Vision Academy Charter School (VACS) is open to all scholars.
Interested parents/guardians must complete and submit an application form online at https://vacharter.schoolmint.net/signin. The application process is straightforward, requesting basic biographical information (e.g., name, age), contact details, and other pertinent facts (e.g., current school, school district of residence). For those needing assistance, the school will make staff available to help parents or guardians complete the application.
New Scholar Applications
- Applications for the 2025-26 school year will be accepted during the “open enrollment” period from July 21, 2024, to July 31, 2025.
- Applications submitted during this period will apply to the 2025-2026 school year (e.g., an application submitted in October 2024 applies to the 2025-2026 school year).
- Interested parents/guardians will complete and submit the application form online here (and at VACS and open houses at accessible community locations). The application requests basic biographical and contact information and other relevant details (e.g., current school, school district of residence).
Admission Unconditioned by Immigration Status:
- A child’s right to be admitted to school is not contingent upon their immigration status. Vision Academy Charter School does not require immigration status documentation as part of the admission process. All children who meet the residency requirements and submit the necessary paperwork are entitled to enroll.
- School staff will assist parents or guardians in completing the application if needed.
Current Scholar Re-Enrollment
- The re-enrollment process for current VACS students will begin on January 8, 2025, and end on January 29, 2025.
- Current scholars will retain their seats until graduation, provided they submit a re-enrollment form by the assigned deadline.
- Please submit the re-enrollment form by the deadline (January 29, 2025) to avoid the loss of the guaranteed spot for the following school year.
- Parents/guardians must fill out a separate re-enrollment form for each student.
- Siblings of current students (including blood, foster, step, and adoptive siblings) will receive preference in the enrollment lottery over non-sibling applicants.
Enrollment Preferences (In Order)
- Returning VACS scholars
- Siblings of currently enrolled VACS scholars
- Children of the founding group and employees
- Scholars residing in the William Penn School District
- Scholars residing in districts other than William Penn
Lottery Process, Rules, and Procedures
- If the number of applicants exceeds available seats, a manual or electronic lottery will be conducted to create a list of accepted scholars and a waitlist.
- The lottery will be conducted on Friday, February 14, 2025, at 5:00 PM. Attendance is encouraged but optional.
- Each applicant is assigned a number, which will be used to identify them in the lottery.
- Only applications received before February 14, 2025, will be included in the lottery. Applications received after this date will be placed on the waiting list.
- Scholars residing in the William Penn School District will have preference over scholars from other districts, ensuring that the charter school serves the immediate community first.
Waiting List Information
- VACS maintains a waiting list for all grades based on the lottery outcome.
- The waiting list is renewed annually after each lottery. Applicants must reapply each calendar year to secure a spot on the waiting list (i.e., applications do not carry over to the next school year).
- When a scholar is selected through the lottery, the parent/guardian will receive a notification requesting specific paperwork by a set deadline. If your child is on the waiting list, please be patient, as the number of available spots typically becomes clear later in the summer.
- Applications received after the “open” enrollment period will be accepted on a “first-come, first-served” basis, but only after the lottery-generated waiting list has been exhausted.
Registration Process
- All applicants offered a seat (i.e., those selected in the lottery) must affirmatively respond to the offer within 5 days and submit the required documentation by the assigned deadline (within 14 days of the offer).
- Offers made to families who do not accept the offer on School Mint within 14 days, or who fail to complete and submit all necessary paperwork within the 14-day window, will be retracted, and the seat will be offered to the next student on the waiting list.
- Once the required documentation is completed, students will be enrolled by the next business day or within five business days to ensure timely access to education.
- Required documentation for registration includes:
- Parent Registration Statement
- Parent ID
- Proof of Student Age
- Two Forms of Proof of Residency
- Immunization Records Required by Law
- Home Language Survey Administration: All students enrolling for the first time must complete a Home Language Survey to identify the primary language spoken at home and assess the need for additional language support. This is part of the Enrollment Packet and helps ensure appropriate language services are provided to each student.
Limitations on Additional Information
If any additional information is requested beyond proof of age, immunizations, proof of residency, parent’s registration statement, and the home language survey, it will not be used to prevent or delay a student’s admission.
Special Education Admission
Vision Academy Charter School complies with federal Child Find requirements (34 CFR 300.111), which mandate a process for identifying, locating, and evaluating students with disabilities. VACS will conduct awareness activities to inform the public of its special education services and programs and the procedures for requesting these services. Information will be published in the school handbook and on the school website.
Students enrolling for the first time will be screened by a team of teachers (including regular and special education teachers) to identify any need for specialized or intensive education programs or a referral to the student’s home district. Strategies will be implemented to address any student’s identified special needs.