Lottery Admissions

EMSA Lottery Policy

Elgin Math and Science Academy Charter School is pleased to bring the WOW and WONDER of an active, engaging curriculum to students residing in District U-46. If more students apply than there are seats for that grade level, EMSA will enroll new students through a public lottery. This will be done in compliance with the Illinois Charter Schools Law and EMSA’s charter agreement. Names from the pool of all applicants will be randomly selected to fill each grade level. Additional applicants are placed on a waitlist in the order selected. The lottery and admissions are on a nondiscriminatory basis and open to all students regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, religious preference, or disability.

EMSA is accepting applications for students living within School District U-46 boundaries and entering grades Kindergarten through 8th grade. Interested families may obtain and submit an application online through EMSA’s PowerSchool system available here. They may also obtain and submit an application by mailing or dropping off an application to EMSA at 1600 Dundee Avenue, Elgin. Any applications filled out during a telephone conference must be signed to be accepted—EMSA will work with families to obtain those signatures.

The 2024-2025 lottery will be held on March 8, 2024, at 10 a.m., on Zoom. All 2024 - 2025 applications must be submitted by March 1, 2024. EMSA’s lottery is open to the public. The lottery is designed to be an administrative event (versus a public celebration event). Parents and guardians will be notified of results via text and email following the lottery. EMSA will be utilizing PowerSchool's online enrollment system to run its lottery.

EMSA’s lottery will be videotaped, a copy of which will be maintained by EMSA and a copy of which will be shared with the Illinois State Board of Education. Before the lottery takes place, EMSA will check all applications to verify: All Kindergarten applicants will be 5 years old by September 1, all First Grade applicants will be 6 years old by September 1, and all siblings attending and applying are identified.

Sibling Preference

EMSA strives to keep families together and allows a sibling preference in its lottery and admissions. Returning students who have re-enrolled are given seats as are their siblings if places are available. For any grade level in which more students have submitted applications than there are seats for that grade level, the places will be determined by a public lottery. Waitlist applications can be submitted after the lottery deadline. If there is a place in the grade level, then the student will be asked to officially enroll in the school. If there is a waitlist for the grade level, then the student will be added to the waitlist in the order the applications are submitted.

Enrollment After Acceptance

If your child has been offered a seat, the parent or guardian MUST accept the offered seat by the deadline given or the seat will be released to the next child on the waitlist.

EMSA will continue to accept applications throughout the school year and each year to come as new grade levels are added to expand our student body to a K-8 campus. Your student’s name will be kept on our waitlist for one year, so please continue to apply each school year if you are not accepted. Once enrolled at EMSA, you do not need to re-enroll in the lottery as your continual attendance will automatically reserve your place.