Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools initiated its first magnet program in 1971 with the founding of Moore Laboratory School, now called Moore Magnet School. The number of magnet schools has since grown, with a program catering to just about every area of interest.
The Downtown Elementary School's innovative program is one of the school system's oldest. The school was established in the 1990s with a grant awarded by RJR/Nabisco Foundation's Next Century Schools program.
In 2001, a $5.6 million federal grant allowed the school system to open four new magnet programs, bringing the total number of magnets to six. The grant created systemwide magnets at Ashley Elementary School, Diggs Elementary School, Hill Middle School and Paisley Magnet School.
The first high school magnet, Winston-Salem Preparatory Academy, opened its doors in 2004. The school is supported by a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation that was awarded by the Thurgood Marshall Fund. A middle-school component of the academy also was created and has been renamed Winston-Salem Preparatory Middle Grades Academy.
The number of magnet schools grew to 12 with the start of the 2005-06 school year. A second federal grant, this one for $7.1 million, created countywide magnets programs at Mineral Springs Elementary School, Mineral Springs Middle School, Parkland High School, and the Atkins Academic and Technology High School Complex.
And in August 2008, three new magnet schools will open for students. Those schools are Hanes Middle School, Philo Middle School and Reynolds High School. Those programs will be funded by a federal magnet school assistance grant that will likely total $4.5 million over three years.
Each of the magnet programs is unique in its curriculum and character, and all magnet school curricula are integrated with the North Carolina Standard Course of Study.
- Ashley Elementary School—International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme
- Atkins Academic and Technology High School Complex —School of Biotechnology, School of Computer Technology and School of Pre-Engineering
- Diggs Elementary School—Visual and Performing Arts
- Downtown Elementary School—Serves students whose parents work or live downtown, or who work for R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.
- Hanes Middle School—Math, Science and Pre-Engineering
- Hill Middle School—Visual and Performing Arts
- Mineral Springs Elementary School—Renzulli Academy of Arts and Technology
- Mineral Springs Middle School—Magnet for the Arts and Leadership
- Moore Magnet Elementary School—Multiple intelligences theories and the "eight smarts"
- Paisley Magnet School (Grades 6-10)—International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme
- Parkland High School—International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme and Center for the Cultural Arts
- Philo Middle School—Chinese Language Immersion and Global Technology
- Reynolds High School—Visual and Performing Arts
- Winston-Salem Preparatory Academy (Grades 6-12)—College Preparatory
