27 July 2017
 Categories: Education & Development, Blog

Charter schools can be appealing because they often approach education with different educational philosophies and tools than most public school districts. Many charter schools adopt a very child-centered educational approach.

Enrollment in charter schools can be a little different than enrollment in the local public school district, which is why it can be helpful to educate yourself on the charter school enrollment process.

#1 Get In Early

You need to find out at what grade your local charter schools start registration. For example, the charter school may offer pre-K or it may start in grade 3. It is important to know what grade level your local charter schools that you are interested in attending begin enrolling students. Your best chance of getting your child into a charter school is by enrolling your child the first year you can.

It is much easier to get into a charter school that starts in kindergarten if you enroll your child while they are in kindergarten. Getting your child into that same charter school in the third grade will be much more challenging, because the open spots will be limited to the number of students that move or choose not to attend the school the following year.

#2 Register For Open Houses

You need to find out when the charter school hosts their open house for enrollment for the next school year. These open houses are often early in the year. It is not uncommon for charter schools to hold open houses in December for the following school year. You want to register for the open house information at all charter schools you are interested in your child attending at the start of the school year before your child will attend school.

#3 Gather Application Information

Make sure that you have all the application information together so when the application period opens up for your local charter schools, you can quickly submit your application. You may need to provide a copy of your child's original birth certificate, immunization records, proof of your child's address and a copy of one or both parent's identification.

#4 Submit Your Application As Early As Possible

Finally, make sure that you submit an application as early as possible. If you can, arrange to submit the application on the first day the school accepts applications. Some charter schools give preference to applications based on the order they are submitted and other charter schools cap the number of applications they will accept each year, which is why it is smart to get your application in early. Getting your application in early also helps ensure that if there are issues with your application, you'll have enough time to address them.

If you want your child to attend a charter school, be sure to contact them a year before your child could attend the school so you can get on the open house list and find out when the application period begins for the charter school. For more information, contact a business such as New Hope Christian Academy & Early Learning Center.