Henry S. West Laboratory School

Henry S. West Laboratory School describes its approach as providing high-quality, innovative teaching that helps all students reach their maximum academic, social, and physical potential while becoming lifelong learners and productive citizens. The school emphasizes individualized instruction, high-level curricular and extracurricular opportunities, ongoing assessment to address student needs, and a partnership with the University of Miami that supports both student learning and teacher development. (westlabschool.org)

Henry S. West Laboratory School uses the Miami-Dade County Public Schools magnet process: families apply online through the M-DCPS Parent Portal/School Choice system, may rank up to five schools, and West Lab says completed applications are entered into the district’s random selection lottery. (westlabschool.org) Applications are accepted annually from October 1 through January 15; initial results are released on March 15, accepted families generally have two weeks after March 15 to confirm, and an off-cycle Magnet Select window may reopen from April 15 to September 1 if seats remain. (westlabschool.org) Eligibility is K-8, with kindergarten applicants needing to be age 5 on or before September 1; West Lab says K-5 applicants submit only the online choice application, grades 6-8 must upload a current report card with attendance, teacher recommendations are not required, and accepted students must have a Miami-Dade County address to register. (westlabschool.org) If wait-listed, families should monitor the portal because status can change daily as seats open; West Lab says waitlist numbers are not given, while the district says waitlists may continue moving until the start of the following school year. (westlabschool.org) Priority categories cited by West Lab’s linked Magnet policy are, in order: active-duty military families, certain diversity/minority-group-isolation priorities for applicable programs, children of veterans, sibling/multiple-birth priority, children of M-DCPS employees, and any applicable memorandum-of-understanding priority. (westlabschool.org)