Each of the Jefferson County Public School (JCPS) District’s more than 25 high schools engage their students through effective teaching in a caring, supportive environment. We offer a variety of learning opportunities through unique schools, programs, and activities that will inspire your student to reach their fullest potential. This booklet will help you learn about the special offerings that each individual high school can provide your student and family. JCPS has varied and differentiated academic experiences for every kind of learner. Every JCPS high school has dedicated and experienced teachers, technology for every student, family support services, and engaging after-school programming. These offerings contribute to students’ sense of belonging while teaching core skills, like reading and math. Your student will also have a chance to discover new worlds of art, music, or foreign languages as they learn to communicate and flourish in a constantly changing world. Our JCPS high schools offer two paths that lead to high academic standards with the goal of student preparedness and success in college and careers. The Academies of Louisville are dedicated to offering meaningful and relevant career-themed learning experiences that directly relate to the world today. Magnet schools and programs also provide students with specialized themes that focus on an area of study. Please take the time to review the multitude of offerings we have available, and determine how they align with the learning style and interests of your student. At JCPS, our mission is to always do what’s best for our students as they work toward graduation. We hope this booklet will help you determine what’s best for your student and their future.
High School Choices
Welcome to JCPS!
Let’s Get Started
JCPS high schools ensure that students from all backgrounds can find a sense of belonging.
Eighth-grade students currently enrolled at a JCPS school will be automatically enrolled in a high school designated by their address unless they:
Apply and are accepted into another school.
Live in the JCPS Choice Zone.
Find out the high school designated for where you live by using the online JCPS SchoolFinder tool (See page 6 for QR code).
Choice Zone students will be required to select if they’d like to attend school close to home or far away during the application window.
We understand that families want to have options for their student’s education, which may include a choice other than their resides school. Eighth-grade students can also apply to in-network Academies of Louisville, magnet schools, and magnet programs.
Review the school options for your student, and evaluate how the programs and offerings at those schools align with your student’s goals and future plans after high school.
Register & Apply
Review Options and Select Preference
Decide what type of learning environment works best for your student, and explore school options, programs, and/or offerings at each school.
High School Options
Resides Schools (page 8)
Current JCPS students will automatically be enrolled in their resides school. New JCPS students who have already registered with the district and would like to attend their resides school should contact the school (not the Office of School Choice) to enroll.
Choice Zone (page 10)
You can attend either your close-to-home option or the school designated for your address that is farther away. This is only for incoming ninth graders, high school students new to the district, or high school students with a new address in the Choice Zone. An application is required to make your selection.
Magnet Schools (page 12)
If your preference is outside of your resides school boundary, you can select and apply for up to two magnet schools or programs.
Traditional Magnet Schools*
If you are currently enrolled in a JCPS Traditional Magnet middle school, no application is necessary. You will be automatically enrolled in the Traditional Magnet middle school that serves your home address.
*You must apply to a Traditional Magnet high school if you are not currently enrolled in a Traditional Magnet middle school.
Have You Registered?
You need to register if:
Your student has never attended a JCPS school.
How to Register
Online
At any JCPS high school
At the Office of School Choice
Registration Process
All students new to JCPS must register with the district before applying for school.
You may register your student for school regardless of immigration status and/or a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. For more information, contact the Office of Access and Opportunity at (502) 485-3650.
After You Register
After you register, JCPS will verify your information and send you an email to complete your application, which can take up to two business days. Incoming ninth graders, high school students new to the district, or high school students with a new address may then review their Choice Zone options if applicable. To find out which school is your resides school, call the JCPS Demographics Office at (502) 485-3050 or use the online JCPS SchoolFinder search tool.
Dates to Remember
Applications open: November 11, 2024
Application deadline: December 20, 2024
Acceptance notification: April 2025
Apply
Application Process
All high school students are automatically enrolled in their resides school, unless they live in the Choice Zone (page 10). If you live in the Choice Zone, you must select between your close-to-home or farther-away options.
