Lutz and Odessa families applying to Hillsborough County magnet or school choice programs for 2027-28 must create an online account before Oct. 21.

Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) announced Oct. 9 that the application window for magnet and school choice programs for the 2027-28 school year opens Wednesday, Oct. 21. Before that date, families must create a FOCUS Parent Portal account, the district said in a post on X.

The portal is the only way to apply.

FOCUS is the district's online hub for report cards, attendance records, bus information, student registration and back-to-school forms, according to the district's website. Families who already have an account should log in and confirm their username and password work before Oct. 21. Those who need a new account can visit HillsboroughSchools.org/Focus.

The choice program covers more than 100 schools across the district, with options including K-8 schools, International Baccalaureate, arts, STEM and Hillsborough Virtual School, according to the district's application portal. HCPS is the seventh-largest school district in the country.

Several Lutz-area schools fall within the HCPS system, including Steinbrenner High School, Lutz K-8 School, Lutz Preparatory School, Martinez Middle School and Sunlake Academy of Math and Sciences, a magnet school in Lutz.

The district has not yet announced when the Oct. 21 application window will close or when lottery results will be available. For the 2026-27 cycle, the final application window ran July 6-12, and lottery results posted starting July 23, giving families about 11 days between the window's close and results.

Parents should plan to act quickly once the window opens. Families with questions about the application process can call the Choice Information Line at (813) 272-4692. For help setting up a FOCUS account, the district's customer service line is 813-744-6673.