Enrollment Process

SIZER ENROLLMENT POLICY

Sizer School (North Central Charter Essential School) will enroll students in accordance with all state rules and regulations, including the new requirements relating to charter school enrollment contained in the amended Charter School Statute, M.G.L. c. 71, § 89, and the Charter School Regulations, 603 CMR 1.00.

1. Definitions

Terms in this document shall have the following meanings:

Enrollment Policy:The document that clearly communicates Sizer’ adherence to applicable laws and regulations with the objective of creating a transparent and fair enrollment process.

Application: Sizer calls their application “The Intent to Enroll Form” and this is the primary document/form used to make a request for admission to the school.

Applicant: Someone who formally asks (applies) for admission to the school.

Accepted: An applicant who has been formally offered admission to Sizer.

Admitted: An applicant who has accepted an offer of admission from Sizer.

Enrolled: A student is considered to be enrolled at Sizer if an offer of admission is made and an acceptance is received in accordance with the Sizer enrollment policy. After the student is enrolled, Sizer will determine through placement testing provided to all students, whether the student needs to be placed in a grade other than the one for which he/she applied. If this is the case, Sizer will provide a space in the appropriate grade.

Attending: A student is considered to be attending Sizer if s/he is physically present in school during the school year.

2. Description of the Eligibility Criteria for Enrollment

Sizer is a free public school open to all eligible students. Eligibility means:

• Grades: Sizer enrolls students entering grades 7-12 (M.G.L. Chapter 71, Section 89(m); 603 CMR 1.06(1); 603 CMR 1.06(8)). Applicants submitting an application for the 7^th grade must have successfully completed the 6^th grade before enrolling.

• Residents:A student must be a resident of Massachusetts at the time of application to be eligible for Sizer’ enrollment process. Eligible students must be a resident of the city, or town in which Sizer is located (Fitchburg) or reside in the districts of the region served by Sizer at the time of application (Ashburnham-Westminster, Clinton, Fitchburg, Gardner, Leominster, Lunenburg, Nashoba, North Middlesex, and Wachusett). Residents of the districts served by Sizer are given preference for admission over non-resident students (M.G.L. Chapter 71, Section 89(m); 603 CMR 1.06(4)(a)). Residents enrolled in district, charter, private, or parochial schools get equal preference. Residency is determined by where the child actual lives, irrespective of guardianship, custody, and domicile. A student who lives for part of the time in Sizer’ preference region is given preference.

• Non-residents: Are students who live within Massachusetts but outside the city or town in which the charter school is located. For regional charter schools, like Sizer, non-resident students are those students who live outside of the school districts specified in the school’s charter. All applicants must be residents of Massachusetts at the time of the lottery in order to apply for admission to attend Sizer. If the student’s residency changes to outside of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the student is no longer eligible to attend Sizer.

• Proof of residency: Sizer requires applicants to provide proof of residency except in the case of homeless students. Examples of reasonable proof include utility bills, signed leases, etc.

• Homeless Students: Per state law, homeless students will not be required to provide any documents proving residency, guardianship or that are normally required for enrollment.

If a student does not meet eligibility criteria, the family will be notified by email or mail.

Please note that Sizer does not administer tests to potential applicants or predicate enrollment on results from any test of ability or achievement (603 CMR 1.06(2)).

Sizer does not require potential students or their families to attend interviews or informational meetings as a condition of enrollment (603 CMR 1.06(2)), however, it is strongly encouraged that applicants’ families attend at least one information session. These sessions give families a better understanding of what Sizer has to offer and if a session is located at the school, families will have the opportunity to take a tour.

Sizer does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, creed, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, mental or physical disability, age, ancestry, athletic performance, special need, proficiency in the English language or a foreign language, or prior academic achievement in admitting students (M.G.L. Chapter 71, Section 89(m); 603 CMR 1.06(1)).

3. Application Process

Applicants must submit an Intent to Enroll Form (application) no later than 5p.m. if the form is the paper version and by 11:59 p.m. for the electronic version the day before the lottery. Lottery dates can be found on the Sizer website calendar: www.ncces.org, or can be requested from the school in person or over the phone: (978) 345-2701. Applications can also be found on the school’s website but may also be requested in person or to be sent via mail or email. The application does not require dual parent/guardian signatures.

Applications will be accepted for the first lottery beginning in January of the starting school year. Sizer will accept new applications, at least annually, for any grade level that the school may wish to admit students even if a waitlist exists. This allows eligible students that may be able to exercise enrollment preference (sibling or residency) to join the waiting list in the appropriate position. This also gives the school an opportunity to backfill seats for all grade levels for which the school is required.

Sizer will implement a student recruitment and retention plan as outlined in M.G.L. Chapter 71, Section 89(f); CMR 603 1.05(f). The school’s recruitment and retention plan can be found in their Annual Report. This plan includes advertising through various newspapers and in all public libraries in the region.