Magnet Application Information
Students may submit one magnet application per year.
Submitting a magnet application doesn’t guarantee admission, and submitting false information will void an application.
Waiting lists are not kept from year to year.
Magnet applications can only be edited during the on-time application period.
Siblings of current or former Traditional Magnet School students do not receive preference in the application process, but those who share the same date of birth (twins, triplets, etc.) are treated as one application. However, parents must submit a separate application for each student.
Students must be a resident of Jefferson County to attend a magnet school or magnet program. If families are relocating, contact the Office of School Choice at (502) 485-6250.
You need to apply if:
Your student has never attended a JCPS school.
Your student has had a change of address.
Your student is applying for a magnet school or magnet program.
You are an incoming ninth grader who lives in the Choice Zone.
How to Apply
Families are encouraged to apply online, but in-person application options are available.
You can apply in person at the following locations:
JCPS Office of School Choice: 4309 Bishop Lane
JCPS Office of Multilingual Learners (OML): 1325 Bluegrass Avenue
Any school location
Resides Schools
Fast Facts No application required
JCPS has 15 resides high schools, which are organized into three geographical networks, that serve primary residential addresses.
If your child wishes to explore options other than resides school, the next option is to look within your network schools. Students may apply to any school within their network. See the map for a list of schools within each network.
Choice Zone
Students living within the Choice Zone (black outline) have the choice to attend an elementary, middle, or high school that is close to home or a designated school that is farther away.
Incoming freshmen, students new to JCPS, or students with an address change in the Choice Zone must complete an application to make their close-to-home or far-away school selection. There is no default school. Students can update their selection annually.
All students may also apply for magnets, in-network Academies of Louisville, and transfers.
Magnet Schools
Fast Facts Application required
JCPS has eight districtwide magnet high schools. Students throughout JCPS must apply to the magnet of their choice. Submitting a magnet application does not guarantee assignment in a school.
Magnet schools offer specialized instruction of theme-based education that appeals to student interests, talents, and abilities. They also promote innovation in teaching, increased parental involvement, greater student engagement, and diverse student bodies that lead to higher student achievement.
Some magnet schools may ask for additional information as part of the application process, such as a student work sample or test scores. If a school requires additional information, please reply promptly and send the information directly to the school. Applications will be considered incomplete if requested information is not submitted to a school. No additional information is required for applications to Butler Traditional High School and Louisville Male High School because they use a lottery system.
Magnet Programs
Fast Facts Application required
Within particular high schools, JCPS offers specialty programs that focus on a specific professional pathway or provide a specialized learning environment.
Atherton High School
International Baccalaureate (IB)—The IB Program develops internationally minded students who help create a better world by recognizing shared guardianship of the planet.
The Academies of Louisville
Fast Facts
If resides school, no application required
If network school, application required
The Academies of Louisville are career-themed learning communities (such as Aviation, Health Sciences, Engineering, Manufacturing, Culinary, and many more) within 15 JCPS high schools that allow all students to have more hands-on experiences, work with business partners, and connect what they’re learning in core subjects to the real world. Academies offer a new kind of educational experience, shifting from traditional techniques to deeper learning that better prepares graduates for college, career, and life. Benefits for every student include a personalized learning experience; participation in hands-on, project-based learning; development of 21st-century essential skills; and work experience with businesses like GE Appliances, UPS, Norton Healthcare, and more than 100 others. Throughout a student’s four years in their career Academy, they will have the opportunity to participate in the following:
Industry and college field trips
Job shadowing
Paid co-op, apprenticeship, or internships through SummerWorks
Earning college credits and industry certifications
Postsecondary transition plan
Students do not need to apply to an Academies of Louisville school if it is their resides school. If it is a school within their network*, an application to the school is required and the student must have a 2.0 Grade Point Average (GPA) to be eligible for lottery admission.
*See page 8 for more information on networks.
FAQs
High Schools
JCPS has more than 25 high schools, which include 15 resides high schools that serve primary residential addresses and 8 magnet schools.
