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Massachusetts Charter Schools

Enrollment Policy and Practice Frequently Asked Questions

(Updated September 2016)

The Enrollment Processes Technical Advisory and the following Enrollment Policy and Practice Frequently Asked Questions provided by Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (Department) should be read carefully and reviewed in its entirety. An answer to one frequently asked question might lead a reader to an inaccurate conclusion when read in isolation from the Department’s guidance and answers to other frequently asked questions. Answers should not be reviewed or relied upon in isolation from the entirety of the Department’s guidance regarding enrollment processes. Please reach out to the Department if you have a question or concern that is not currently found in this FAQ.

Eligibility Criteria

Enrollment Process and Lottery Procedures

Waitlist

Backfilling

Acceptance of an Offer of Admission and Students Attending

  1. Can a Commonwealth charter school unenroll a student who subsequently moves to a city or town in Massachusetts?
  2. Can a student continue to attend a Commonwealth charter school if the student moves outside of Massachusetts?
  3. Can a sending district review residency documentation for any student for whom the district has been assessed tuition?
  4. If a student is admitted to or attending a Horace Mann charter school and has provided accurate proof of residency at the time of application, can the student continue to attend the school even if the student moves to another city or town outside the school district in Massachusetts?
  5. Can a charter school unenroll a student who currently attends the school because they failed to complete an intent-to-return form?
  6. Can a student be permitted to take a leave of absence during the school year in order to participate in a foreign exchange program or because the student is temporarily moving outside of Massachusetts?

General Inquiries

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Acceptance of an Offer of Admission and Students Attending

42.

Can a sending district review residency documentation for any student for whom the district has been assessed tuition?

Yes. Sending districts are permitted to review residency determinations of every student for whom the district has been assessed tuition. If the sending district has information that may indicate a factual error in the residency information, charter schools are expected to work with the district to verify or to correct the information. If necessary, the student's parent or guardian may be asked to meet with charter school and district officials. Disputes regarding residency should be referred to the Department only after the charter school and the district have made a good faith effort to resolve the matter. If a charter school fails to maintain documentation of a student's city or town of residence, or fails to make a good faith effort to respond to and to resolve residency questions raised by sending districts, the Department may place a hold on tuition payments for that student.

Last Updated: April 28, 2020

 
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