students participate in clubs during the school day. Lower elementary students rotate through various clubs, and upper elementary students get to pick them. These clubs offer opportunities for students to try new skills and build relationships across grade levels.

Leadership is a priority for the school, so students are asked to help lead events, support other students, and take on community service projects that they are passionate about.

Oakhurst embraces its international population. Several languages and countries are represented at the school. They celebrate this through cultural events throughout the year and an international day.

• Getting In | This school is a partial magnet, meaning it is a neighborhood school that also holds seats for students who apply through the lottery. You can enter the lottery in any grade.
• Student Growth | Growth results have climbed each year since 2023-24, and in 2025-26 students grew more than the state expected.
• Bus | Green transportation zone. For 2027-28, Green-zone families get lottery priority and a CMS bus. Families outside the zone can still apply but must provide their own transportation.

Prospective Parent Open Houses

• Friday, November 6, 2026 - 10:30am
• Tuesday, November 17, 2026 - 10:30am

4. Oaklawn Language Academy

About: Spanish Immersion, K-8

Oaklawn Language Academy (opens in a new tab) is a Spanish immersion school for kindergarten through 8th grade. The school is smaller than a typical CMS K-8 school with around 500 students. Kindergartners don't need any Spanish to start, and middle schoolers can earn high school credit for their Spanish!

Oaklawn has an active parent community that embraces both native Spanish and native English speakers. Their motto is ¡Somos familia! (We are family!) Families love the tight-knit community that nurtures students through 8th grade.

• Program | Kindergarten is taught entirely in Spanish. From 1st through 8th grade, teaching is split 50% Spanish, 50% English. Middle school Spanish earns two high school credits.
• Getting In | Kindergartners need no prior Spanish. Students joining in 1st through 8th grade must pass a Spanish test to enter.
• Student Growth | Oaklawn has been meeting or exceeding growth expectations for all students and for all student groups (e.g., students with special needs, multilingual learners, students of all racial/ethnic groups) for the last three years.
• Bus | Violet transportation zone. Families outside the Violet transportation zone can apply but must arrange transportation.

Prospective Parent Open Houses

• Monday, November 16, 2026: 12:30 - 1:30pm
• Tuesday, December 8, 2026: 9:30 - 10:30am

5. North Academy of World Languages

About: Chinese, French, or German Immersion, K-8

Three language options, one school! North Academy of World Languages (opens in a new tab) (NAWL) offers Chinese, French, and German immersion for kindergarten through 8th grade. Starting in kindergarten, students learn to read, write, and think critically in their chosen immersion pathway (German, French, or Chinese).

In middle school, students learn their core subjects in English, and take additional “Heritage Classes” to continue learning the language.

North Academy of World Languages is the youngest of the language academies (currently in its 6th year), but offers the same strong programming as the rest. They have nearly 700 students in K-8.

NAWL is known for its tight-knit community. They bring cultures to life celebrating major holidays schoolwide, such as the Lunar New Year (Chinese), St. Martin’s Day (German), and International Crepe Day (French).

• Getting In | Kindergartners enter through the CMS lottery with no test. Joining elementary grades 1-5 requires a language test. When you enter the school lottery, select the language you are interested in.
• Student Growth | The school has shown strong student growth for the last three years, and all student groups (e.g., students with special needs, multilingual learners, students of all racial/ethnic groups) have met or exceeded their growth expectations during that time. This is a strong indication that students are learning a lot at this school.
• Bus | Violet transportation zone. Families not in the Violet transportation zone can apply but get lower lottery priority and must provide their own transportation.

Prospective Parent Open Houses — Sign Up Here (opens in a new tab)

• Thursday, October 29: Elementary German, 10:00-10:30am
• Friday, October 30: Middle School, All Languages, 10:00-10:30am

Final Thoughts

Navigating the CMS school choice program can feel overwhelming, but we're here to help you explore incredible opportunities that often fly under the radar. Wondering how the process works? Read this article (opens in a new tab).

Whether you are looking for a tight-knit language immersion community like Oaklawn or North Academy of World Languages, a hands-on STEM/STEAM environment at Oakhurst or Winget Park, or leadership development at Elizabeth Traditional, these schools offer unique programming and strong student growth that make them well worth a closer look.

By attending upcoming open houses and understanding the lottery and transportation zones, you can find the school that’s right for your child.

As you search, use the School Tour Tracker (opens in a new tab), consult RYSE's student growth data (opens in a new tab), and attend The Kindergarten School Talk Workshop (opens in a new tab) to make the most informed choices for your family.

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