E 1.0 Overview
Classical Preparatory School is committed to enrolling a diverse student population. These Enrollment Policies and Procedures ensure that all eligible students in the community will be informed about the school, and each eligible student will be given an equal opportunity to attend the school.
E 2.0 Non-Discrimination
Classical Prep will not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin, gender, marital status, ethnicity, or disability. The school strives to achieve a racial/ethnic balance reflective of the community the school serves. The Enrollment Policies and Procedures of Classical Preparatory School comply with Florida charter school laws, including but not limited to Fla. Stat. 1002.33(15)(c) and Fla. Stat. 1002.33(7)(a)(8); Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act; Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as applicable.
E 3.0 Open Enrollment Period
Purpose
The purpose of the Open Enrollment Period is to allow every family an equal opportunity to enroll in the school.
Notice
The dates for Open Enrollment will be publicly noticed on the school’s website with a delineated beginning and ending date. The Open Enrollment Period begins at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, January 10, 2024, and closes at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, March 22, 2024. All applications submitted within the Open Enrollment Period will have an equal opportunity for admission, regardless of whether they are submitted on the first day or the last day of Open Enrollment. The lottery for all grades will be conducted on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, at 9:00 a.m.
Requirements for Submission of Application
Residency
Students must reside in Pasco County or any county with which Pasco County has an interdistrict agreement, including Hillsborough County and Hernando County. While Classical Preparatory School does not verify residency at the lottery application stage, those submitting an enrollment application are advised that students cannot enroll until residency is established with required documentation.
Age Requirements for Kindergartners and First Graders
Kindergarten
Students entering kindergarten must be 5 years old on or before September 1st of the school year. If a student attended a private school or was homeschooled for kindergarten and will not be 6 years old on or before September 1st, then the student will be eligible for kindergarten only.
First Grade
First graders who will be 6 years old on or before September 1st shall be eligible for admission to the 1st grade. Students who have completed kindergarten at a private school or were homeschooled for kindergarten and who are 6 years old on or before September 1st shall be eligible for admission to the 1st grade. A letter/report card from a private school or a homeschool evaluation in compliance with Florida law stating satisfactory completion of kindergarten must be presented at the time of registration.
Exceptions
Exceptions to the age requirement for admission to first grade for children attending kindergarten out-of-state will be permitted if the student meets the age requirement for public kindergarten admission from the transferring state and has successfully completed kindergarten.
Submission of Lottery Application
An online lottery application, submitted via Lotterease, will be available online for submission electronically. Only parents or legal guardians can fill out a lottery application.
If a parent or legal guardian lacks access to the internet, they can contact the school at (813) 803-7903 for further assistance.
A lottery application must be completed for each child. Incomplete applications will not be accepted. All deadlines for the Open Enrollment Period must be met.
Electronic Signature
The creation of a Lotterease account by a parent or guardian indicates that the person has read, understood, and agreed to all of the terms and conditions required for enrollment and that all information provided on the application is true and correct.
In addition, the person is verifying that he or she has the legal authority to make educational decisions for the student. Any incorrect or false information provided in reference to the lottery application will be grounds for terminating the application.
Processing Applications After Open Enrollment if Grade is not at Capacity
If capacity is not reached after the established Open Enrollment Period, subsequent applications will be accepted and ordered based on the date the application was received and the preferences extended to the applicant. As seats become available, they will be offered to applicants according to this established order, until capacity is reached.
Processing Applications After Open Enrollment if Grade Is at Capacity
If grade level capacity is reached, applications are accepted on an ongoing basis and placed at the bottom of any existing waitlist until the waitlist is archived.
Parent/legal guardian Responsible for Ensuring Information Is Current
Once a lottery application is turned in and prior to registration, parents and legal guardians are responsible for ensuring that all information included in the application is up-to-date, including all contact information. If there is a change, please update your Lotterease account to reflect such changes so you can be informed about your child’s application status.
