Enrollment/Lottery Policy

 

Adopted:  January 21, 2015                                                              NCA Dist. 4093

Revised:  August 2023                                                                                     Policy 901

901     ENROLLMENT AND LOTTERY POLICY

  1. PURPOSE
  2. Statement of admission policies and procedures

Each year New Century Academy (“NCA”) will establish an open enrollment period of time in which the school will accept applications for the coming school year. This enrollment window period shall be determined by the NCA administrative staff.

 

Enrolled students do not need to submit an enrollment application unless the student has formally withdrawn or was expelled from NCA. NCA uses a non-discriminatory process in admissions and actively recruits a diverse student population from the communities being served. NCA will not discriminate against any student based on race, color, ethnicity, sex, age, national origin, religion or creed, status with regard to public assistance, sexual orientation, or disability, intellectual ability, prior measures of achievement or aptitude, athletic ability, or for any other basis that would be unlawful for a public or charter school.

 

NCA is a public school and will enroll an eligible student who submits a timely application unless the number of applications exceeds the capacity of the program, class, grade level, or building. In the event that the number of students who submit timely enrollment applications exceeds the school’s capacity, student enrollment will be determined by a lottery as further described in this policy.

 

Enrollment preference will be given to applicants in the following order:

 

(1)      Siblings of current NCA students including foster children from families with currently enrolled students;

(2)                 Children of NCA staff.

  1. Open Enrollment
  2. During the open enrollment period, the number of seats available for the following school year will be determined by the administrative staff.

 

  1. Open Enrollment Definition: Every year on March 1 the Open Enrollment period will cease. However, if NCA has not reached capacity, students will continue to be admitted on a first come, first serve basis.

 

  1. Applications for enrollment will be accepted during the open enrollment period. Interested applicants   must   submit   completed   applications   to   be   considered for enrollment. An enrollment application must be received no later than the end of the enrollment period to be timely.

 

  1. If the applicant pool exceeds the number of available seats at the end of the enrollment period, administration will determine which students, if any, qualify for enrollment preference.

 

  1. First priority will be given to siblings of NCA students and to foster children of parents with currently enrolled students. If there are more applicants with first priority than available seats, the available seats will be selected by lottery and offers of enrollment will be made in the order drawn.

 

  1. Second priority will be given to children of NCA staff. If there are more applicants with third priority than available seats, the available seats will be selected by lottery and offers of enrollment will be made in the order drawn.

 

Any applicant with enrollment priority who does not receive an offer of enrollment will be placed at the beginning of the Wait List in order of priority.

 

  1. Once all applicants with priority have been placed, a lottery will be conducted and applicants will be placed based on the outcome. Applicants who are not assigned a seat during a lottery will be placed on the Wait List in the order determined by the lottery.

 

  1. After the lottery, all families will be notified of their enrollment status (assigned a seat and/or appropriate Wait List placement). Families must accept or decline enrollment within 30 days, otherwise the assigned seat will be forfeited.

 

  1. If any application is received after the end of the open enrollment period, but before the next open enrollment period, and the maximum capacity of the program, class, grade level, or building is reached, the applicant will be placed at the end of the Wait List behind all timely applications according to the date when the application was received by NCA.

 

  1. If any student, whether assigned a seat or on the waiting list, cancels their application, forfeits their seat, or withdraws from NCA, the student shall lose their place. If the student later re-apply, they shall be treated as a new applicant.
  2. The Wait List will be utilized should an opening occur. If spaces remain open after the Wait List is exhausted until the time administrative staff determines the number of seats for the next enrollment period, the available space will be filled upon receipt of a completed application on a first-come, first served basis.
  3. The Wait List does not carry-over from year to year. Student applicants on the Wait List who are not notified of an opening throughout the duration of any given school year will not be considered in any subsequent open enrollment period. A new Application for Enrollment form must be completed and submitted during the open enrollment period.

 

III.       NCA Staff

Current staff who wish to enroll their child(ren) must notify the administrative staff by the enrollment deadline.

  1. Denial of Enrollment

A district may refuse to allow a pupil who is expelled under section 121A.45 to enroll during the term of the expulsion if the student was expelled for: (1) possessing a dangerous weapon, as defined by United States Code, title 18, section 930, paragraph (g)(2), at school or a school function; (2) possessing or using an illegal drug at school or a school function; (3) selling or soliciting the sale of a controlled substance while at school or a school function; or (4) committing a third-degree assault as described in section 609.223, subdivision 1.

 

Legal References:

Minn. Stat. § 124E.03 (Charter School Applicable Law)

Minn. Stat. § 124E.11 (Charter School Admission Requirements and Enrollment Minn. Stat. § 120A.22 (Compulsory Instruction)

Minn. Stat. § 121A.40 – 121A.56 (Pupil Fair Dismissal Act)