Information Sessions dates will be posted on the Sizer website calendar: www.ncces.org, or can be requested from the school in person or over the phone: (978) 345-2701.

Shadowing Sizer Students: Student interested in attending Sizer in the fall may choose to shadow one of our current students for the school day. Shadow Days are held by appointment only through the central office: (978) 345-2701.

**All visiting students MUST bring a copy of their immunization record before they can be allowed entry to the school.**

4. Enrollment Lottery

By law, Sizer will hold a lottery to determine which students to admit if there are more applications received than seats available 603 CMR 1.06(4)(a). Every time the admissions lottery takes place, the process will be fair and all rules will be consistently applied. Each lottery is conducted in public and will be held at Sizer, 500 Rindge Rd, Fitchburg, MA 01420 (603 CMR 1.06(6)).

Sizer is chartered for up to 400 seats. Before beginning the admissions process, Sizer will take the following steps:

• Sizer will determine the spaces available in each grade based on the school’s capacity by the first enrollment lottery for that school year.

• As soon as Sizer learns of further openings at each grade level, they will notify applicants on the waitlist and offer them admission.

• Sizer will post all deadlines for accepting student applications on the Sizer website calendar (www.ncces.org) at least one month before the deadline. 603 CMR 1.06(3). These dates can also be requested from the school in person or over the phone: (978) 345-2701.

• Sizer will set a date for the lottery with reasonable public notice given at least one week prior to the lottery. 603 CMR 1.06(7). These dates will be posted on the Sizer website calendar (www.ncces.org), or can be requested from the school in person or over the phone: (978) 345-2701.

• Applicants, who are offered admission to Sizer more than 30 days prior to the first day of school, will have 30 days to accept this offer. If accepted less than 30 days prior to the first day of school or after school has begun, applicants will have one week to accept their offer of admission.

• Sizer will set the actual date of enrollment and post it on the Sizer website calendar (www.ncces.org). This date will also be mailed or emailed to all new students and can also be requested from the school in person or over the phone: (978) 345-2701.

Sizer will conduct their enrollment lottery(ies) in public, with a disinterested party drawing the student names. 603 CMR 1.06(7). (A “disinterested” person is someone who is not affiliated with the school.) Parents are allowed to opt out of having their child(ren)’s names publicly used. The dates, times and locations of Sizer’ enrollment lotteries will be posted on the school’s website calendar: www.ncces.org, or can be requested from the school in person or over the phone: (978) 345-2701.

Sibling Preference - Siblings of students who are currently attending Sizer at the time of the lottery are given preference for admission over non-siblings (603 CMR 1.06(4)(a)). Siblings are defined as children who share a common biological or legal guardian as opposed to children who live in the same household but do not share a common parent.

• Children of employees and board members have no enrollment preference over any other student and it is illegal for Sizer to give them preference.

• Previously enrolled students have no enrollment preference over any other student and it is illegal for Sizer to give them preference.

Sizer will hold two lotteries: one for siblings and residents, and one for non-residents. Even after all spaces in the school are filled through a lottery, Sizer will continue to draw the names of all students who apply and place the names of students not selected for an available space on a waiting list in the order the names were drawn from each category. 603 CMR 1.06(4)(d); 603 CMR 1.06(7). Sizer will keep accurate records of our waitlist containing, the names, home addresses, telephone numbers, and grade levels of students who entered the lottery but did not gain admission (603 CMR 1.06(4)(f)).

Therefore, first preference in admission is given to siblings of those students actually attending the charter school at the time of the lottery. If the school has not reached capacity after admitting all eligible siblings, then it must admit residents and, if still not at capacity, then non-residents.

If the principle enrollment process fails to fill all the available slots, Sizer will repeat the process, provided that the school completes all enrollment processes and submits the Pre-Enrollment Report to the Charter School Office by the specified deadline. 603 CMR 1.06(6); 603 CMR 1.09(4).

Those students for whom enrollment in Sizer would cause the sending district to exceed their 9% tuition cap will not be offered admission but will remain on the waiting list. If those students are siblings of students currently in attendance at the school, the state may pay the child’s tuition, subject to appropriation (M.G.L. Chapter 71, Section 89(i); 603 CMR 1.06(4)(e)).

A student is considered to be enrolled at Sizer if an offer of admission is made and an acceptance is received in accordance with the Sizer enrollment policy. After the student is enrolled, Sizer will determine through placement testing provided to all students, whether the student needs to be placed in a grade other than the one for which he/she applied. If this is the case, Sizer will provide a space in the appropriate grade.

Once a student is enrolled at Sizer, that student has a right to continue attending the school. This right to continued attendance exists even if the student’s district of residence within the Commonwealth changes. The only exception to this rule would be if the new district of residence is at or above its net school spending cap and, for that reason, the school would not receive a per pupil tuition for that student.

