The lottery determines placement for each applicant by considering the following factors:

• the schools/magnet programs selected
• the way the applicant ranked their school preferences in the application
• the number of seats available at each school/magnet program for that grade
• the applicant’s test scores for any magnet programs selected
• the applicant’s priority level for that school/program
  • The District has determined the following priority groups for magnet placement:
• Siblings of students enrolled at or receiving an offer for the same magnet program (must meet qualification criteria for magnet program)
• Children of an employee that works at the same school as the desired magnet program (must meet qualification criteria for magnet program)
  • Academy of Excellence does not have sibling or employee priority
• The District has determined the following priority groups for non-magnet placement:
  • Siblings
  • How close the applicants live to their choice

Applicants are considered in order of priority group and random lottery number. They may receive an offer for their highest-ranked school that has space or for which they qualify. If the applicant is not matched to their first choice, the system keeps them on the waitlist of the family’s higher-ranked schools.

Each applicant may select up to six (6) Choice Schools or Programs on their application and will be asked to rank each selection in order of preference. The lottery will try to give each applicant one offer only to the school that they ranked the highest, are eligible to attend, and that has available seats.

If you apply for more than one school/program during the application window, you may receive an offer to your first-choice school or to a lower-ranked choice. Your application will be placed on the waitlist for any school(s) that you ranked higher, but not for schools that you ranked lower.

Example 1: Tammy selects the schools below for her application and ranks them in this order:

#1 (her highest-ranked preference) –  Abbett Elementary

#2 – Armstrong Elementary

#3 – Beaver Math, Science & Technology magnet program

#4 – Walnut Glen Academy for Excellence magnet program

#5 (her lowest-rank preference) – Shorehaven Elementary

The lottery is able to offer her a seat at her third-ranked choice: Beaver Math, Science & Technology magnet program. As a result:

• The student will be placed on the waitlist for her #1 and #2 choices, Abbett and Armstrong, because she indicated that she preferred those schools more than the school offered to her. This means that if a seat becomes available at either of those schools, she may receive an offer from the waitlist.

BUT

• The student will not be placed on the waitlist for her #4 and #5 choices (Academy for Excellence and Shorehaven) because she indicated that she preferred the school that gave her an offer more than these schools. This means that she is no longer eligible for a seat offer at these schools.

Example 2: Audrey selects the schools below for her application and ranks them in this order:

#1 (her highest-ranked preference) –  Watson Math, Science & Technology magnet program 

#2 – Kimberlin Academy for Excellence magnet program

#3 – Vial Classical Magnet Program

#4 – Keeley

#5 (her lowest-rank preference) – Liberty Grove

The lottery is able to offer her a seat at her third-ranked choice, Classical magnet program at Vial.  As a result:

• Since her choice 1 and 2 are magnet programs, she must meet the test score qualifications.  Since her scores did not meet the requirement for choice 1 or choice 2, her application will NOT be placed on the waitlist for her #1 and #2 choices

• Waitlists are generated every year, and new waitlist numbers are assigned. They do not carry over from one year to the next.
• Waitlists are generated by the system when the lottery is conducted. After applications are sorted according to the lottery priority structure and their randomized lottery number, the applications at the top receive offers for available seats.
• Applications that do not receive an offer through the lottery are placed on waitlists in the following way:
  • If an applicant DOES receive an offer to their highest-ranked school, they will NOT be placed on a waitlist for their other school choices.
  • If an applicant does NOT receive an offer to their highest-ranked school, they WILL be placed on the waitlist for their higher-ranked schools.

For example, if Jose applies to 3 schools and receives an offer for the school he ranked as his #2 preference, then his application would remain on the waitlist for the school he ranked as his #1 preference, but not for the school he ranked as #3.

Offers from Waitlists

• Offers from waitlists typically begin 2-3 weeks after the lottery.
• Offers from waitlists continue throughout the spring, summer, and into the first weeks of the new school year – as long as seats are available.
• You will be notified if you receive a seat offer from the waitlist. The message will tell you which child and school/program the offer is for, as well as the deadline to accept the offer.
• You can view your waitlist status in your Avela account