E 4.0 Lottery
Pursuant to Fla. Stat. 1002.33(10)(b), Classical Preparatory School shall enroll an eligible student who submits a timely application unless the number of applications exceeds the capacity of a program, class, grade level or building. In such cases, all applicants shall have an equal chance of being admitted through the random selection process detailed below.
Applications will be accepted each year during the Open Enrollment Period and continuously to maintain capacity in each grade level. The number of seats available will be determined by the number of students who recommit minus the capacity. This is in compliance with 1002.33(10)(b).
Process
The lottery will be generated by a third party contractor. All applicants with completed applications will be entered into the lottery. The available slots for each grade level will be filled in the order generated. When all open slots for each grade are filled, each remaining student will be assigned a waitlist number.
Preferences
Florida State Statute Enrollment Guidelines
Classical Preparatory School is a Pasco County Public Charter School of Choice governed by Florida State Statutes 1002.31 and 1002.33 with regards to enrollment guidelines.
PLEASE NOTE: These eligible student enrollment guidelines can change at any time by Classical Preparatory, Inc. Policy or by Florida State Statute.
Excerpt from FSS 1002.31 Controlled open enrollment; Public school parental choice.
(2)(a) Beginning by the 2017-2018 school year, as part of a school district’s or charter school’s controlled open enrollment process, and in addition to the existing public school choice programs provided in s. 1002.20(6)(a), each district school board or charter school shall allow a parent from any school district in the state whose child is not subject to a current expulsion or suspension to enroll his or her child in and transport his or her child to any public school, including charter schools, that has not reached capacity in the district, subject to the maximum class size pursuant to s.1003.03 and s. 1, Art. IX of the State Constitution. The school district or charter school shall accept the student, pursuant to that school district’s or charter school’s controlled open enrollment process, and report the student for purposes of the school district’s or charter school’s funding pursuant to the Florida Education Finance Program. A school district or charter school may provide transportation to students described under this section.
Excerpt from FSS 1002.33 Charter Schools.
(10) ELIGIBLE STUDENTS
(b) The charter school shall enroll an eligible student who submits a timely application, unless the number of applications exceeds the capacity of a program, class, grade level, or building. In such case, all applicants shall have an equal chance of being admitted through a random selection process
(d) A charter school may give enrollment preference to the following student populations: Please note, there are 7 student populations listed in the statute. Per Classical Preparatory School Policy, we give enrollment preference to the following:
- Students who are the children of a full-time employee of the charter school.
- Students who are the children of a member of the governing board of the charter school.
- Students who are siblings of a student currently enrolled in the charter school.
- Students who are the child of an active duty member of any branch of the United States Armed Forces.
Guidelines
All preference categories shall be published prior to the lottery being conducted.
All applicants entitled to receive a placement preference shall be identified PRIOR to the lottery.
Preference status entitles an applicant to be offered an available seat ahead of applicants without a preference status.
Each applicant will be granted preference twice during the lottery process for each school year. If an applicant with a preference category forfeits a spot for any reason, on two separate occasions, the ability to use a preference category for any subsequent lottery applications for the same school year will be denied and the applicant will be added to the waitlist in the same manner as an applicant with no preference category.
All applicants (students not currently attending Classical Prep) participate in the lottery irrespective of preference status. Siblings of current Classical Prep students must submit a lottery application and be offered a seat through the lottery process.
Preference Categories
All preferences shall be considered in the following hierarchy:
- Applicant child of a full-time employee of the school.
- Applicant child of a school charter board member.
- Applicant sibling of a currently attending student.
- Applicant child of an active duty member of any branch of the United States Armed Forces.
- Applicant sibling of an accepted and confirmed applicant applying for the same academic year.
For preference purposes, “sibling” is defined as:
- Siblings by birth;
- Step-siblings;
- Adopted and foster siblings; and
- Students who have the same legal guardian as an existing Classical Preparatory School student. Legal documents confirming the relationship may be required by the school as proof.
