Admissions Policy

The goal of Eagle Peak Montessori School (EPMS) is to attract, enroll, and retain at our school the broadest spectrum of students and families representative of the rich diversity existing in Contra Costa County. EPMS is nonsectarian in its programs, admission policies, employment practices, and all other operations; the charter program does not charge tuition and the school does not discriminate against any pupil on the basis of ethnicity, national origin, gender, or disability.

Our school is open to any student in the state. A public drawing will be held to select students and form a waiting list if the number of applications received exceeds the school’s capacity.

Application Schedule -ENROLLMENT FOR 2011-2012.

Enrollment procedures for the next school year start in October and run until early Spring. We anticipate 36 openings for first year lower elementary students each year. Openings at other grade levels will be available if any students transfer to another school or if the program expands. We encourage you to apply for students in upper grades if you believe Eagle Peak would be a good match for your family.

Going through a drawing is the only way to get on our waiting list, so we encourage you to complete the admissions process even if you missed the deadline.

Age Requirement for First Grade

State law sets age requirements for entering first grade (first year of the lower elementary program). Children must be six years old by December 2 of their first grade year or they must have completed a public kindergarten program. Alternatively, the child must attend a public school kindergarten for a long enough time to enable school personnel to make an evaluation of his or her mental ability, physical development, and emotional maturity. The applicant can be offered enrollment only after an age waiver is obtained, so please be sure to take care of this before the summer recess.

REQUIRED APPLICATION PROCEDURES

We plan to educate families of prospective Eagle Peak students so they can make thoughtful decisions about the suitability of the program for their family and their commitment to the school. This is why we ask parents to attend at least one information meeting before they apply. These meetings are your opportunity to become more informed about Montessori philosophy, Eagle Peak’s mission, the details of how our school functions, and charter schools in general.

1. Attend a Parent Information Meeting (list of meeting dates). Pick up an application packet at the close of the meeting.
2. Submit the completed application forms in person by the published deadline. Verification of residence and date of birth are required to complete the application.*
3. Observe classes in session before the drawing.
4. If the applicant has an active IEP, schedule an IEP team meeting to determine if Eagle Peak is an appropriate placement for the applicant. Enrollment can be offered only after the team determines that EPMS is an appropriate placement, so please be sure to take care of this before the summer recess.
5. If enrollment or a waiting list position is offered, submit the completed materials by the date requested.
6. If enrollment is offered to someone on the waiting list, accept or decline within three (3) business days.

*Please remember that verification of residence and date of birth is required when the application is submitted. The following items will be needed when you submit your application:

• Residence: a driver’s license, lease or mortgage, utility bill, or bank statement.
• Date of Birth: an original birth certificate, passport, or armed forces dependent’s card.

Drawing Preferences

State law requires that a random public drawing be held to order applicants whenever there are more applicants than spaces available. In the case of a drawing, preference shall be extended to pupils according to the following categories which are listed below in order of priority:

• Children of the school’s founding families (not to exceed 10% of the school’s total population)
• Siblings of students currently enrolled in the school
• Children of staff and governing board members (not to exceed 10% of the total student population)
• Students residing within the MDUSD boundries
• Students residing outside of the MDUSD boundries

*Preference for children of resident and non-resident board and staff members combined shall not exceed 10% of the total student population.

Waiting List

Vacancies in the student body will be filled by applicants who have been through a drawing and have accepted a place on the waiting list.

In the event that the waiting list is exhausted and a vacancy occurs, applications that have been received since the last drawing will be processed. If the number of applicants exceeds the available space, another drawing will be held. The applicants in this drawing will fill the vacancies and form a new waiting list.