The superintendent of Pinellas County schools is proposing an expansion of magnet schools.

Superintendent Michael Grego said an expansion would give students and parents more choices and keep families in the school district. Grego is scheduled to present his expansion ideas at a school board meeting Tuesday.

The situation faced by parent Holly Baker is an example of what Grego is trying to prevent. Baker's son is attending a Pinellas charter school, not a magnet school.

"We actually had something else fall through and we ended up looking in to this their first year," Baker said. "So it was a good experience for us it was relatively easy to get in."

The magnet school wait list has students flocking to charter schools like the Discovery Academy of Science in Dunedin.

"It is a goal that we increase parental choice, we increase options," Grego said. "When parents choose their local school, to me that is a choice."

Grego's proposal would affect five schools: Sandy Lane Elementary, Tyrone Middle School, Largo Middle, John Hopkins Middle, Mildred Helms Elementary.

The schools included offer a performing arts, a middle school technology program and three IB programs.

David Miller, whose children attend Sanderlin K-8 school, a Pinellas County magnet school, said his kids have enjoyed their experience.

"It's approach to collaborate learning," Miller said of magnet schools. "Which I think is how people work in the world today."

Many Pinellas parents are interested in that type of education for their children, as evidenced by the waiting list at many magnet programs, including all grades levels at Sanderlin.

"I hear that concern a lot," said Discovery Academy of Science Principal Emre Akbaba.

Akbaba said parents flock to his charter school because of wait lists and his school's science and math offerings.

"And I believe there are so many parents out there looking for such an emphasis."