ACPS School Lottery
Application Process
The Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) division offers outstanding choices in educational programs designed to challenge children to master new skills, acquire knowledge and boost confidence. Depending on space availability, ACPS has four unique "lottery" schools for students in their neighborhoods and from across the city. However, based on our projections for the 2012-13 school year, only Jefferson-Houston School and John Adams Elementary School have a limited number of openings for students outside of their assigned attendance zones.
- Lottery Application: English (PDF) | Español (PDF)
- School Board Policy JC - School Attendance Areas (PDF)
- School Board Policy JC-R - Regulations Governing ACPS Pupil Placement Options (PDF)
Steps for the Lottery
Because of limited space, the 2012 ACPS Lottery is restricted to students seeking entrance into the John Adams Elementary Dual Language Program for kindergarteners or Jefferson-Houston School's third through seventh grades. Before applying for the lottery, ACPS recommends that parents learn about what these specialized schools - as well as their child's assigned school - can offer. All Alexandria elementary schools offer personalized tours to interested parents and children. To visit, simply call the school office and request a tour of the school. After visiting one or more schools, you'll be better able to make an informed decision about what's best for your child's education.
Submission of an application is not a guarantee of placement. When completing an application, it is important to complete every section; failure to do so may hinder the processing of your application. Lottery placement provides the strongest guarantee of equity in access. The computerized lottery system will assign a random number to each application. Applications are sorted based on this number. Final school assignments are based upon space availability. Availability differs by grade level. When all available slots are filled, all other applications are given a waiting list number based on their Specialty Program choice, grade level, and sequence number. Once a student is enrolled, that student will not have to compete for his/her seat via lottery again.
Important Dates |
|
|---|---|
| Friday, April 13, 2012 | Lottery application deadline
applications must be received by this day |
| Friday, April 27, 2012 | Lottery results mailed |
| Friday, May 11, 2012 | Parent response/acceptance deadline |
Siblings
If space is available, siblings of students enrolled in a school as a result of the lottery will be granted enrollment in that school at the kindergarten level, and will be allowed to remain at that school through fifth grade, provided there are no breaks in enrollment. Lottery students siblings who wish to enroll in the school at a grade other than kindergarten must apply through the lottery.