Policies & Procedures » Enrollment Lottery 25-26

Enrollment Lottery 25-26

ACE is committed to enrolling a diverse student population and shall abide by the provisions in Louisiana Statutes, RS 17:3991(B)(3), which forbid discrimination based on race, national origin, gender, marital status, ethnicity, or disability. 


ACE will admit students of any race, color, nationality, ethnic origin, religion, sexual orientation, or gender. Pursuant to RS 17:3991(C)(1)(a), the charter school shall enroll an eligible student who submits a timely application unless the number of applicants exceeds the capacity of a program, class, grade level, or building. In such cases, all applicants will have an equal opportunity to enroll through a random selection process. In accordance with RS 17:3991(B), a charter school may give enrollment preference to populations denoted in the Lottery Rules and Procedures under the Preference section.  


Applications for the upcoming school year will be accepted during the open enrollment period from December 1, 2024, to December 31, 2024.  All applications will be date/time stamped as they are received and filed by grade level.  Only applications that have completed the application process: application information form, required documentation as specified in the application, and complete screening by program coordinator will be placed in the lottery process.  If the number of kindergarten applications exceed available seats, a public lottery will determine which applicants are admitted for the next school year. The drawing will continue until all names are drawn and either scheduled for enrollment or placed on a numerical waiting list.  


Applicants who complete the application process after the open enrollment period (December 31, 2024) will be placed at the bottom of the waiting list for the applicable grade level in the order they are completed. Parents will be notified of their child’s acceptance via email and/or letter no later than seven (7) days after the lottery drawing. Applicants must respond within a specified timeline to confirm attendance. If an accepted applicant declines or does not respond, the spot will be offered to the next person on the waiting list.  


ACE endeavors to achieve racial and ethnic balance through a comprehensive marketing plan, including outreach to underrepresented populations. Efforts include community postings, public service announcements, in person events, and availability of bilingual staff.


Admissions Overview


Applications are accepted year round, but open enrollment for the 2025-2026 school year will officially take place from December 1, 2024, to December 31, 2024.  Enrollment offers for the 2526 school year will begin March 17, 2025 following the acceptance or decline of the current student roster seat.  At the end of the open application process and the responses from parents or guardians of the current student class,  kindergarten applicants will be entered into a lottery if completed applications exceed the number of available seats. Remaining applicants will be waitlisted in the order they are drawn from the lottery.  


For grades 1st–5th, applications will be waitlisted based on their timestamp, receipt of required documentation, program screening and behind the current students waitlisted. 


ACE may refuse to admit students who have been expelled or are in the process of being expelled from another educational institution.  


Lottery Rules and Procedures


General


 "Lottery" refers to the random selection of applicant names through a system generated process or blind drawing.  

 

  • Only applications received by the December 31, 2024, deadline and complete the application process prior to the lottery on March 7, 2025 are eligible for the lottery. 
  •  A lottery is conducted for grades where the number of applicants exceeds the available seats.  
  •  Applicants offered a seat must respond within 10 business days. Nonresponses will result in the seat being offered to the next applicant on the waiting list.  
  •  Waiting lists roll over from year to year; however, parents/guardians must accept or decline to remain on the waitlist by February 24, 2025 in order to retain a spot on the waitlist.  


Preference


All preferences are published prior to the lottery. Eligible applicants will be identified before the lottery and considered in the following hierarchy:  

  1. Applicant child of a charter board member, school employee, or other preferences established in the charter application.  
  2. Applicant sibling of an accepted applicant for the same academic year. 
  3. Directors, officers, partners, or board members of the charter holder.  

Procedure


  1. Applicants have 10 business days from the date of an offer to accept or decline via email or mail.  
  2. If no response is received, the offer will be rescinded, and the seat offered to the next person on the waiting list.  
  3. Accepted applicants receive confirmation within 24–48 hours, along with further enrollment instructions.  
  4. Applicants must complete registration paperwork within 10 business days of acceptance. Failure to do so will result in the seat being forfeited.