An Indianapolis school system is receiving an $11.8 million federal magnet school grant aimed at increasing public school choices for parents and helping districts attract a diverse group of students.

The Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township Schools is the only school system in Indiana and one of just 36 nationwide receiving the grants from the U.S. Department of Education.

Superintendent Concetta Raimondi says the district has redesigned each of its 11 elementary schools as magnet schools in areas such as Spanish immersion, the arts, communication and international studies.

She says the three-year grant will help the district further transform its schools to more closely match what its nearly 16,000 students need to succeed.