A Community of Learners

Number of new students to be admitted to the school: 242

 

Spectrum Academy is a tuition-free public charter school now accepting applications for students K-12. 

• After the online application is complete, an email confirmation will be sent to the email associated with the application within 72 hours.

• Completion and submission of an enrollment application does not guarantee admission to, or constitute acceptance in, Spectrum Academy. Please be sure to fill out ALL appropriate information and requested fields before you submit the application. Be sure to double check grades, phone numbers, and email addresses. It is imperative that all information is complete and accurate.

• Once the Lottery is complete (January) you will be notified by email of your students status. 

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If you have further questions please review our policy below or contact the Spectrum Academy Campus you selected in the Lottery application.

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Non-Discriminatory Policy

The Spectrum Academy admits students of any race, color, gender, national or ethnic origin, and honors all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded to, or made available to, students in the school. The Spectrum Academy does not discriminate on basis of race, color, gender, national or ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admission policies, and athletic and other school administered programs, nor employment.

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Open Application Period

The application form can be completed on the school’s website during the open application period. Submission of an application does not guarantee admission of any student nor does it bind the Guardian to enroll the student. This application is required during the open application period to enable the student to be included in the lottery. Only students that are determined to be exempt from the lottery due to Enrollment Preference will be able to complete the registration process during the open application period. 

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Enrollment Preference

As provided for in the Federal lottery requirements, students of founding board members, students of teachers, and siblings of students currently enrolled or selected in the lottery will be given enrollment preference. These students will be exempt from the lottery. 

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Lottery Policy 

As required by Federal Charter School Program, Spectrum Academy will conduct a lottery if applications received during the open application period exceed the number of spaces available in the school. Guardians must complete their student’s (s) open application within the specified open application period to have their student included in the lottery. 

The date, time, and location of the Lottery will be publicized on the Spectrum Academy website. Guardians are not required to attend the lottery but are welcome to attend. The lottery will be conducted by a school administrator and will be attended by a founding board member and one outside observer, as is required by the lottery regulations. 

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Student Selection Process

All students who applied for the lottery during the application period, and who are eligible to enroll, will be included in the lottery drawing. Guardians will be notified of their student’s (s) selection in the lottery by an emailed offer of enrollment no later than two (2) business days after the lottery is conducted. The Guardian must notify the school of their acceptance within the time line specified in the letter. See the sections on Notification of Acceptance of Offer of Enrollment and Completing the Registration Process for important information about deadlines and instructions on accepting an offer of enrollment and completing the registration process.

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Students Not Selected In the Lottery

Lottery eligible students that were not selected in the lottery are notified within 2 business days of their status by email. Students that were not selected are added to one of three waiting lists for priority in enrolling once a space is available. The students may still be able to enroll as space becomes available.

Founder/Teacher Preference List: The children of founding board members and/or the children of teachers who were not exempt from the lottery process, and who were also not accepted in the lottery, will be placed on a Founder/Teacher Preference List. These students will be given the first opportunity to enroll if space becomes. As with the regular lottery process, students on this list with the lowest lottery number will be placed first.

Sibling Preference List: Siblings of students accepted in the lottery for whom space was not available during the initial lottery will be placed on a Sibling Preference List. These students will be made an offer of enrollment if/when space becomes available, after students on the Founder/Teacher Preference List. As with the regular lottery process, students on this list with the lowest lottery number will be placed first.

Priority List: Other students who were in the lottery, but who were not accepted, will be placed on a Priority List. If a space becomes available, and there are no students from the Founder/Teacher Preference List or the Sibling Preference List who accept an offer of enrollment the space will be offered to the student on the Priority List with the lowest lottery number.

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Notification of Acceptance of Offer of Enrollment

When a space becomes available for a student, the Guardian will receive an offer of enrollment. The Guardian will have 3 days to respond with their acceptance of this offer. The Guardian may respond via email to accept the offer of enrollment. If a Guardian cannot be contacted or is non-responsive to an offer within the designated time period, the available space may be offered to another waiting student. It is the Guardian’s responsibility to keep the school well informed of any changes to their contact information. Response deadlines are calculated from the first attempted contact.

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Completing the Registration Process

Guardians who accept admission are provided with access to complete the registration process as well as a firm deadline for submission of all registration materials. If the designated registration deadline is not met, the available space may be forfeited and offered to another waiting student. Students who forfeit the enrollment slot will be able to enroll once added to the Priority List and as space is made available.

