@retiredfarmer I will not argue with you, since there is nothing in what you wrote with which I do not agree.
The benefits of attending a magnet high school to the parents are cost, and to the student because of the killer mix of diversity and super smart peers is immense. All the kids (and some adults) I know who attended IMSA, Whitney Young, Walter Payton, Lane Tech, and other Chicago magnet schools really valued their time at these schools, and really benefited from the education they got there.