What time does school begin and end?
School begins at 7:30 a.m. and ends at 2:48 p.m.

How early can students arrive at the school?
Students may enter the building beginning at 7:00 a.m. Students who arrive early wait in theater or gym from 7:00 - 7:20 and are supervised by staff.

How do students get to and from Kealing?
AISD Transportation Department provides transportation for any Magnet Program student who lives two or more miles from Kealing. For information about transportation, please call AISD Transportation (414-0238) or go the the Department website:  In addition to using the bus, parents organize carpools.
What courses are required? How many electives may a student take?   Each Kealing student takes eight classes per semester. All students take four academically advanced year-long (two semester) core classes: English, Math, Science and Social Studies. Sixth graders take physical education class all year (i.e., two semesters); 7th and 8th graders take a single semester of P.E. All 6th graders take SMIA (Science and Mathematics: Inquiry and Analysis), a single-semester class.

For example, a 6th grade student takes six required classes one semester and five required classes the next. That leaves room for two electives one semester and three the other semester. Some electives last for one semester, while others -- most notably band, orchestra and foreign languages -- are year-long, just like core classes. For example, a 6th grade student who is taking orchestra and a foreign language would have room for only one single-semester elective during 6th grade.

Seventh and 8th grade students in the Magnet Program are required to take a foreign language class. Thus 7th and 8th graders take the four year-long core classes and a year-long language class, as well as one semester of P.E. each year. This gives them five required classes one semester and six required classes the other (so they may have three electives one semester and two electives the other). Again, they may not have five different electives during the school year since some electives are year-long.

How many hours of homework per night can be expected?  From our best source, our students, expect from 1 to 3 hours of homework a night. Magnet students usually have homework over the weekend.  

Is extra academic help available for students?  Our teachers designate at least one afternoon a week for tutoring (office hours) from 3:00 - 4:00, and they also provide extra time for students as needed. Teachers' office hours are listed on the website and are communicated to students.

Is transportation available for students who stay for after-school activities? Yes, there are late busses that leave the campus at 5:10 Monday through Friday. There is a "Think Tank" (supervised study hall) for students from 3:30 - 5:00 which students can attend after office hours or club meetings while waiting for late busses or parent pick-up.

Is Physical Education (P.E.) required every year in middle school?   Yes. Students must take two semesters of physical education/functional fitness in 6th grade. 7th and 8th grade students must take one semester of P.E. in each grade.

What is a P.E. waiver?   A 7th or 8th grader who is interested in freeing up a class period at Kealing in order to take an elective other than PE may obtain a P.E. waiver by meeting the P.E. requirement outside of school. Only certain activities are allowed and providers must be registered with the district’s P.E. department. Waiver forms are processed by the district and can be downloaded from   

Does Kealing offer extracurricular activities for students?   Kealing offers many athletic, academic and social extracurricular activities. Seventh and 8th graders may participate in UIL football, volleyball, basketball, soccer, tennis, and track & field competitions or in club sports such as Ultimate Frisbee. Kealing also has clubs such as Chess, Robotics, Science Olympiad, Math Counts, Quiz Bowl, Bike Club, Destination Imagination (DI), National Junior Honor Society.

How safe will my child be at Kealing?  Our safety record can be checked with AISD. We have faculty and hall monitors on duty before and after school and during passing periods and at lunch. From a recent survey about safety, the majority of the Kealing magnet students indicated that they felt completely safe in all areas of the school.  

Are there lockers for the students?   Although Kealing has lockers, we feel using lockers impedes punctuality and impacts security. Instead, students use backpacks. Block scheduling, which provides 8 classes over 2 days (4 classes per day), lessens the load.  

Is it hard to make friends at Kealing?   According to our best source, our students, making friends is one of the easier endeavors because everyone is in the same boat, coming from different schools and looking for new friends. Working on group projects and participating in extracurricular activities are good ways to make more friends.  

How does a student obtain a transfer to the Magnet Program?  The Magnet office will obtain necessary transfers for students accepted into the program. Students who have requested a transfer to another middle school will need to notify the transfer office to cancel that request.  

What is KMAG?   KMAG stands for the Kealing Magnet Advisory Group, parents who work with the Magnet Director to assist and support the Magnet Program. KMAG meets on a Thursday morning each month at 7:30 a.m. in the library, and all members of the Kealing community are welcome to attend. Please visit the KMAG website here:

What is the difference between PTA and KMAG? Kealing middle school is fortunate to have two parent organizations that work together to provide our school with any support they need. Our Kealing PTA represents all students and all programs of our entire school. Learn more about our wonderful PTA and join the PTA here:
Sapna Duchesne,
Nov 13, 2018, 12:39 PM