Admission and Lottery Policy
Admission to the school shall be open to any individuals who are entitled to attend school pursuant to section 3313.64 or 3313.65 of the Revised Code in a school district in the State of Ohio.
Academy shall not discriminate in the admission of students to the school based on race, creed, color, handicapping condition or sex;
Upon admission of any handicapped student, Academy will comply with all federal and state laws regarding the education of handicapped students.
The School shall not limit admission to students based on intellectual ability, measures of achievement or aptitude, or athletic ability.
The School shall not offer or provide incentives to parents of prospective students per ORC 3313.648.
The School shall not admit students that exceed the capacity of the school’s programs, classes, grade levels or facilities.
If the number of applicants exceeds the capacity of the school’s programs, classes, grade levels, or facilities, students shall be admitted by lottery from all those submitting applications before May first of each school year, except preference shall be given to students attending the school the previous year, to students who reside in the district in which the school is located, and to siblings of students attending the school the previous year.
When required the lottery will be conducted in the following manner:
1. Each applicant will be assigned a number.
2. The numbers will then be drawn at random by a disinterested third party at a meeting of the Governing Authority that will be open to the public.
3. The first number drawn will be the first new applicant placed on a permanent waiting list and so on until all numbers are drawn;
4. Applicants on a permanent waiting list prior to any lottery will retain their position on the waiting list;
5. The school may separate lottery and waiting lists for each grade or age grouping;
6. Students attending the previous year will have preference for position in the current year, even though they may be in a different age or grade group;
7. Siblings may be given preference for the next open position.
ENROLLMENT AND RESIDENCY POLICY
Although the School has a statewide open enrollment policy permitting enrollment from any school or district in the State of Ohio, it is still necessary to establish a student’s school district of residence before they can be enrolled in the School. The school district in which a parent or child resides is the location the parent or student has established as the primary residence and where substantial family activity takes place. Residence is a place where important family activity takes place during the significant part of each day; a place where the family eats, sleeps, works, relaxes and plays. It must be a place, in short, which can be called “home”. One cannot establish a residence merely by purchasing/leasing a house or an apartment or even by furnishing such a house or apartment so that it is suitable for the owner’s use. No single factor is determinative; residency will be established by the totality of the circumstances. The following documents can be used to establish proof of residency for verification of a child’s ability to enroll in the School. These items must be current, be in the parent’s name, and include a street address. The School shall require only one form of proof of residency for enrollment. A post office box address cannot be used to validate residency records:
· Deed or current real property tax bill
· Lease agreement
· Mortgage statement
· Utility statement or receipt of utility installation issued within ninety (90) days of the date of enrollment
· Bank statement
· Current homeowner’s or renter’s insurance declaration
· Paycheck or paystub issued to the parent or student within ninety (90) days of the date of enrollment that includes the address of the parent’s or student’s primary residence
· Any other official document issued to the parent or student that includes the address of the parent’s or student’s primary residence that does not conflict with the guidelines issued by the Superintendent of Public Instruction
Enrollment is defined as the day all paperwork is completed for the child’s entry into school not the first day of school.
All custody or court orders pertaining to the family or student must be turned in when asked, or at admission. If our School and the student’s home district (district of residency) disagree about residency, this policy shall prevail. In such a case, parents may be asked to provide additional information in order to resolve the dispute; however, the school is not obligated to ask for additional information based on other public schools’ policies.