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Transferring Between Campuses

Policy for Student Transfer Within the Local Education Agency 1. Students selected for enrollment in the Lottery must enroll in the school and grade in which they are offered placement. If a student is drawn for enrollment at both locations within the LEA, they may enroll in the location of their choosing. 2. Student transfers within the LEA are not permitted during the first year of enrollment at Spectrum Academy. 3. Transfer requests must be made to the school in which the student is currently enrolled. This can be done by contacting the front office. 4. Transfer requests must be approved by administration. 5. Transfers are dependent on space available in the desired school and grade. 6. School officials will communicate with each other regarding the transfer request. Families will be notified if the request is approved by the school. Any family or person seeking to circumvent the process by attempting to “trade” spots with another student, contacting the desired school directly, attempting enrollment by failing to disclose existing enrollment at a Spectrum Academy school, or any other method contrary to this policy will automatically have their request for transfer denied and could lose placement at all schools within the LEA. 7. If a student transfers within the LEA they do so with the understanding that their place at the original school will be filled by another student on the waiting list. 8. Once transferred, no other transfer within the LEA request will be approved during that school year.

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Transferring To/From Another District

"Students currently attending a school in their district of residence who wish to enroll at Spectrum Academy must enter the lottery prior to the lottery date (usually in February of each year) to be considered for enrollment for the next school year.  Please see our lottery policy for details on this process.

 

Students currently attending Spectrum Academy who wish to unenroll and return to their district of residence or other school, must first get verification from their district school that they have a vacancy and agree to the enrollment (if the school year has already started).  Once approval is received, parents need to fill out a withdrawal form, which can be obtained in the office of each school.  If the reason for withdrawal is to homeschool, Spectrum Academy must send notice of this to the district of residence."

  

Definitions

Application – A form completed by the caretaker (parent/legal guardian) to enable the student to be in the lottery.  The application form can be completed on the school’s website during the open application period, or by calling the school at 888-410-6502. The caretaker is required to provide the following information on the application: student name, requested grade in school, date of birth, mailing address, names of siblings applying for or already attending this school, parent/guardian (caretaker) name, telephone number, email address.

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Applicant – During the application period, students who make an application to be in the lottery.

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Accepted Students – Students selected in the lottery.

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Enrollment – This is the first day a student is in school. It is not the day on which the student applies to the lottery, nor is it the day when the student is selected in the lottery.

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Enrolled Student – A student who receives and accepts an offer of enrollment, and completes all enrollment tasks by the designated deadline.

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Exempt Students – As allowed for in the Federal Charter School Program guidelines, children of founding board members and teachers (as defined) may be exempt from the lottery. Per Federal lottery guidelines, exempted children of founding board members and teachers may not make up more than 5% of total enrolled students. 

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Final Grade Placement – The grade requested for an applicant and the final grade placement once the student is enrolled may be different based on the review of report cards/transcripts and/or placement tests. 

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Founding Board Members – This group is limited to only those on the list submitted to the state.

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Preference Lists – Groups of students who will be given enrollment preference in the lottery.  Students on  these lists may include siblings of enrolled students, siblings of students enrolled in the previous year, children of founding board members, and children of teachers.    

1. Founder/Teacher Preference List – This list is comprised of children of founding board members and/or teachers (as defined) who were not exempt from the lottery  and not accepted in the lottery, but who submitted an application prior to the application deadline. These students are given first preference to enroll if/when a space in their grade becomes available. 

2. Sibling Preference List – Applicants who were in the lottery, who were not accepted, but whose sibling was accepted and completed the enrollment tasks by the deadline, and enrolled, will be offered a space in the school based on availability in their grade and on their lottery number. For example:  Five students are selected in the lottery.  Each of these students has a sibling who wants a 3rd grade space. However, only one 3rd grade space becomes available. The sibling in 3rd grade with the lowest lottery number would get the space. The other students will remain on the Sibling Preference List and will be placed as above if additional space become available. Students on the Sibling Preference List will be given priority to enroll after students on the Founder/Teacher Preference List.

3. Priority Students – Students who were in the lottery but whose number was too high for them to be offered a space in the school. These students are given third priority to enroll, after Founder/Teacher Preference List students and Sibling Preference List students. 

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Registration Package – Enrollment package provided by the school to students accepted in the lottery.

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Resident – A student is defined as a “resident” if, at the time of application, the student currently resides in Utah, or is a member of a military family living outside the state that claims Utah as its state of residence.

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Sibling – A sibling of an accepted student who has been selected in the lottery.  Note that a sibling who is not selected in the lottery, but who wishes to be placed on the Preferred List as a sibling to an accepted student, must have made an application to the lottery by the application deadline.

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Teacher – Certified to teach in Utah and has a teaching assignment with the school.