If you are new to Charter Schools, you may not know that Westlake Charter School is a public, tuition-free school just like the school down the street. Charter Schools have flexibility in being able to offer individualized programs, and Westlake Charter School, offers Art, Spanish and Physical Education – instructed by credentialed teachers – to all students, starting in Kindergarten and continuing through 8th grade. Westlake Charter has the smallest class sizes in Natomas, and has been recognized by the California Department of Education for our Project Based Learning instructional model. Charter Schools are held to the same accountability measures as traditional schools, meaning that we need to make sure we are providing challenging programs and increasing the academic excellence of all of our students.
Our 2020/21 enrollment period begins on Monday, December 2, 2019 with the release of our application. Completed applications are due on or before Friday, January 31, 2020 at 4:00 PM. Applications will be available on this site or at joinwestlake.com. All applications will be completed digitally. Families can complete the application from home, or can come into the school office during business hours to receive application assistance.
Q: What information is required for the application?
A: To apply, no information is required other than a completed application. For the Free and Reduced Lunch preference, verification of the 2019 W2 must happen prior to the lottery. Birth certificates, immunizations, and other documents are not needed at this time.
Q: Can I mail or fax my application in?
A: No. All applications will be submitted online. Computers are available at our front office, as well as staff to assist in filling out the application.
Q: Can I take a tour of the campus?
A: We will have an open campus observation day on January 16th, 2020. There are 2 tour times: 9:00am and 1:00pm. Each guided tour takes approximately 1 hour. No appointment is necessary. Please make arrangements for childcare for your children as this is a parent only observation. We will also have an information night where application assistance will be available on January 16th at 6:00 PM.
Q: What is the age requirement for enrollment for kindergarten?
A: State law requires that incoming kindergarten students are 5 years of age on or before September 1, 2020. We will not be able to process any applications for students who don’t meet the state requirement.
Q: When is the lottery?
A: The lottery is scheduled for 5:00 pm on March 2, 2020. The lottery will be held at 2680 Mabry Drive, Sacramento, CA 95835. The public is welcome to attend; your presence is not required. Please make alternative arrangements for your children; there is no childcare available and the room must remain as disruption free as possible.
Q: If we are not able to attend the lottery how do we find out if our number is chosen?
A: Lottery results will be available after the lottery takes place on March 2. They will be available on the Lotterease website, and all families will receive email notification for the status of their applications. Lottery results will be posted on our website and at our campus on Tuesday, March 3.
Q: How many openings will you have in the lottery?
A: The only known openings will be 105 in kindergarten, and 2 in 4th grade. For all other grades, we will draw numbers randomly during the Public Random Drawing for positions on the 2020-2021 waitlist. Should an opening become available, we will contact families in order of the waitlist number. Each family is given 72 hours to accept enrollment before we move to the next family on the waitlist.
Q: Can I put my child on the waitlist?
A: Once our lottery is complete and waitlists are generated, we can add students to the waitlist in the order that the request(s) are received.
Q: Can I volunteer or make a financial donation to the school to increase my student’s chances in the lottery?
A: No. While you are always welcome to volunteer at Westlake Charter School (subject to the WCS Volunteer Policy) and to participate in any community or fundraising event, it is illegal for us to accept volunteer time or financial contributions in exchange for lottery preference.
Q: If my student is selected through the lottery, how do we enroll?
A: Enrollment packets will be available immediately following the Public Random Drawing on Monday, March 2, 2020 for students drawn in the Public Random Drawing. The enrollment packet requests further information about the student and documentation of information provided in this application (i.e. birth certificate, immunizations, medical information). The Enrollment packet MUST be completed and returned to the WCS office with all required documentation by 4:00 PM on Thursday, April 9, 2020 in order to secure the student’s enrollment in WCS. Enrollment will be forfeited if the completed packet is not received by the deadline. There will be no exceptions to this deadline.
Admission and Enrollment Dates for the 2020/2021 school year are below:
December 2, 2019 – Enrollment period begins
January 16, 2020 – Campus tours and information night. There are 2 tour times: 9:00am and 1:00pm. Each guided tour takes approximately 1 hour. No appointment is necessary. Please make arrangements for childcare for your children as this is a parent only observation. We will also have an information night where application assistance will be available on January 16th at 6:00 PM.
January 31, 2020 – Enrollment period closes at 4:00 PM
March 2, 2020 – Public Random Lottery at 5:00 PM
April 9, 2020 – Enrollment packets are due by 4:00 PM.
