Massachusetts Charter School Waitlist Updated Report for 2025-2026 (FY26)

As of October 1, 2025 (Posted February 2026)

Each spring, charter schools send the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (Department) the number of students enrolled for the upcoming school year as well as the number of students who were placed on the schools' waitlists through each school's initial lottery, which is typically held in February or March. The Department's March 2025 waitlist collection reported students who applied for admission for the 2025-2026 school year (the initial waitlist).

The information provided below is an update to the initial (March 2025) waitlist data as of October 1, 2025. The information reflects late offers of admission, which may result in acceptances or declines, as well as any new lotteries for seats that may have opened up over the summer and into the school year.

For the March 2025 initial waitlist, 64 out of 72 charter schools had waitlists for which they reported 32,024 entries, with 20,900 unique students identified. Of the unique students, 15,778 students appear on a single waitlist and 5,122 students (24.5 percent) appear on more than one waitlist.

The information provided below reflects the number of students who applied to charter schools for the 2025-2026 school year (FY26) but did not gain admittance and were reported on a charter school waitlist as of October 1, 2025. This updated 2025-2026 waitlist report finds the following:

• Of the 64 charter schools that submitted initial waitlist data in March 2025, 63 schools continued to maintain a waitlist as of October 1, 2025.
• The updated charter school waitlists contained 26,218 total entries on all waitlists, representing 17,793 unique students.
• Of the unique students, 13,832 students appear on a single waitlist and 4,141 students (23 percent) appear on more than one waitlist.

The table below (Figure 2) identifies charter schools that have held subsequent lotteries and the number of students who were added to each school's waitlist.

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The unique waitlist counts provided in this current report should be taken as the Department's best understanding and representation of the updated demand for the current 2025-2026 school year rather than exact numbers of students willing to accept offers at each school.

Each charter school is responsible for maintaining its own individual waitlist. To ensure uniformity, the Department created a waitlist collection template and required charter schools to use the template to update waitlist data that was originally submitted by March 15, 2025, as well as input any new waitlist data. The template also embedded tools that flagged the waitlist for other inconsistencies, such as unrealistic dates of birth (e.g., 2/28/2025) and student age. In order to verify student information and address overall waitlist accuracy, the Department corrected any transcription errors or inconsistencies in submitted charter school waitlists. Finally, the Department continues to implement its matching process, which is refined and updated to increase accuracy in identifying students who applied for admission to more than one charter school.

The Department thanks all of the charter school administrators and staff who worked diligently to report their waitlists as accurately as possible. The Department appreciates the efforts made by schools to submit their waitlist reports as promptly as possible.

The appendix to this report contains the following numbers based on an October 1, 2025 data collection:

1. the unique number of students on waitlists;
2. the total number applicants reported on charter school waitlists by October 1, 2025, and current year applicants reported on charter school waitlists after March 15, 2025;
3. the unique number of students on waitlists by grade;
4. the unique number of students on waitlists by city/town;
5. the total number of students on waitlists for each charter school by grade (with backfilling overlay);
6. the unique number of students on waitlists by city/town and grade; and
7. the total number of students on waitlists for each charter school by city/town by grade.

For more information on waitlist policies and procedures and the number of students found on previous cycles of charter school waitlists, see Charter School Technical Advisory 16-3: Enrollment Processes and FAQs and Pre-Enrollment and Waitlist Data. For further information regarding this report, please contact Brenton Stewart or the Office of Charter Schools and School Redesign at charterschools@mass.gov .

Attachment

• FY2026 Updated Waitlist Appendix

Last Updated: March 11, 2026