Lottery Policy for Terra Academy
Federal and State laws prohibit the selection process from discriminating against anyone regarding religion, gender, race, national origin, color, disability or age. This policy is in compliance with current Utah State Code and Rule.
General Lottery Procedure
Terra Academy will conduct an open enrollment period annually from October 15 through March 1, during which time advertising of the school will occur within the community. Families will be able to attend a new student orientation in order to better understand the mission, expectations and programs of the school, and enrollment for the lottery will be done electronically through the school’s website. The lottery process will be complete by mid-June, as determined by school administration. The lottery procedure will be as follows:
- Under Utah code 53G-6-502 returning students and siblings of returning students will be given preferential enrollment on a space available basis.
- Any siblings not given preferential enrollment due to space unavailability will be placed at the top of the wait list based on their original lottery number.
- If there are additional seats available and more students applying than available seats, a lottery will be held.
- Each student applying will receive a number through a random lottery.
- Available seats (50 students per grade) will be filled starting with twelfth grade and working down through kindergarten.
- Siblings of students selected in the general lottery will be granted sibling preference in compliance with Utah Code 53G-6-502 or placed on the sibling priority list. Students who gain enrollment via sibling preference will maintain such preference as long as the originally selected sibling remains enrolled at the school for one full school year.
- The sibling priority list will be compiled based on original lottery number.
- Students that have been on the waiting list for one or more consecutive years, will be given preference based on the number of years on the waiting list and original lottery number. This preference will only be given after all sibling preferences have been granted.
- Students selected in the lottery have one business day after notification to respond by email, pone call, or in person. Students who do not respond within one business day forfeit their enrollment spot and can re-apply for the lottery during the next annual open enrollment period or be placed at the bottom of the waitlist for the current year.
- Students not selected in the lottery or on the sibling preference list will be placed on the waiting list after sibling preferences in order of lottery selection number.
In compliance with Utah Code 53G-6-502 the following categories of prospective students receive enrollment preference, not to exceed five percent of maximum enrollment which only applies to students and/or grandchildren of founders and children of full time teachers/staff:
- Students and/or grandchildren of Founding Members. Founding Members are defined as those who have actively participated in the development of the school as determined by the founding board.
- Students enrolled the previous year.
- Siblings of students currently enrolled.
- Children of full-time teachers and other staff as allowed by law.
Exceptions to Enrollment Preference
Terra Academy recognizes that it is not in the best interest of a child to be moved from school to school. Unnecessary change can cause lack of continuity in curriculum and can hamper a feeling of community for the child and family. For that reason exceptions to the enrollment preference list are as follows:
- Children of founding members who leave the school will not be given priority if they return unless there are extenuating circumstances such as, but not limited to, family illness or military duty. Such situations will be reviewed by the Governing Board on a case basis.
- Students who leave the school, and have a remaining sibling, will not be put on the sibling preference list if they wish to return. They may participate in the general lottery.