ST. CROIX PREPARATORY ACADEMY

ADMISSION AND LOTTERY PROCEDURES

POLICY #SCPA-701

Policy Statement:  Admission to St. Croix Preparatory Academy is open to all students, without regard to ability, race, religion, or any other factors, other than the capacity of the program, class, grade level, or building.

Board Establishes Open Enrollment Period

Each school year, the Board establishes the open enrollment period applicable to the following school year’s admission and publishes this information to the school community (e.g. enrolled families and staff) and local community.

Notice to Currently Enrolled Students

Prior to the open enrollment period, the School asks families of currently enrolled students to complete an “Intent to Return” form, regarding their plans of returning to the School for the following year’s enrollment.  This form is not binding, as all existing students have the right to return to the School regardless of whether or not or how the Intent to Return form is completed.  The School uses the responses to provide assistance with the School’s planning and management.

Application Processing

The School allows for on-line or paper enrollment application for potential students.  All applications are date and time stamped.  The applications are made available on the first day of the open enrollment period.

All applications received during the open enrollment period are automatically accepted for enrollment unless more applications are received than the maximum grade enrollment established by the Board.  In this situation, all submitted applications for that grade will move to the lottery process, except for siblings of enrolled students, foster children of parents of currently admitted students, and children of staff employed by the School.  As noted below, in the situation where it arises, siblings, foster children of parents of currently admitted students, and children of licensed teachers will move to their own separate lottery process.

Siblings of Admitted Students (“Siblings”) and Foster Children of Parents of Currently Admitted Students (“Foster Siblings”)

Siblings and Foster Siblings of already enrolled students, who have submitted an application before the expiration of the open enrollment period will be automatically enrolled unless the combined number of Siblings and Foster Siblings exceeds the available seats within the grade.  If the combined number of Siblings and Foster Siblings exceeds available enrollment in any grade, a Sibling and Foster Sibling lottery will be conducted for each such grade. Sibling and Foster Siblings are admitted to the School in the order in which they are drawn in the lottery.  If grade enrollment is filled by Siblings and/or Foster Siblings, the Sibling and Foster Sibling lottery continues and a Sibling and Foster Sibling wait list is established.  The Sibling and Foster Sibling wait list has preference over the general waiting list.

Children of Employees of St. Croix Preparatory Academy

Children of employees of the School, who have submitted an application before the expiration of the open enrollment period will be automatically enrolled unless the number of Children of employees exceeds the available seats within the grade.  If the number of children of employees exceeds the number of available seats in the grade, an employee-children lottery will be conducted.  Children of employees are admitted to the school in the order in which they are drawn in the lottery.  If all available enrollment in a grade is filled by children of employees, the employee-children lottery continues to establish an employee-children wait list for each such grade.  

General Lottery

If the number of applications received during the open enrollment period exceeds the number of available seats in any grade (and after children of employees at the School are already admitted or establish an employee-children wait list; and after Siblings and Foster Siblings of enrolled students are already admitted or establish a Sibling and Foster Sibling wait list; the School will conduct a general lottery.   All applications for such grade (excluding applications from children of employees of the School and Siblings and Foster Siblings of already enrolled students which were previously admitted/subject to employee-children and/or Sibling and Foster Sibling lottery) received during the enrollment period will be included in the lottery.  Students are admitted to the School in the order in which they are drawn in the lottery, as long as there is available space in applicable grade(s).  If all available spaces in a grade is filled, the lottery continues to establish a general wait list for each such grade. If a student is selected through the general lottery and the student has siblings in other grades, also subject to the lottery, those siblings are automatically enrolled as long as seats are available in that grade.

Applications Received After the Open Enrollment Period Expires

Applications received after the open enrollment period expires are automatically accepted for enrollment if there are available seats in that grade.  If there are no available seats in the grade, applications received after the open enrollment period expires are added to the waiting list for that grade, in the order received.

Random Selection

The School conducts all lotteries through a method of random selection.

Informational Meetings

The School provides Informational Meetings during the open enrollment period and throughout the year.  This allows all interested families and community members to learn about the history, mission, philosophy, and educational objectives of the School.

General Admission and Lottery Procedures

Order of Admission:  Siblings and Foster Siblings of Admitted Students, Children of Employees, then General Admissions.

No Waiting List Carry Over from Year to Year:  Waiting lists do not carry forward from year to year.  Each open enrollment period is considered a different year.  Lotteries and waiting lists are reestablished for employees-children, siblings and foster siblings, and general admissions.

Multiple Births (e.g. twins, triplets, etc.).  Each student completes a separate application.  In a lottery situation, each student receives an individual number/lot in the lottery.