It’s hard to believe January is here and we’re already working on enrollment for fall 2024! We are in the midst of re-enrolling current scholars for next school year and preparing for the annual February enrollment period for new scholars. Since this is a time when prospective parents are contemplating enrollment, it is also a good time to review why enrolling a new scholar during the February enrollment period is so important.
The Enrollment Process 101
The Lincoln Academy is a 2x independent charter school, which Wisconsin State Statute defines as a public school and Local Education Agency (LEA), legally required to provide a free and appropriate education to all enrolled students, to accept all children (limited only by State of Wisconsin residency and the number of seats available) and required to meet the needs of all students.
Each year, there is an enrollment process that takes place at The Lincoln Academy to determine enrollment for the following school year. As indicated earlier, during the month of January we work with families of current scholars to re-enroll for the coming year. Once a scholar has a seat at TLA, they are guaranteed a seat the following year as long as they complete the re-enrollment process and provide the required proof of residency by January 31st.
During February, our annual enrollment period, The Lincoln Academy accepts applications for enrollment of new scholars for the coming school year. Beginning February 1st, the application is available online at Enrollment | The Lincoln Academy in Beloit, Wisconsin (thelincolnacademybeloit.com) or in-person weekdays between 8am and 3:30pm in the school office.
The application process for a new scholar involves completing the application and submitting both proof of Wisconsin residency and a copy of the scholar’s birth certificate. There are no additional eligibility requirements and there is no cost to attend.
If more applications are received during the enrollment period than there are seats available for a grade-level in the coming year, a public random lottery is held in early March (March 12th this year) to determine enrollment for available seats and the waitlist order for the coming year. Only completed applications submitted by midnight on the last day of February are eligible for the lottery process.
If the lottery process is needed, TLA gives preference in the order as follows:
1.) Scholars who were enrolled in the charter school in the previous year.
2.) Siblings of scholars enrolled in the charter school.*
3.) Children of full-time staff and TLA Board Members.
* Siblings are defined as: biological siblings that share parents, siblings that share a single parent, siblings that share a parent through marriage, children who share a parent through adoption or guardianship, siblings who reside in different households or foster children.
We are often asked if applications for the next school year are only accepted during the enrollment period. The simple answer is no. Completed applications received after midnight on the last day of February are accepted and processed on a first-come, first-served basis. If a seat is available, the scholar will be enrolled for the new year. If no seat is available, the scholar is placed on a waitlist in the order the application is received behind lottery waitlisted scholars who applied during the February enrollment period. If a scholar is placed on a waitlist and does not get in by January of the following year, they must reapply in February as a new waitlist starts in March once the lottery is completed.
You can find additional information on the enrollment and lottery process at The Lottery Process | The Lincoln Academy (thelincolnacademybeloit.com).
The Importance of Enrolling in February
There are a couple of things to note around understanding importance of enrolling in February. One is specific to this year’s enrollment period and 6th grade. TLA is entering the final year of our ramp-up to fully serving scholars in grades K4-12. Over the last three February enrollment periods, we enrolled a full class of new scholars into 6th grade for the coming school year. This will be the last year in which this occurs. Next year, we anticipate a large percentage of enrolled 5th grade scholars re-enrolling into 6th grade for the 2025-2026 school year, reducing the number of seats available to future new scholars at that grade-level significantly.
Second, the TLA enrollment process is structured and provides as much equal access as possible in an environment where there is a finite number of seats available. We encourage everyone interested in enrolling their child to apply during the February enrollment period, as it provides the best opportunity for enrollment when there is high demand for a grade-level. This does not mean, however, that there may not be less demand for seats or a short waitlist for a certain grade-level when a scholar applies at a different point in time.
While enrollment in an environment where there is a finite number of seats available is not guaranteed, the only certainty is that a scholar will not have a chance at enrollment if the application is not completed at all.
Dr. Kristi Cole is the Chief Education Officer at The Lincoln Academy, a K4-12 independent 2x charter school in Beloit, Wisconsin.