Lottery Policy & Enrollment

Colearn Academy South Carolina (Colearn) is a tuition-free, virtual public charter school serving eligible students in kindergarten through 12th grade throughout South Carolina. Colearn has been sponsored by the Charter Institute at Erskine since July 1, 2026.

In accordance with Section 59-40-50 of the South Carolina Code of Laws, Colearn admits eligible South Carolina students without discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, disability, need for special education services, socioeconomic status, English language proficiency, or other characteristics protected by law.

Admission is subject to available capacity and applicable enrollment preferences. If the number of eligible applicants exceeds available seats in a grade level, admission will be determined through a public lottery conducted in accordance with South Carolina law and Colearn's approved procedures.

2027–2028 Enrollment Timeline

The dates above are based on initial offers issued January 15 and accepted January 29. Each family will receive deadlines based on its actual offer and acceptance dates.

Step 1: Application

A completed application must be submitted through Colearn's online PowerSchool enrollment system. No fee is required to apply.

The initial application collects basic student and parent/guardian information, including contact information, birthdate, current grade level, sending school, and information necessary to determine applicable enrollment preferences.

A completed initial application is required to participate in the lottery. Enrollment packet documentation, such as birth certificates, immunization records, and proof of residency, is not required before participation in the lottery.

Once an application is submitted, the school records the submission date and provides confirmation to the parent or guardian. Submission does not guarantee admission.

Returning Student Enrollment

Students enrolled at Colearn during the previous school year receive enrollment preference for the following school year in accordance with South Carolina law. Returning students are not required to participate in the new-student lottery.

Returning families may be asked to confirm their intent to return and update required student information by published deadlines.

Available seats for new applicants will be determined after accounting for returning students and applicable enrollment preferences.

Enrollment Preferences

In accordance with South Carolina charter school law and Colearn's approved enrollment procedures, enrollment preferences include:

• Students enrolled at Colearn during the previous school year.
• Siblings of students currently enrolled and attending Colearn, or who attended Colearn for at least one complete academic year within the preceding six years.
• Children of Colearn employees and qualifying charter school committee members, subject to the statutory 20% enrollment limitation.

Any additional optional preferences permitted by South Carolina law, including preferences for qualifying active-duty military dependents, may be used only if adopted in Colearn's approved enrollment procedures.

Enrollment preferences do not guarantee admission when the applicable grade level has no available seats.

Pre-Lottery Notification

The lottery date, time, location or virtual access information, and application deadline will be announced on the school's website and through school communications at least 21 days before the scheduled lottery.

Applicants will also be notified by email of the lottery details. The lottery is a public meeting.

Enrollment Lottery Procedures

A lottery will be conducted when the number of eligible applications received by the published lottery deadline exceeds the available seats in a grade level.

For grades where sufficient seats are available, eligible applicants will be offered enrollment according to the school's approved procedures.

For oversubscribed grades, the lottery will determine which eligible applicants receive available seats and establish the order of remaining applicants on the waitlist, subject to applicable enrollment preferences.

The lottery will be conducted publicly using a randomized selection process. Colearn will maintain records of lottery results and waitlist placement.

Post-Lottery Notification

All lottery applicants will be notified by email within three calendar days following the lottery whether they have received an enrollment offer or have been placed on the waitlist.

Families are responsible for keeping their contact information current and monitoring their email for enrollment communications.

Step 2: Accepting an Enrollment Offer

Applicants who are offered a seat at Colearn will have 14 calendar days from the date the offer is issued to accept or decline proceeding with enrollment.

If acceptance is not received within 14 calendar days, the offer may be withdrawn and the student moved to the bottom of the applicable waitlist in accordance with approved procedures.

The available seat will then be offered to the next eligible student on the waitlist.

Step 3: Enrollment Packet

Once a family accepts an enrollment offer, the school will provide instructions for completing the required enrollment packet.

The parent or guardian will have 14 additional calendar days from the date of acceptance to complete the enrollment packet and submit required documentation.

Required documentation may include:

• Birth certificate or acceptable age verification
• Immunization records or applicable exemption
• Parent or guardian photo identification
• Proof of South Carolina residency
• Other documentation required for lawful enrollment

Enrollment documents will be submitted through the school's designated secure enrollment process.

If the completed packet is not received within 14 calendar days and no reasonable extension has been requested and approved, the seat may be withdrawn and offered to the next eligible student on the waitlist, subject to applicable legal protections.

Once the enrollment packet is completed, Colearn will request appropriate student records from the transferring school.

Colearn may deny enrollment only when permitted by applicable law, including when a student is not eligible to attend public school in South Carolina or when a lawful disciplinary exclusion applies.

Waitlist Procedures

Applicants not offered a seat through the lottery will be placed on the waitlist in the order determined by the lottery, subject to applicable enrollment preferences.

As seats become available, enrollment offers will be made to the next eligible applicant according to the approved waitlist order.

Families receiving an offer from the waitlist will have 14 calendar days to accept or decline and an additional 14 calendar days after acceptance to complete the enrollment packet.

Colearn anticipates additional movement from the waitlist following the conclusion of the current school year as returning student enrollment is finalized. Waitlist placement does not guarantee admission.

Post-Lottery Applications

Colearn may continue accepting applications after the annual lottery deadline.

If a grade level has available seats and no existing waitlist, eligible applicants may be offered enrollment in the order applications are received.

If a waitlist exists, new applicants will be added according to the school's approved post-lottery waitlist procedures and applicable enrollment preferences.

Student Enrollment Protections

Colearn complies with applicable federal and state laws protecting students with disabilities, students experiencing homelessness, and students in foster care.

Under no circumstances will students experiencing homelessness be denied or delayed enrollment because of missing documentation, including proof of residency, immunization records, or other normally required documents, as provided under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.

Students with disabilities will not be denied admission based on disability, special education eligibility, or the need for related services.

Enrollment Appeals

There is no appeal solely for not being selected through the lottery process.

Should Colearn deny admission for a reason other than the lottery results, an appeal to the Colearn Board of Directors may be submitted within five business days.

The appeal must be submitted in writing and state the grounds on which the appeal is based.

If the parent or guardian is not satisfied with the Board's decision, the parent or guardian may appeal to the Charter Institute at Erskine within five days of notification of the Board's decision, subject to applicable law and authorizer procedures.