**Lottery for the 2024-25 School Year**

Island Montessori Charter School is a public charter school, funded by the state of North Carolina and private donations. Enrollment in our K-8 program is free to residents of North Carolina. In order to be considered for admission, parents or guardians need to submit a completed application form for each child. If the number of applicants exceeds the number of spaces available, a lottery will be held to randomly determine the allocation of available spots. Once selected through the lottery, students are guaranteed enrollment in IMCS through 8th grade.

IMPORTANT DATES:

• Application Deadline: Due by February 8th  by 4pm

• ​Lottery: Held on February 28th at 6pm at the Charter School

We will be holding a number of Prospective Parent Education Meetings in person where you can ask questions and pick up an application.​

• Tuesday, January 9th at 6pm

• Thursday, January 18th at 5:30pm

• Saturday, January 20th at 10am

• Wednesday, January 24th at 6:30pm
   

Charter School Admission FAQs

 

Is Island Montessori Charter School a public school?
Yes, IMCS is a public charter school, funded by the state of North Carolina and private donations. Enrollment in our K-8 program is free to residents of North Carolina.  

Are Charter School students required to take NC End of Grade Tests (EOGs)?
Yes.

How do I enroll my child(ren) in Island Montessori Charter School?
In order to be considered for admission, parents or guardians need to submit a completed application form for each child. These are available at our information sessions and at the front desk of our school. If the number of applicants exceeds the number of spaces available, a lottery will be held to randomly determine the allocation of available spots. Once selected through the lottery, students are guaranteed enrollment in IMCS through 8th grade.

My child is currently enrolled at Island Montessori Preschool. Will they automatically be accepted for enrollment at Island Montessori Charter School?
No. Preschool students must apply for enrollment. If the number of applicants exceeds the number of spaces available, a lottery will be held to randomly determine the allocation of available spots.

 

What is the deadline for submitting an application? Does it matter when I submit my application?
Applications must be submitted by the date on the application. Please make sure all information is entered correctly as we are not responsible for errors or inaccuracies. Mailed applications must be postmarked by the first Friday in February. Whether the application is received first or last has no bearing on wait list order. All applications received by the deadline are treated equally. Applications received after this deadline will be added to the waitlist in the order that they are received, after the lottery is held. Only one entry per applicant is permitted and duplicate entries will be discarded.

Who is eligible to participate in the lottery?
We are accepting applications for Grades K-8. Students entering Kindergarten must be 5 by August 31. All students must live in North Carolina. To enroll a child in Kindergarten, families must supply a copy of the child’s birth certificate and the child’s immunization record. Proof of residency will be required for all applicants. IMCS does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or any category protected by law.

When is the lottery held? How is it conducted?
The lottery will be held at Island Montessori Charter School (6339 Carolina Beach Rd in Wilmington, NC) on a time and date to be announced. During the lottery, lottery tickets will be drawn at random, with spaces offered in the order of tickets drawn. When the capacity for each grade level is reached, the remaining applicants will be assigned a position on the wait list based on the random order in which they were drawn. If there are no spaces available in a particular grade, lottery tickets will be drawn directly for the wait list. The lottery is open to the public.

When/how will I be notified of the lottery results?
Applicants will be notified via phone of their lottery results.

If my child is not offered a spot this year, do we retain the same position on the waiting list for next year, or will we need to reapply?
Interested families who are on the wait list will need to reapply and participate in the following year's lottery.