Charter School Enrollment Season Is Here: Best Practice Tips For Applying

Charter School Enrollment: What I Wish I Knew Before Applying

Enrollment Season for Charter Schools Starts in the Fall for the Next Academic Year (2026-2027) Inside tips from School Discovery Network founder Inga Cotton.

Today’s educational landscape requires serious research for parents to fully understand the wide range of learning options available for students. Navigating the application waters can seem like a game of musical chairs—and being prepared when the music stops is key. School Discovery Network (formerly San Antonio Charter Moms) has done the homework to ease anxiety and confusion and to guide parents and caregivers in securing at least one high-quality school that will be a good fit for their learner. Follow these tips to increase your chances of a successful application process.

PLAN AHEAD, APPLY EARLY

Completing a charter school application need not be daunting. The forms are short, simple, and require no fee. However, when families apply can make all the difference in determining one’s best chances of receiving one, or ideally, multiple offers, before schools receive more applications than they can accommodate for a given school year. The most important first step in achieving success is to begin the process early, early, early.

• 9–12 months before the start of school: Research school options, develop a shortlist of schools that meet your needs, and make note of open enrollment start and end dates as well as lottery details. Sign up on interest lists and follow social media accounts to receive notifications of important deadlines.
• 6–9 months before the start of school: Submit applications to all schools on your wish list during their respective open enrollment periods for entry into the admissions lottery. Applications received after open enrollment periods are added to the bottom of the waiting list.
• 3–6 months before the start of school: Monitor application feedback for offers of enrollment or waitlist placement. Consider any enrollment offers while continuing to gather school information, keeping in mind that waitlist positions may improve as others ahead in line decline offers.
• 0–3 months before the start of school: You will hopefully have received at least one offer that fits your criteria. Once you make a final decision, be sure to promptly decline any previously accepted offers.

DEVELOP A STRATEGY

Challenging factors come into play when applying for charter school enrollment. Apart from children of employees and siblings of current students, the lotteries are completely random. Waitlists can be overwhelmingly long and do not roll over year to year, requiring families to re-apply annually. While frustrating, there are strategies for gaining more control and stacking the odds in your favor.

• Apply for a school’s starting grade and during transition years. Your child’s best chance to enroll in a K–12 public charter school is to apply for kindergarten, as opposed to first grade where most of those slots will be filled by reenrolling students. Applying for middle and high school transition grades (sixth and ninth)—junctures when students commonly switch schools—can also open opportunities.
• Apply to multiple schools. We recommend submitting three to five applications to improve your chances of receiving at least one enrollment offer in time for the start of the school year. You can accept an offer from your second choice while hoping your child will move up the waitlist at your first choice.
• Respond quickly. A public charter school will typically mass email on lottery day notifying families about their enrollment or waitlist status. As the first day of school approaches—and passes—schools will ask for a faster response to offers, oftentimes within a day or two. Prepare your paperwork, including a birth certificate and proof of residency such as a utility bill. Nimble parents who proactively monitor their student’s application status will be ready to act when schools communicate with them.

TAP TRUSTED RESOURCES

School Discovery Network exists to help parents make informed decisions when searching for the best program that fits their child’s educational needs. These resources are for you!

• School Discovery Network Map: Find education options in your area on our website and School Guide app.
• School Discovery Network School Discovery Days: School Discovery Network hosts multiple events around the city that connect families with dozens of schools in one convenient location.
• School Discovery Network Facebook Discussion Group: Join the conversation of more than 15,000 parents helping parents.

About School Discovery Network (Formerly San Antonio Charter Moms)

School Discovery Network (formerly San Antonio Charter Moms) began as a blog in 2012 when Founder and Executive Director Inga Cotton was inspired to help San Antonio families more easily find good information about high-quality school options, especially new open-enrollment public charter schools coming to the area. Since 2018, School Discovery Network has been a 501(c)(3) nonprofit committed to empowering parents, caregivers, and policy makers via trusted, unbiased information on all types of local choice schools and their learning models. Through their robust presence on a variety of digital platforms and live events, School Discovery Network offers resources and discussion groups for finding and applying to schools, interviews and seminars with education experts, one-on-one school search consultations, the annual School Discovery Days event series, and education news updates. School Discovery Network creates a welcoming community where families can make sense of the increasingly diverse education landscape and find the best, affordable education every child deserves.  For more information, visit schooldiscoverynetwork.org or follow them on Facebook, their Facebook group, Instagram, X, YouTube, LinkedIn and TikTok.