School Profiles
Student Enrollment: 1,467
Phone: (502) 485-8326
Address: 4001 Herman Street, Louisville, KY 40212
The Academy @ Shawnee, which was constructed in 1927 to serve West Louisville families, has invested more than $41 million into renovations to transform our historic flagship school into a model 21st-century learning environment. Shawnee has the distinction of being the only JCPS school offering the Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) Private Pilot License course, where students can gain the technical knowledge and skills of aviation.
Long respected for our Aviation Program, Shawnee joined the Academies of Louisville Program to provide students with additional learning opportunities in health and human services, automation engineering, graphic design, and aircraft maintenance. The Freshman Academy, a 3DE Model School, supports the Academies by providing students with authentic and relevant interdisciplinary and Project-Based Learning (PBL) experiences.
Along with our Academies, we offer Honors, dual-credit, and Advance Program classes as well as opportunities to engage students in music and visual art. Shawnee offers a variety of exciting opportunities to prepare and empower students for success. Our students will engage in authentic learning experiences that enhance our positive school culture and community. Follow us on social media: @ShawneeAcademy and #SOAR with us!
School Highlights
Leadership and teamwork skills developed through hands-on PBL that identifies and cultivates student strengths
Career exploration for all freshmen to discover career pathways and receive secondary and postsecondary planning guidance
Expanding list of dual-credit courses
Flight and Aeronautics Pathway
Opportunity for students to take a private pilot written exam and receive flight hours needed for their private pilot’s license
Home to Kentucky’s only flight simulator on a school campus
3DE by Junior Achievement
Interdisciplinary PBL experiences to increase student engagement, comprehension, and performance
Management and Entrepreneurship
Academies and Pathways
Freshman Academy
Aviation, Interactive Media Arts, and Manufacturing (A.I.M.) Academy
Health and Human Service Academy
Global Pathway
Student Enrollment: 1,459
Phone: (502) 485-8202
Address: 3000 Dundee Road, Louisville, KY 40205
Atherton High has a rich heritage of academic achievement and cultural appreciation that spans 100 years. As an Academies of Louisville school, Atherton also offers students exciting opportunities for career-centered, hands-on learning; real-world work experiences through internships and job opportunities; development of critical 21st-century job and life skills; and community involvement. Atherton is the only JCPS high school that offers the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program, which aspires to help schools develop well-rounded students who respond to challenges with optimism and an open mind, are confident in their own identities, make ethical decisions, join with others in celebrating our common humanity, and are prepared to apply what they learn in real-world, complex, and unpredictable situations.
School Highlights
Required units within core content areas
Honors Program, Advance Program, and IB Program opportunities
IB World School
Develops inquiring, knowledgeable, and caring young people who help create a more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect
Pre-IB courses in grades nine and ten
IB examinations contingent on course completion
Offers the academic depth, breadth, and rigor that IB diplomas represent and that colleges and universities recognize
Academies and Pathways
Freshman Academy
Engineering Academy — Learn the fundamentals of engineering and aerospace studies. — Make use of state-of-the-art equipment, take advantage of varied industry partnerships, earn dual credit, and attempt numerous industry-related certifications, including the FAA Part 107.
Health Science Academy
Learn about various fields of study in medicine through classroom instruction, industry partnerships, and on-site hospital clinical rounds.
Have the chance to earn dual credit.
Earn industry certifications, including but not limited to PCT/A and Biotechnology NOCTI.
Media Arts Academy
Study the art of graphic design and video production with the help of our experienced teaching staff and numerous industry partnerships.
Earn dual credit, as well as industry certifications, from Adobe.
