BATON ROUGE - Eleven East Baton Rouge Parish magnet schools were given the National Merit Award. 

EBRPSS says the honor goes to magnet schools that "demonstrate a strong commitment to high academic standards, innovative curriculum, successful desegregation and diversity efforts, and meaningful parent and community engagement."

The following schools were given awards:

Merit Award of Excellence
- Belfair Montessori Magnet School (Top Merit Award of Excellence)
- Liberty Magnet High School
- Woodlawn High School 

Merit Award of Distinction
- Sherwood Middle Academic Magnet 
- Westdale World Language Immersion Middle Magnet
- Woodlawn Middle Magnet 
- Scotlandville Pre-Engineering Magnet Academy 
- McKinley Middle Academic Magnet 
- Baton Rouge Magnet High 
- Forest Heights Academy of Excellence 
- Villa del Rey Creative Sciences and Arts Magnet