5. Admittance

After a lottery occurs prospective families will be notified regarding their status. Applicants, who are offered admission to Sizer more than 30 days prior to the first day of school, will have 30 days to accept this offer. If accepted less than 30 days prior to the first day of school or after school has begun, applicants will have one week to accept their offer of admission.

Sizer will request the following paperwork from families and will send this request along with the acceptance letter:

• Commitment paperwork

• All information requested in the application and commitment paperwork, such as language spoken at home or race/ethnicity, is not intended and will not be used to discriminate (M.G.L. Chapter 71, Section 89(m); 603 CMR 1.06(2)).

• Most current report card/transcript

• Most current attendance record (sometimes this is on the report card/transcript)

• Copy of discipline records (If applicant does not have a discipline record he/she must provide us verification from his/her current school on school letterhead.)

• Copy of IEP/504, if applicable

• Most current record of immunizations (doctor’s office may fax it to us as well: 978-345-9127)

• Proof of residence

Please note that although this paperwork is required for attending school, neglecting to submit it will not jeopardize your enrollment status (i.e. you will not lose your spot at Sizer).

If a student declines admission they must reapply to be considered again for enrollment.

Students accepted to enter grades 11 and 12 will be scheduled to meet with the guidance counselor. Students with special needs will be scheduled to meet with the Director of Special Education. All admitted students will take a placement test to determine their schedule for optimal personalization. If the test determines the student needs to be placed in a grade other than the one for which he/she applied, Sizer will provide a space in the appropriate grade. Once dates of the placement test are known, flyers will be mailed to families, dates will be posted on the Sizer website calendar: www.ncces.org, and can be requested from the school in person or over the phone: (978) 345-2701. Please note that Sizer does not administer tests to potential applicants or predicate enrollment on results from any test of ability or achievement (603 CMR 1.06(2)).

At the end of July or beginning of August families will receive the “Summer Mailing,” a large packet of paperwork needed for the start of the school year. This mailing provides a form for students and parents to consent or deny disclosure of student information (M.G.L. Chapter 71, Section 89(g)). This mailing also informs families that upon request of a school district from which Sizer enrolls students; the school is obligated by the state of Massachusetts to provide the names and addresses of students to a third party mail house for mailings unless the parent requests that the school withhold their child’s information. Each district shall be permitted to supply a mailing to the third party mail house and pay for it to be copied and mailed to families of students from said district enrolled in the commonwealth charter school (M.G.L. Chapter 71, Section 89(g)(n)).

6. Waiting List

All applicants not selected in an enrollment lottery are placed on a waiting list in the order the names were selected while also taking into account sibling and resident preference (603 CMR 1.06(4)(d)).

If a student stops attending Sizer or declines admission, the next available student on the waitlist for that grade will be offered admission until the vacant seat is filled (M.G.L. Chapter 71, Section 89(n).

Students on the waiting list will be informed of an offer of admission by email and/or mail.

No student will be admitted ahead of other eligible students on the waiting list unless said student is either a sibling of a currently enrolled student or a resident of the charter school’s city or town (603 CMR 1.06(5)).

Sizer will not roll over waitlists from year to year and students on the waitlist will have to reapply in order to be considered for enrollment the following year. Sizer will make its best effort to remind students on the waitlist that their names will be removed at the end of the school year.

Sizer will keep accurate records of their waitlist containing, the names, home addresses, telephone numbers, and grade levels of students who entered the lottery but did not gain admission (603 CMR 1.06(4)(f)).

There are many scenarios in which a waitlisted student preference changes. Once a waitlisted student’s sibling begins attending a charter school, the waitlisted student will be entitled to a sibling preference, in the appropriate position on the waitlist. Any changes in residency or sibling status will precipitate a change in waitlist status.

Accurate residency information is required to receive a residency preference. If considerable time has passed since submitting proof of residency for the original lottery, in order to be entitled to a residence preference, students must resubmit proof of residency before any offer of admission can be made by the school.

7. Backfilling

When a student stops attending Sizer for any reason, the school will attempt to fill vacant seats up to February 15th, excluding seats in grades 10, 11, and 12. The backfilling benchmark is based on the number of attending students from the first day of the academic school year. For example, if on the first day of school, the ninth grade at Sizer had 75 attending students, the school would backfill any subsequent vacancies to maintain 75 students in that grade level. Seats for students who have accepted an offer of admission in the charter school but have never attended are exempt from (603 CMR 1.06(4)(d)).

Students who repeat a grade cannot be counted as backfilled students since they have not stopped attending the charter school and have not created a vacancy.

A vacancy not filled after February 15th moves into the subsequent grade, to be filled the following September if such grade is not grades 10, 11, or 12. If the grade does not have a statutory backfilling requirement, filling the vacancy is governed by the school’s enrollment policy and applicable laws and regulations regarding charter school enrollment.