The magnet school landscape is changing:
- School choice is expanding in many communities.
- Families have more schooling options.
- Competition is rising, with everyone competing for fewer students each year.
For magnet schools, one thing has becoming clear: offering a strong program is no longer enough on its own.
Today, schools also have to be visible, communicate their value clearly, make it easy for families to understand what makes them different, and help families understand not just eligibility criteria but also whether the school is the right fit for their child.
In other words, we’re in a new era of school choice.
Now, awareness and enrollment are harder to earn. Whereas in years past enrollment was a passive, wait-and-they’ll-enroll endeavor, today, magnet leaders must think not just about programming but also positioning, communication, and enrollment growth.
That is exactly why SchoolMint is excited to be at the 2026 Magnet Schools of America (MSA) conference in San Diego, happening April 13–17, 2026, and why we’re looking forward to connecting with magnet and district leaders throughout the week at Booth T25.
The School Choice Conversation Matters More Today Than Ever Before
For years, magnet schools have played an important role in helping districts offer specialized, high-quality opportunities to students and families. That’s still true. However, families are making enrollment choices in a more crowded environment.
Traditional public schools, charter schools, private schools, homeschool options, and virtual programs are all part of the consideration set in many communities. At the same time, districts are feeling enrollment pressure, funding pressure, and increased urgency around student recruitment and retention.
That means magnet schools are no longer just valuable programs within a district. Increasingly, they are becoming a key part of a district’s enrollment and growth strategy. But succeeding in that role requires more than academic excellence or innovative programming. It requires schools and districts to answer important questions:
- How do families hear about your program in the first place?
- What makes your school stand out from nearby alternatives?
- Is your message clear, compelling, and easy to understand?
- Are you removing barriers in the enrollment experience or adding to them?
- And, once you generate interest, do you have a process in place to turn that interest into completed applications and enrolled students?
These aren’t just marketing questions. They’re also enrollment questions. And, increasingly, strategy questions.
That’s why conversations like the ones happening at MSA 2026, matter.
This year, SchoolMint is looking forward to sharing ideas, listening to leaders’ real challenges, and helping magnet schools think through what it takes to compete in today’s competitive school choice environment.
Join Us for Two Insightful Sessions
One of the highlights of the week will be SchoolMint’s pre-conference session:
Session 1: Magnet School Marketing Lab — Bring Your Challenge, Leave with a Plan
- Date: Wednesday, April 15, 2026
- Time: 10:45 AM in the Pacific Jewel Ballroom A
- Presenter: Matt Coats, Chief Evangelist, SchoolMint
This session is designed for magnet schools that know they have something valuable to offer families but need better ways to communicate that value and generate awareness in a competitive market.
We’ll begin with a practical look at what effective school marketing looks like today. Then we’ll shift into an interactive workshop format, where participants can bring real marketing and enrollment challenges and work through them together.
The goal is not just to talk about the problem but also to leave with ideas you can actually use.
This session will explore topics like:
- What makes a magnet program compelling to families
- Why strong schools sometimes struggle to generate awareness
- Practical, cost-effective ways to improve school promotion
- How to diagnose common enrollment and marketing bottlenecks
- What next steps schools can take right away
For leaders who are feeling the pressure of increased competition but are not sure where to start, this session is designed to be especially useful.
A Fireside Chat with Metro Nashville
We’re also excited about a concurrent session featuring a real district perspective:
Session 2: Magnets as a Growth Engine — A Fireside Chat with Metro Nashville Public Schools
- Date: Thursday, April 16, 2026
- Time: 3:30 PM in the Silver Pearl Ballroom 1
- Co-Presenters: Jonathan Wren, Magnet Director, Metro Nashville Public Schools; and Matt Coats, Chief Evangelist, SchoolMint
This conversation will focus on a question many district leaders are asking right now: what role can magnet programs play in helping district enrollment as school choice expands?
Jonathan Wren and Matt Coats will discuss:
- What Metro Nashville is seeing on the ground
- How magnet strategy connects to district enrollment goals
- What these changes may signal for districts across the country
This session should be especially relevant for leaders thinking about the bigger picture, not just how to fill seats in one program but rather how magnet schools can support long-term district growth.
Stop by Booth T25
Throughout the conference, the SchoolMint team will be at Booth T25, ready to talk with magnet and district leaders about the challenges they’re facing and the strategies that can help.
Whether you want to discuss enrollment strategy, family engagement, or how to stand out in a crowded choice landscape, we’d love to connect. We’re excited for the conversations ahead at MSA26, and we hope to see you there.
Click here to schedule time to connect one-on-one with an enrollment expert.