Student Enrollment: 2,198
Phone: (502) 485-8206
Address: 6000 Brownsboro Road, Louisville, KY 40222
Ballard High School strives to meet the needs of students through the implementation of a disciplined academic environment while building upon a long-standing tradition of “Excellence in Academics, Arts, and Athletics.” Each year, Ballard ranks among the top schools in the state for the number of National Merit Finalists and Governor’s Scholars Program participants and boasts some of the highest state assessment scores of all Jefferson County non-selective schools. Ballard students regularly outperform Kentucky and U.S. averages on the SAT, Advanced Placement (AP) Exams, and ACT annually. We also offer a variety of dual-credit courses through local colleges and universities. From our championship athletic teams to our award-winning visual and performing arts programs, all students can pursue their passions at Ballard High School.
School Highlights
Offers students access to 12 unique pathways across several different Academies
Provides students with career-themed, hands-on, real-world skills and practical knowledge that give them an advantage for college and career success
Offers an ever-expanding list of AP and dual-credit courses as well as the Advance Program, Gifted and Talented Program, Honors Program, and Exceptional Child Education (ECE) Program
Award-winning visual and performing arts classes, including theatre, orchestra, band, choir, and the visual arts
Academies and Pathways
Freshman Academy
Enjoy support with the transition from middle to high school through the structure of a small learning environment.
Explore future career pathway options.
Business Services Academy
Participate in award-winning extracurricular activities, such as Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) and Educators Rising.
Learn the principles of marketing, advertising methods, and business decision making.
Practice the art of teaching while learning educational psychology.
Media Arts Academy
Earn high-demand Adobe certifications.
Learn and practice the skills of video/photo editing, directing, and animation.
STEM Academy
Learn about the principles of engineering, flight and aerodynamics, and architectural drafting.
Access one-on-one physician-shadowing experiences while learning about health and medicine.
Practice skills to become a nurse or an athletic trainer
Student Enrollment: 262 (Grades 9–12)
Phone: (502) 485-8216
Address: 546 S. First Street, Louisville, KY 40202
The J. Graham Brown School, the original magnet school, is a districtwide magnet school for students who thrive in a Self-Directed Learning environment. Our mission is to foster independence, cultivate empathy, ignite innovation, and inspire advocacy within a culturally responsive learning environment. According to Martha Ellison, the school’s founder and first principal, J. Graham Brown students have the “reasoned minds and educated hearts” of self-directed, lifelong learners.
School Highlights
Districtwide Self-Directed Learning Magnet School serving kindergarten through grade-twelve students
Provides an academic program that cultivates critical, open-minded, and creative thinkers who are willing to take risks and are eager for new knowledge
Offers a learning environment that develops compassionate, tolerant, and respectful human beings who value cultural diversity and contribute to the community
Service learning required and integrated into the curriculum
Grade-level academic performance and age-appropriate social skills expected for success in this informal educational setting
Student voice, problem solving, and advocacy through Project-Based Learning (PBL)
Student goal setting and self-monitoring of progress through student-led conferences
Cross-grade collaboration and mentorship
College-credit opportunities offered through Advanced Placement (AP) courses, such as AP Capstone, and College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) testing
College and dual-credit classes offered at local and online universities as early as sophomore year
Offers the Ursa Innovation Lab, a makerspace that is available to all students and that allows them to innovate and create learning artifacts and experiences using various technologies, including the following:
Glowforge laser cutters
3D printers
Cricut machines
Sewing and embroidery machines
Virtual reality
Podcasting
Career Pathways
Computer Programming
Student Enrollment: 1,316
Phone: (502) 485-8220
Address: 2222 Crums Lane, Louisville, KY 40216
The Traditional Program contributes to a student’s growth by emphasizing high academic standards, proper conduct, citizenship, and the development of self-discipline. Our rigorous academic curriculum, which focuses on core subjects and emphasizes critical thinking, helps students build essential knowledge and competence in fundamental skills.
The mission of Butler Traditional High is to produce informed, responsible, contributing members of society. To achieve this, we offer a safe and structured learning environment that fosters a positive self-concept and motivates students to strive for high academic results. Butler graduates are prepared to enroll in college, enlist in the military, or seek employment.
