2008-9 Lottery Procedure

The CIS charter allows us to enroll approximately 60 students per grade. We currently enroll approximately 40 per grade, but will expand class sizes, beginning with the K-3 classes, when we have additional classroom space. By law, CIS must conduct a public lottery to fill any openings in each grade. Our public lottery will be held at the Harrisburg Town Hall, 4100 Main Street, on March 1, 2008, at 10 AM. Notifications, stating either acceptance or wait list number, will be sent out in writing the week of March 3, 2008.

Prospective parents, including families that currently have a child enrolled in CIS, must submit a Student Application Form for each child they want to enroll. All students who apply by the February 23rd deadline will be included in the lottery drawing for that grade. Applications received after February 23rd will NOT be included in the lottery but will be added to the Wait List in the order received.

Lottery Procedure

Each registrant will have an index card with their name and grade. Cards for siblings of current CIS students and children of staff members will be drawn separately and first, as this group of students will be automatically admitted ahead of students on the remaining Wait List.

The other cards for each grade level will be placed in a container and randomly drawn one card at a time, starting with Grade 11 applicants, then Grade 10, and so on.

When an opening becomes available at the applicable grade level, students will be admitted based on their current lottery number. If registrants who are selected for admission decide NOT to enroll at CIS, the parents of the next child on the Wait List for that grade will be notified immediately. Most offers of enrollment will not be made until the conclusion of the school year on June 11th.

Sibling Policies

CIS supports the policy of families with multiple children attending the school together. Charter school law allows us to give lottery priority to siblings of currently enrolled students. Siblings are granted Priority in the lottery process up on the Wait List.

For example, if a family has three children applying to CIS and one is offered admission for the 2007-8 school years, the other two siblings remain on the Wait List with their number drawn, until an opening occurs for that number. Should no openings occur in 2007-8 and the family would still like the siblings to attend CIS, new applications must be submitted for the 2008-9 school year, prior to February 23rd. During the lottery, applicants who are siblings of current students will be drawn first. [If there are 5 siblings waiting to enter 3rd grade the siblings will get W01, WO2, W03, W04, W05.] We cannot guarantee admission to any sibling; enrollment will depend upon available space.

All parents of students on the 2007-8 waiting list (with or without siblings) who would like to attend the CIS in 2008-9 must complete new applications by February 23rd. Applications for any student received after February 23rd will be added to the Wait List based on the date of receipt. The student will be admitted only after the lottery Wait List has been exhausted.

PLEASE NOTE: A student must currently attend CIS, from the time of the lottery and reenter in 2008-9 in order for siblings to receive priority drawing status under the sibling rule.