Magnet Program

  1. Home
  2. Magnet Program

Kealing knowledge tree

 

The Kealing Magnet Program, established in 1986 to offer an advanced academic option to students in Grades 7 and 8, was expanded in 2004 to include Grade 6. For over two decades, students from all over Austin have chosen to attend the Kealing Magnet for academic opportunities they cannot find elsewhere. 

 

 

Magnet Program Office
Phone: 512-414-3214

Magnet Director: RoLanda Williams rolanda.williams@austinisd.org

 

 

MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT KEALING 

 

  • Where do I have to live to be able to attend the Kealing Magnet Program?
  • What does your student population look like?
    • Kealing Magnet students come from every zip code within the Austin Independent School District, resulting in a wide range of ethnic, socio-economic, and racial backgrounds. Students must currently live in the AISD school zone when completing the application online in Enroll Austin. 
    • Our mission is to serve students from all over Austin ISD. As a result, acceptance in the Kealing Magnet Program will consist of two parts: 50% of the acceptances will be based solely on the top-ranking scores of the rubric, while the other 50% will be divided proportionally by the Austin ISD middle schools feeder patterns. To be eligible for consideration, applicants must show proof of primary residence within AISD boundaries and maintain primary residence within AISD. Primary residence, under board policy, "requires living in the district and having the present intention to remain there."
  • What makes Kealing unique?
    • The Kealing Magnet Program has a well-deserved reputation for excellence in academics. The program offers students over 80 electives, a rigorous and relevant curriculum: core classes at a more advanced level than other middle schools and elective classes that extend and unify core class concepts and skills. 
    • State-required academic accountability ratings for 2022 rated Kealing as an A for Student Achievement and an A for School Progress, showing Postsecondary Readiness Academic Achievement: Reading/ELA and Academic Achievement: Math.
    • The Kealing Magnet Program is a comprehensive, advanced academic magnet program. Core classes in English Language Arts (ELA), Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies are all advanced. All Magnet students take these advanced classes and a signature Kealing class for 6th graders, SMIA (Science Math Inquiry Analysis). The curriculum and teachers’ instructional strategies promote independent inquiry and learning, allowing students to develop knowledge and skills significantly beyond traditional middle school expectations.
  • What are the ways that Kealing communicates with parents? 
    • Kealing uses a lot of different ways to communicate. Each week caregivers receive the Hornet Herald newsletter from our principal via text and/or by email. Our PTA communications tool, Konstella, offers ways to get involved and information about campus events and school merch. Click HERE to see recent Hornet Herald editions.
  • What is the start time for Kealing?
    • Kealing operates on the typical AISD elementary school schedule: 2024-25 Start Time: 7:30 am, End Time: 3:00 pm. This schedule tends to change year to year, so please look at our website for any updates. See our current bell schedule.
  • How many minutes do students have between classes?
    • Students have 4 minutes to get to class. All 6th-grade students receive a map as they enter school on their first day of classes, and our hallways are color-coded.
  • Are there lockers?
    • Yes and no. While our campus does have lockers, our student population is higher than the number of lockers available. Students are not assigned lockers, but lockers are available in the gym locker rooms for athletic purposes. Students purchase a combination lock when necessary.
  • Does Kealing serve any special needs populations?
    • Yes, Kealing serves students who receive special education and 504 services. If you believe your student qualifies, please contact your academic counselor to provide them with the appropriate documentation. If your student was being serviced in either of these programs and they attended AISD, this information will transfer to Kealing when they are officially enrolled, so there is no need to contact the school. 
  • Is bus transportation provided to and from Kealing?
    • Yes, use AISD Bus Finder Utility to find the one closest to your home address. Bus schedules are typically mailed to your residence and available online in August.
  • When will the bus pick up my child in the morning? What time will it drop them off in the afternoon?
    • This depends on where you live. AISD Transportation notifies families in August of the bus routes for that school year. You can check AISD bus finder now by putting in your address and seeing where current bus stops are located.  Dependent upon enrollment in your neighborhood, routes, etc for next year, those times may change. Bus riders arrive in time to eat breakfast in the cafeteria before class should they choose to.
  • How does the late bus work?
    • Late bus picks up at 5:00pm in front of the school. Please realize the buses will run late the first week, while the drivers figure out which kids will be on them. After that, they are pretty efficient. The late bus numbers can be found on the AISD BUS FINDER. Students with a pass can stay in the cafeteria for Think Tank between dismissal bell and late bus pick-up. They can receive a pass from their last period teacher, a club sponsor, or teacher hosting office hours.
  • What does block schedule mean?
    • Kealing runs on a block schedule: 4 classes on A Day, 4 classes on B Day (Mondays & Wednesdays are A Days, Tuesdays & Thursdays are B Days; Fridays usually alternate;) Advisory, similar to a homeroom, is every day.
  • What is an Advisory class?
    • Advisory classes are where students have the opportunity to build a small community with students outside of an academic setting.  Advisory classes are assigned for sixth grade and students stay with the same Advisory teacher and class all three years.
    • The class is normally 26 minutes and happens between the first and second block of the day. 
    • In addition to fun team-building activities, students will be presented with character-building lessons, school culture content, and time to complete homework.
  • Are Kealing students required to take a foreign language class?
    • Yes, 7th and 8th grade students will choose their preferred foreign language when filling out their choice sheet at the end of their 6th grade year. Sheets are shared with parents by email prior to the deadline for submission. Upon graduation from Kealing, students will have a full high school credit. Each completed year of study counts as a half credit.
  • Is there summer homework?
    • Yes. Kealing students in all grade levels are assigned summer reading and math assignments. These assignments are shared with students beginning of June and are due the first day of school, counting as completion grades for the upcoming school year. See previous summer assignments here. 
    • The purpose of this work is to introduce sixth-grade students to formatting and concepts they’ll encounter in ELA and Math their first year. 
    • Math summer work for students entering 7th and 8th grade will review and build on math concepts with assignments appropriate to the math level they’ll take the upcoming year based on their previous end-of-year placement test. Reading assignments help students stay fresh in formatting written assignments, taking notes, and analyzing texts.
    • Summer assignments for all grade levels provide a launching point for that year’s class content.
  • What is a typical class size?
    • It depends on the class, but it ranges from 20 to 30 students.
  • What is the typical enrollment for a grade?
    • Our grade level class size is currently between 330-400 students.