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Enrollment Policy

Student Enrollment and Public Random Drawing/Lottery Policies and Procedures

Overview

This Policy shall apply to Our Community School (“OCS” or the “Charter School”). This Policy shall be published in the instructions for student application for admission and on the Charter School’s website at http://ourcommunityschool.org/.

 

All students who wish to attend the Charter School shall be admitted, subject to OCS’s capacity.  If there are more applications than the Charter School has capacity, enrollment, except for pupils currently enrolled in OCS, shall be determined by public random drawing (or “lottery”), conducted in accordance with the procedures described below.

 

The lottery is held in the Spring each year. Information about the date, time and location of the lottery will be posted on the Charter School’s website, at the school site, included in public notices, newsletters and/or flyers posted in the community, and will be available by calling the Charter School information number that will be included on all student admissions/lottery materials.

 

OCS strongly encourages all potential applicants to review the charter and the Parent-Student Handbook (available on the Charter School’s website), and published information regarding OCS, prior to submitting an application for admission.

 

Assurances

As a charter school, OCS is a school of choice. OCS shall admit all pupils who wish to attend the Charter School (Education Code Section 47605(d)(2)(A)). If the number of students applying for admission exceeds capacity, admission shall be determined by random public drawing (“lottery”) in accordance with Education Code Section 47605(d)(2). Admission to the Charter School shall be open to any resident of the State of California. Admission to OCS will not be determined according to the place of residence of the pupil or his/her parent, except in the event of a lottery. In accordance with Education Code Sections 49011 and 47605(d)(2)(B)(iv), admission preferences shall not require mandatory parental volunteer hours as a criterion for admission or continued enrollment.

 

In accordance with Education Code Section 47605(d)(4)(A), the Charter School shall not discourage a pupil from enrolling or seeking to enroll in the charter school for any reason, including, but not limited to, the academic performance of the pupil or because the pupil exhibits any of the characteristics described in Education Code Section 47605(d)(2)(B)(iii), including pupils with disabilities, academically low-achieving pupils, English learners, neglected or delinquent pupils, homeless pupils, or pupils who are economically disadvantaged, as determined by eligibility for any free or reduced-price meal program, foster youth, or pupils based on nationality, race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. Similarly, in accordance with Section 47605(d)(4)(C), the Charter School shall not encourage a pupil currently attending the Charter School to disenroll from the Charter School or transfer to another school for any reason, including, but not limited to the academic performance of the pupil or because the pupil exhibits any of the characteristics described in Education Code Section 47605(d)(2)(B)(iii), as listed above.

 

In addition to any other requirement imposed under law, the Charter School shall be nonsectarian in its programs, admission policies, employment practices, and all other operations shall not charge tuition, and shall not discriminate against any pupil on the basis of actual or perceived disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic that is contained in the definition of hate crimes set forth in Section 422.55 of the Penal Code or association with an individual who has any of the aforementioned characteristics.

 

The Charter School’s Board of Directors shall ensure that student outreach activities and information sessions, including but not limited to those activities as described in OCS’s charter, which is designed to recruit a broad, diverse representation of students, are conducted in accordance with the charter.