Enrollment Opportunities
RISE Charter School shall ensure that citizens in the Kimberly School District and surrounding area are made aware of enrollment opportunities. The school will disseminate enrollment and lottery information at least 3 months in advance of the enrollment deadline. All prospective students will be given the opportunity to enroll in the school, regardless of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, gender, social or economic status, or special needs.
Enrollment Deadline
RISE Charter School will establish an enrollment deadline each school year. The enrollment deadline is the date by which all written or digital requests for admission to attend RISE Charter School for the next school year must be received. The enrollment deadline cannot be changed once the enrollment information is disseminated as set forth above.
Requests for Admission
A parent, guardian, or other person with legal authority to make decisions regarding school attendance on behalf of a child in Idaho may make a request in writing for such child to attend RISE Charter School. In the case of a family with more than one child seeking to attend RISE Charter School, a written request for admission (or “enrollment application”) for each individual must be submitted. The lottery application shall be submitted to and received by RISE Charter School on or before the enrollment deadline. The lottery application must contain the name, grade level (for the upcoming school year), address, and telephone number for each prospective student. RISE Charter School may require prospective students to use its lottery application, which is available online, at the front desk, or by request.
RISE Charter School uses a fair and equitable selection process called “the lottery” when the capacity of the school is insufficient to enroll all prospective students. Submission of the lottery application prior to the enrollment deadline shall qualify the student to participate in the lottery. Lottery applications received after the established enrollment deadline will be added to the bottom of the waiting list for the appropriate grade. Siblings who have submitted a post-lottery enrollment application will be placed at the bottom of the sibling list.
Admission Preferences
RISE Charter School has established admission preferences for admission of all prospective students who have submitted a timely enrollment application. Preference shall be given in the following order:
- Pupils returning to the RISE Charter School for a subsequent school year;
- Children of RISE Charter School founders and employees however, this preference shall be limited to not more than ten percent of the School’s capacity;
- Siblings to pupils already selected by the lottery;
- Students residing within the primary attendance area of the RISE Charter School. This includes children whose parent/guardian is a member of the United States Armed Forces and has received transfer orders and will, upon such transfer, reside in the area served by the School;
Equitable Selection Process
RISE Charter School shall conduct a fair and equitable selection process to determine the students who will be offered admission to RISE Charter School. The selection procedure shall be conducted in accordance with Idaho laws, rules, and regulations. The equitable selection process shall result in a final selection list. The names of the students highest on the final selection list shall have the highest priority for admission to the Charter School in that grade, and shall be offered admission to RISE Charter School in such grade until all seats for that grade are filled.
Notification and Acceptance Process
Within seven days of conducting the selection process, RISE Charter School shall notify the parent, guardian, or other person who submitted the enrollment application on behalf of the student, advising such person that the student has been selected for admission to RISE Charter School. The offer letter must be signed by the student’s parent/guardian and returned to the School by the date designated in the offer letter. If admission is declined or the offer letter is not timely signed and returned, the name of the student will be stricken from the final selection list, and the seat that opens in that grade will be made available to the next eligible student on the final selection list.
For students who are not eligible for admission to RISE Charter School, within seven days after conducting the selection process, the School shall notify the parent, guardian, or other person who submitted the enrollment application on behalf of the student, advising such person that the student is not eligible for admission but will be placed on a waiting list and may be eligible for admission at a later date if a seat becomes available.
If a student withdraws from RISE Charter School during the school year for any reason, then the seat that opens in that grade will be made available to the next eligible student on the waiting list.
Subsequent School Years
The final selection waitlist for a given school year shall not roll over to the subsequent school year. A new equitable selection process will be conducted each year to fill vacancies that become available. However, the School may continue to weigh the lottery preferences to educationally disadvantaged students.
Legal References:
I.C. § 33-5206 Requirements and Prohibitions of a Public Charter School
I.C. § 33-524 Advance Enrollment of Military Student I.D.A.P.A. 08.02.04.203 Admission Procedures
Policy History:
Adopted on: June 14, 2021
Revised on: December 13, 2021
Reviewed on: