Taos Academy sets forth the following policies. In accordance with the Charter School Act, any student, regardless of where he/she resides in New Mexico, may attend Taos Academy. Taos Academy’s enrollment policies prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability, race, creed, color, gender, national origin, religion, or need for special education services. These policies are necessary in the event that enrollment interest exceeds the enrollment capacity. If it is the intent of the parents to enroll their student, the parent must submit an electronic
Letter of Intent during our enrollment period for each student. Any student not selected from the lottery with a submitted letter of intent will be placed on a waiting list.
(1) a start-up school may either enroll students on a first-come, first-served basis or through a lottery selection process if the total number of applicants exceeds the number of spaces available at the start-up school; and
Beginning in 2010-2011 Taos Academy shall give enrollment preference to:
(1) students who have been admitted to the charter school through an appropriate admission process and remain in attendance through subsequent grades; and
(2) siblings of students already admitted to or attending the same charter school.
If a parent or guardian (collectively referred to as “Parent”) wants to enroll his/her student, the parent must submit an electronic Letter of Intent during our enrollment period for each student. A complete and timely Letter of Intent is required to ensure that the student will be included in the lottery, if a lottery is required because the number of students wanting to enroll exceed the number of seats available at the school.
Parents must fill out and submit an electronic Letter of Intent through the Taos Academy website during the enrollment period. The Letter of Intent initiates the enrollment process and enters the child into the lottery. If a lottery is not required, the Letter of Intent will be followed up by the enrollment procedures described below. The Letter of Intent form will be posted on Taos Academy’s website only for the time the enrollment period is open. Parents must fill out the Letter of Intent and click the submit button.An electronic receipt will be generated and sent to the parent stating that Taos Academy received the letter. Upon receiving the Letter of Intent, a Taos Academy representative will assign a number (see description below) that will be used for enrollment and lottery purposes. The Letter of Intent deadline will be set and approved by the Governing Council as well as the date of the lottery. To receive help with the Letter of Intent please contact a Taos Academy representative at 575-751-7061.
A number/letter combination will be assigned to each intent letter starting with the last 2 digits of the year of application, A for 5th through 8th graders, or B for 9th through 11th graders, and a number ranging from 001-999 based on the number of applications received. (For example, a student applying for eleventh grade for the 2009 school year may be assigned the number (09-B-001). Taos Academy will not use grade levels for purpose of determining an enrollment cap; caps will be determined instead by grouping grade levels as follows: 5th – 8th (A) and 9th -11th (B).
These numbers assigned to each student who submits a Letter of Intent will be placed in a “hat” and randomly drawn, one at a time, on the approved lottery date until the available slots are filled. The drawing continues until all numbers are drawn and a waiting list will be generated based on the order in which they were drawn. Lottery numbers are directly correlated to the numbers on the Letters of Intent. Lottery applicants will be notified in writing regarding their placement as a result of the lottery process.
A student may apply for one slot only. Students who apply for more than one slot will be removed from the lottery. A student must apply using his/her legal name. Using an alias could result in disqualification from the lottery or dis-enrollment at a later date.
Upon notification of acceptance, the parent and student are required to attend an entrance interview. These interviews will be scheduled within a few weeks of the drawing. At the interview parents will receive an admission packet and be given an entrance interview to ensure the student is placed appropriately into their personal learning program. Parents must provide a birth certificate, updated immunization records or Certificate of Religious/Conscientious Objection to Immunization, Social Security number, proof of residence, in addition to filling out all required Taos Academy admission forms.
Students who are not selected through the lottery and have submitted a letter of intent will be placed on a waiting list. As openings become available the next in line on the waiting list will be notified of the opening by email and a phone call. The parent will be given five (5) business days to accept the student’s position and to complete the enrollment packet. If the parent does not respond within five (5) business days, the slot will be offered to the next student on the waiting list and so on. If a student is on the waiting list and he/she declines a slot when offered, he/she will be removed and be required to submit another Letter of Intent and follow in the process described above.
Taos Academy will open the enrollment and lottery each year in the spring for a limited period that will be advertised. If there is a waiting list from the previous enrollment period those students will remain on the list until they decline a position or remove their name from the list. Students who participate in a new lottery process will be added to the end of the waiting list if one remains from the prior enrollment period. Their names will be added in the order they are drawn at the lottery for the current enrollment period.
Due to the nature of the hybrid model of instruction, we ask that students only withdraw from Taos Academy at semester intervals. If this is unavoidable please give us ample notice of withdrawal.
Upon terminating enrollment at Taos Academy Charter School, for any reason, please follow this procedure.
- Inform your instructional advisor and the office of your leaving with as much notice as possible, preferably a minimum of thirty days notice.
- Complete and return the withdrawal form to the office.
- Schedule a final conference with the director and instructional advisor.
NOTE: If a withdrawn student chooses to re-enroll, a new letter of intent is required and the student will be placed into the lottery.
**Students not in attendance for 30 calendar days will voluntarily relinquish lottery position unless arrangements have been made with the Director prior to the absence. See attendance policy for more detail.