School Highlights
Traditional education and rigorous college-preparatory curriculum
Honors Program and Advanced Placement (AP) courses
Dual-credit courses through the University of Louisville (UofL), Campbellsville University, Morehead State University, and Jefferson Community and Technical College (JCTC)
A wide array of extracurricular offerings and athletic teams
Specialized Program Offerings
Allied Health
Prepares students for nursing, pharmacy technician, sports medicine/ athletic trainer, medical assistant, EKG technician, phlebotomist, and veterinary assistant careers
Army Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (JROTC)
Focuses on citizenship, character, and leadership
Automation Engineering
Opportunities to achieve career goals and industry certifications through career-themed engineering courses
Management Entrepreneurship
Lessons on planning, organizing, directing, and controlling the functions and processes of a firm or organization
Network Administration — Instruction on new administration support skills or upgrading existing computer information systems skills
Performing and Visual Arts
Visual Arts
Choir, Band, Orch estra, Piano Lab, Guitar Lab
Theatre, Musical Theatre, Technical Theatre
Pre-Law and Criminal Justice
Covers knowledge and skills related to the law, legal research, the legal process, the legal system, and the fundamental principles and values of American jurisprudence and government
Pre-Nursing
Prepares students to apply basic health science principles and technical skills
Teaching and Learning
Emphasis on the construction of knowledge, development of dispositions for teaching, and reflections on teaching and learning
Web Development/Administration
Opportunities to create, design, and produce interactive multimedia products and services
Central High School Magnet Career Academy
Student Enrollment: 1,278
Phone: (502) 485-8226
Address: 1130 W. Chestnut Street, Louisville, KY 40203
Central High School Magnet Career Academy (MCA) hosts some of the most talented students in Louisville. Students are selected for admission through a competitive process that includes achievement test scores, grade point average (GPA), personal essays, and teacher recommendations. Central has the second-highest number of Governor’s Scholars in the district, is one of two Kentucky high schools to offer Montessori education, and offers 12 career pathways through a robust career-themed magnet program.
School Highlights
Rigorous pre-college curriculum
Twelve career programs in the following areas of concentration: business; law; Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM); health services; and teaching and learning
AP Capstone (Seminar/Research)
Two-year course
Prepares students for academic demands of college
Variety of Advanced Placement (AP) courses
Dual-credit courses through the University of Louisville (UofL), Jefferson Community and Technical College (JCTC), and Morehead State University (MSU); offers early college opportunities through the school’s medical programs
Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC)
Montessori learning
Specialized Program Offerings
Cyber Engineering
Blend of programming, cybersecurity, and hardware engineering
Opportunities to research, design, develop, and test computer systems and components
Exploration of robotics, electricity, and security concerns
Dental Assisting
Lessons on patient care, dental radiographs (X-ray photographs), dental procedure equipment, and office administrative functions under the supervision of dentists and dental hygienists
Management Entrepreneurship
Marketing
Opportunities to learn about buyer behavior and dynamics, principles of marketing research, demand analysis, cost-volume and profit relationships, and more
Navy JROTC
Opportunities to learn about the theory and practice of naval science and life in the U.S. Navy
Patient Care Technician (PCT)/Pre-Nursing
Prepares students to apply basic health science principles and technical skills in the areas of PCT and nursing
Pre-Med
Prepares students to apply basic health science principles and technical skills in the areas of medicine and public health
Teaching and Learning
Opportunities to participate in classroom activities
Emphasis on construction of knowledge, development of dispositions for teaching, and reflections on teaching and learning
Opportunities to learn how to design engaging, standards-based lessons and assessments
Veterinary Assistant
Courses on animal nursing care, animal health and nutrition, animal handling, clinical pathology, radiology, surgical assisting, clinical laboratory procedures, etc.