Sibling preference is offered only if the sibling resides in the same primary legal residence/household as the currently enrolled student.
E 5.0 Registration
Offer to Attend
Parents or legal guardians will be sent a letter with an offer for the applicant to accept a seat at the school. The letter will be sent by e-mail to the e-mail address that was provided to the school upon submission of the lottery application.
Acceptance/Declination of Offer to Attend
From the date of the lottery until July 14th, an accepted applicant will have three calendar days, starting from the date the offer was made, to respond to the offer letter via the internet either confirming their plans for attendance at the school or declining the offer. From July 15th until the lottery is archived, an accepted applicant will have two calendar days, starting from the date the offer was made, to respond to the offer letter via the internet. If the applicant fails to respond to the letter, in either the affirmative or the negative, the offered seat will be rescinded and offered to an applicant on the waiting list. At this time the child will automatically be removed from the lottery list. Should the applicant decide to accept the offered seat, they will receive a confirmation email within 24-48 hours of their response. The email will contain instructions for completing the enrollment and registration process.
Completion of Registration Paperwork to Finalize Registration
From the date of the lottery through July 14th, the accepted applicant will have five (5) business days from initial notification of an available spot to complete and submit the required registration paperwork and the necessary documentation. If these specified registration items are not submitted within the 5 day window, the applicant will lose their seat and be removed from the lottery list. From July 15th to when the lottery is archived, an accepted applicant will have (2) two business days from initial notification of an available spot to complete and submit the required registration paperwork and necessary documentation. If these specified registration items are not submitted within the 2-day window, the applicant will lose their seat and be removed from the lottery list.
Once the registration paperwork is received, Classical Preparatory School may request additional information to ensure all required services can be provided by the School. Classical Preparatory School is a part of the District School Board of Pasco County. Not all Pasco County schools offer the same services. If the applicant requires services that are not offered, the school district will assist the charter school, the student and the family in identifying the best placement for success.
E 6.0 Waitlist
Applications Received After Open Enrollment Period
If an Application is received after the Open Enrollment Period and there are no open spots for that particular program, class, or grade level, the applicant will be placed on the bottom of the current waitlist.
Applications Not Selected during Lottery
Students who do not receive placement during the random public lottery, will be placed on a waiting list to enroll should space become available. Parents will be notified by email at the email address given when their Lotterease account was created. Waitlist ranking will be assigned in the order selected. Students may be placed in any newly available seats even after the new school year begins.
Parents/Legal Guardians Responsible for Keeping Contact Information Current
Parents and legal guardians of students on the waitlist are responsible for ensuring that contact information is current in their Lotterease account. Applicants that cannot be reached via email will be removed from the waitlist.
Waitlist Does Not Roll Over From One Year to the Next
The waitlist is only active for one school year and does not roll over from one year to the next.
Re-Enrollment for Current Students
Parents of currently enrolled students will be notified in advance of the re-enrollment period, which will take place over the course of 7 school days. The re-enrollment dates will be determined by the Board. During the re-enrollment period, parents must confirm their intentions to have their child(ren) attend Classical Preparatory School for the following school year. If a parent does not complete the re-enrollment process during the given time period, their child’s seat will not be reserved for the following school year. Any child that does not have a seat reserved during the re-enrollment period will need to go through the lottery process to gain admission to Classical Preparatory School for the following school year if they wish to attend. Siblings of currently enrolled students do not apply through re-enrollment. They must complete the lottery application process during Open Enrollment and be given the applicable preference per these Policies.
Once current students have registered for the next school year, class size will determine the need for subsequent marketing efforts. Communication with prospective students will be generated as appropriate.
Applicants Accepted During the School Year
During the school year, once enrollment paperwork is submitted to Classical Preparatory School staff, the newly enrolled student must begin attending classes at Classical Prep within (5) five school days. Failure to do so will result in the child’s seat being revoked and offered to the next student on the waitlist.
