GRADE-LEVEL PLACEMENT BIRTHDAY CRITERIA FOR THE

2024-25 SCHOOL YEAR


AGE REQUIREMENTS

Valley Life Charter strictly follows the age eligibility criteria outlined in the California Education Code (Education Code 48000 and 48010) for entry into Transitional Kindergarten (TK) and Kindergarten programs. Please carefully review the age eligibility requirements below and ensure that your student is enrolled in the appropriate grade level in accordance with the provided guidelines.

Proof of age is mandatory for all students enrolling in our district. It is important to note that the Fountain Valley School District does not participate in early admission for underage children into Transitional Kindergarten and/or Kindergarten (FVSD Board Policy 6170.1 and Administrative Regulation 5111).

Transitional Kindergarten (TK):
For Transitional Kindergarten (TK), a child is eligible if their fifth birthday falls between September 2 and June 2.

Kindergarten:
A child is eligible for enrollment in kindergarten at the beginning of the school year or later in the same year if their fifth birthday falls on or before September 1, 2024.

To enroll for the 2024-25 school year, proof of your child's birth date must be provided. Please ensure compliance with these age requirements for a seamless enrollment process.

Lottery and Waitlist

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If the number of students who wish to attend the charter school exceeds the school's capacity, attendance shall be determined by a public random drawing, except preferences shall be extended to students currently attending the charter school and their siblings. 

In the event of a drawing, the Board shall make reasonable efforts to accommodate the growth of the charter school and shall not take any action to impede the charter school from expanding enrollment to meet student demand. (Education Code 47605). If there are more students than seats available, students that are currently attending and their siblings will be exempt from the lottery.

Valley Life Charter School is a non-sectarian, not-for-profit, public school that does not discriminate against any pupil on the basis of race, religion, gender, or disability. We admit children from Kindergarten through twelfth grade. Students in grades kindergarten through sixth will enroll in either a site-based program or a small percentage may enroll in a home-school program. Students in grades seventh through twelfth will have an option during the first year to enroll in the independent study program.  Students may complete applications during open enrollment for Valley Life Charter School.

In the event there are more students than spaces, a public lottery will be held for those that completed the application during the open enrollment period. A lottery drawing will be held on school grounds in the spring and will be publicized on the school website. The results of the drawing will determine class year placement and waitlist order as needed. Individuals on the waitlist in accordance with their rank number will fill any mid-term vacancy. Parents and/or guardians will be notified of their status within a few days via an email from the Lotterease program. Confirmation of the seat is required.

Method for conducting random lottery after application deadline: 

  • Lottery will take place with authorizing agency compliance officer present.

  • A single public random drawing will be held.

  • Students who are currently enrolled in or who reside in the elementary school attendance area of the public elementary school(s) in which Valley Life Charter is located (for purposes of the Charter School Facility Grant Program) will receive a 2:1 preference for the lottery. Those in the Cottonwood Creek and Crestwood schools will receive preference.

Waitlists for each grade level will be maintained and yearly the admissions officer will determine if waitlist applicants wish to remain on the waitlist for future openings. 


Understanding the Waitlist

The waitlist is created from our Lottery held each year. Names entered in the lottery are first drawn to fill any open seats in that particular grade and then continue to draw to produce the waitlist for that grade level.

This list is an “active” list. This means that names on the list move up and down as the seats are accepted or declined. Additionally, we try to keep our families together, therefore siblings are given a preference. An example of this is, if a student receives a seat and has a confirmed sibling, he or she will move to the top of the waitlist and bump those at the top down.

Our waitlist DOES NOT roll over to the following year. New entries must be done yearly.

Simple Steps for Submission to Our Waitlist

Click “Register” to create your account or log in if you have registered with Lotterease before.

  • Click “Add Student” (Be sure to add all children who are new to VLCS site-based learning)

  • Click “Lottery” (which also serves as our waitlist) - you will then have an opportunity to select which lottery you are applying for -

    • Transitional Kinder (TK) students’ date of birth criteria - 09/02/19 - 06/02/20 (2024-2025)

    • Kindergarten (K) students’ date of birth criteria - 09/02/18 - 09/01/19 (2024-2025)