Student Enrollment: 1,262
Phone: (502) 485-8239
Address: 7601 St. Andrews Church Road, Louisville, KY 40214
Doss students are encouraged to be passionate and engaged and, ultimately, to be the best versions of themselves. Our mission is to inspire, create, and foster authentic learning opportunities that maximize student preparedness and celebrate diversity. Our goal every single day is to provide the absolute best education possible for each student and give them the chance to feel like a true part of the school. Students’ ownership in their overall success is critical at Doss. By aligning themselves with one of our four Academies, students will be fully engaged in an authentic learning experience that travels across all content areas and brings a stronger overall enjoyment to school. Academies offer a new kind of educational experience—a shift from traditional techniques and environments to deeper learning and transition readiness for college, career, and life.
School Highlights
Smaller learning communities: Self-selected career Academies that function as small teams for a more personalized learning experience
Traditional, Advance, Honors, and Advanced Placement (AP) courses and dual-credit coursework within each career pathway
Preparation for career-specific national industry certifications
Work-based learning: Authentic pathway observation and employment opportunities in collaboration with local business partnerships, such as GE Appliances, Class Act Federal Credit Union, UofL Health, UPS, Norton Healthcare, and Trilogy Health Services
Academies and Pathways
Freshman Academy
Learn skills that promote initiative and responsibility for learning, effective teamwork and communication, critical thinking, and real-world problem solving
Business and Education Academy
Prepare for a career in education.
Learn about buyer behavior and dynamics and principles of marketing.
Learn to analyze and record financial transactions and to report results to managers/owners.
Health Sciences Academy
Learn to apply basic health science principles and technical skills in the areas of nursing.
Technology, Engineering, and Construction (TEC) Academy
Learn the necessary skills and techniques for designing advanced 3D games and simulations.
Participate in programs aimed at exposing you to all engineering fields.
Student Enrollment: 214 (Grades 9–11)
Phone: (502) 963-2600 High School
Address: 3901 Atkinson Square Drive, Louisville, KY 40218
Gender-Specific Magnet for Boys: W.E.B. DuBois High Academy opened in 2018 and is an innovative school serving grades six through twelve. Open to all male students, our innovative learning environment offers an Afrocentric, multicultural curriculum that is both rigorous and engaging. Our mission is to engage all of our students, eliminate barriers for them, and empower each of them to achieve excellence. We guarantee that each student will demonstrate growth, becoming more adept mathematicians, readers, writers, and speakers, while also becoming better role models, listeners, and leaders in their homes and communities.
School Highlights
Districtwide magnet school
Uses evidence-based research and culturally responsive teaching method
Focuses on leadership attributes, including perseverance, resilience, initiative, discipline, and empathy
Dual-credit opportunities via a partnership with Jefferson Community and Technical College (JCTC), which could lead to scholars’ earning an associate’s degree upon graduation
Early College opportunities for students who have completed and passed Career and Technical Education (CTE) coursework by the end of their sophomore year
Our brand-new building to open in 2026
Specialized Program Offerings
• Marketing and Hospitality, Travel, Tourism, and Recreation pathways offered • Opportunities to learn how to dominate the marketing and hospitality fields upon completing our state-of-the-art CTE coursework
Student Enrollment: 1,921
Phone: (502) 485-8241
Address: 120 W. Lee Street, Louisville, KY 40208
duPont Manual High is a districtwide magnet school that provides a dynamic, interdisciplinary, diverse learning community that focuses on rigorous academic, technical, and artistic college-preparatory magnet programs.
Manual offers students the opportunity to combine strong academics with specialized instruction in one of five magnet programs: High School/University (HSU), Journalism and Communications (J&C), Mathematics/Science/Technology (MST), Visual Arts (VA), and Youth Performing Arts School (YPAS). The Advance Program is also available for eligible students. Through a working relationship with the University of Louisville (UofL), qualified students in all programs may take college courses for credit.
School Highlights
Districtwide communications, college prep, MST, visual arts, and performing arts programs
Advance Program and 30 Advanced Placement (AP) courses
Highest ACT average of any Kentucky high school
Highest number of students selected for Governor’s School for the Arts (GSA), National Merit Semifinalists, and Governor’s Scholars
College-credit classes available through UofL and Campbellsville University partnerships
Provides academic cla