ENROLLMENT POLICY

EastSide Charter School (ESCS) offers parents and their children a quality public school option as an alternative to their district school. ESCS welcomes a diverse student population within the State of Delaware, and implements a non-discriminatory process in admissions. Below is our enrollment policy for all new families:

Open Enrollment

The application period will begin on the first Monday in November, and continue through the second Wednesday in January preceding the applying school year. All interested families must submit an application online or apply in person at EastSide Charter School. This policy applies equally to board members, employees, and siblings of currently enrolled students.

  1. All applicants must be a Delaware State resident.

  2. Applications are only valid for the specific school year to which the application applies.

  3. If by the end of the application period the number of eligible applicants exceeds the number

    of seats available, ESCS will conduct a lottery on a grade by grade basis and apply preferences

    as outlined within this policy.

  4. If the number of eligible applicants does not exceed the number of seats available, then all

    eligible applicants will be offered an invitation to enroll for the upcoming school year.

Lottery

If applicable, a lottery will be conducted in February following the application period.

  • Only applications received during the application period will be included in the lottery.

  • After the lottery drawing, the Enrollment Coordinator will notify all families of their

  • enrollment status via email or mail.

  • Applications not selected for enrollment during the lottery will be placed on a waiting list.

Applying After The Deadline

The following will occur for all applications received after the application deadline:

  • If seats are not available, applications will be placed at the end of the waiting list after the lottery has concluded.

  • If seats are available, an invitation for enrollment will be offered on a first come, first serve basis.

  1. Admissions Preference - ESCS will show preference in filling vacant seats in the order listed below:

    • Siblings of children currently attending ESCS; (A sibling is defined as biological or adoptive, step-siblings residing in the same household, or foster children residing in the same household.)

    • Children of ESCS employees who are employed for at least 30 hours per week.

    • Siblings of applicants accepted pursuant to a lottery.

    • Children residing within a 5 mile radius of ESCS

  2. Sibling Preference - The sibling preference is intended to keep families together. For families with more than one student applying to ESCS, the following will occur:

    • If there is space available for all applying siblings, all siblings will be offered an invitation to enroll.

    • If space is available for one or more of the applying siblings, remaining siblings will be given preference in the lottery drawing.

    • Same grade siblings will be treated as one single applicant unit. If that one applicant unit is selected in the lottery drawing then all such siblings will be offered an invitation to enroll, or will be placed on the waiting list together.

  3. Minimum Age Requirement - All Pre-kindergarten applicants must turn four (4) years of age by August 31st of the applying school year. All Kindergarten applicants must turn five (5) years of age by August 31st of the applying school year. First grade applicants who will not turn six (6) years of age by August 31st of the applying school year, must show proof of completing an accredited Kindergarten program.

    Additional Information

    • The number of openings in any grade may fluctuate based on factors such as student withdrawals, retentions, reassignment of students to other grades, and/or other unique circumstances.

    • The decision to fill a new opening is left to the sole discretion of the Principal. If the Principal decides to fill a new opening, the Principal will draw such students from the top of the established waiting list.

    Please Note: This enrollment policy is a summary of the ESCS’s more detailed Student Recruitment Protocol (Revised November 17, 2014)