Admissions Policy

Admission and enrollment of students shall be open to persons who reside within the geographic boundaries stated in the open-enrollment charter of each LISA Academy campus and who are eligible for admission based on lawful criteria identified in the charter and in law. The total number of students enrolled in any campus shall not exceed the number of students approved in the charter or subsequent amendments.

Non-Discrimination

LISA Academy does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, or disability in providing educational services, activities, and programs, including vocational and career technology programs, in accordance with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972; and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.

When making admissions decisions, LISA Academy does not discriminate against students on the basis of sex; national origin; ethnicity; religion; disability; academic, artistic, or athletic ability; or the district the child would otherwise attend under state law.

Submission of Applications and Admissions Lottery

LISA Academy requires applicants to submit a complete application form in order to be considered for admission. The application period begins on January 1st and ends on February 17th.

An admissions lottery will be conducted if the total number of applicants exceeds the number of open enrollment spots. Notification will be made by telephone, e-mail or U.S. Postal Service. Failure of an applicant to respond within 48 hours of the date of the telephone call or e-mail, or within three business days of a post-marked letter, will result in the forfeiture of his or her position in the application process. Parents notified by mail should call the admitting campus immediately upon receipt of the notice in order to preserve their child’s position in the lottery.

Once all enrollment spots have been filled by the lottery, the remaining numbers will be drawn and the applicants assigned to these numbers will be placed on a waiting list in the order in which they were drawn. If a vacancy arises before the commencement of the school year, the individual on the waiting list with the lowest number assignment will be offered admission and then removed from the waiting list.

If an application is received after the application period has passed, the applicant’s name will be added to the waiting list behind the names of the applicants who timely applied.

Exceptions

Students who currently attend LISA Academy and intend to return the next school year are given priority in admission, so long as they notify the campus they attend of their intent to return for the next school year by February 3rd. Returning students who indicate their intent to return for the next school year are exempt from the lottery process.

Siblings of returning students must follow regular admission procedures, as they do not obtain automatic admission. These applicants also are not exempt from the lottery process.

Pursuant to federal guidelines, children of the charter school’s founders and teachers are exempt from the lottery process and may be given priority in admission, so long as the total number of students allowed constitutes only a small percentage of the school’s total enrollment.