Admissions FAQ

CIJS is a (Pre-k Through 8th Grade) Tuition FREE Charter School 

Do I have to pay tuition to attend CIJS?

No, CIJS is a tuition FREE public charter school, therefore you do not need to pay tuition during the regular school day. Any child attending the before or after school Pre-K through 8^th grade program will need to pay tuition for that portion of the day ONLY.  CIJS enrolls students via a lottery drawing. 

Does CIJS accept applications after the deadline?

Yes, but any applications received after the deadline will not be included in the FIRST lottery drawing. However, they will continue to be accepted and kept on file in case there are openings.  After the first initial lottery drawing, if the enrollment falls short of the available grade level capacity, CIJS enrolls on a first come first serve basis based on stamped dates in the lottery application system, grade level availability, wait lists and on preferences. We will contact you in that order when openings arise.

Does CIJS accept students who do not live in Osceola County?

Yes, students who reside out of county will be eligible to submit a lottery application by the deadline and will be enrolled contingent upon available openings. Out of county residents will not be included in the first lottery drawing. After the initial lottery drawing, a second drawing will take place the same day if there are available openings. The out of county applicants MUST turn in their application by the deadline if they want to be included in the initial “Out of county” lottery drawing.

After the first initial “Out of County” lottery drawing, if the enrollment falls short of the available grade level capacity, CIJS enrolls on a first come first serve basis based on stamped dates in the lottery application system, grade level availability, wait lists and on preferences.

Once your child is admitted to the school, siblings will then fall under the preference category.

How does the lottery process work?

CIJS accepts lottery applications for students in Preschool through 8th grade. We base the number of classes per grade levels offered contingent upon the applications received (Charter Contract Capacity of 814 K-8 students- NOT including VPK)

CIJS admits all eligible students (described in the Florida Statutes) based on the lottery drawing whose applications meet the submission deadline and have a signed parent participation agreement. The number of children accepted are limited to capacity (at the grade, class or charter school level). In the case of maximum enrollment, CIJS conducts a random lottery drawing, which chooses students for enrollment according to the order in which their number is selected. Each child is assigned a number that is drawn randomly. If two children from the same family have enrolled in the lottery and one child’s number is drawn, the sibling will also be selected and either placed in the classroom or on the wait list contingent upon the order in which the child was selected.  When capacity for a grade level is reached, remaining applicants will be placed on a waiting list in the order in which their number was drawn. They will be contacted (in order) and asked if they want to enroll their child when a spot becomes available. If the enrollment falls short of the available grade level capacity, we then go to enrolling on a daily basis (first come first serve) based on preferences.

Initial offers for enrollment will take place by phone and email. Subsequent offers will be via phone OR email.  The parent/guardian must accept their spot in the parent portal within 2 business days (by 5:00 P.M) of receipt of the admittance notification by CIJS. After your official written notice of acceptance, you are required to complete a registration packet to secure your spot.  Enrollment will NOT be completed until registration packets are submitted to the school by the posted deadline.  Families who decline enrollment or neglect to submit their registration packets on time will forfeit their spot at CIJS.

CIJS does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, ancestry, creed, marital status, citizenship status, military or veteran status, national origin, disability, age or any other legally protected characteristic.

How do I access the lottery application?

Click the online lottery application link at the bottom of this page or go to the Admissions page on our website.

How do I access the registration packet AFTER I have been contacted with the good news that my child’s number was randomly chosen in the lottery?

All of the enrollment forms for the registration process are done through our Parent Portal.  This is the same portal where you applied for the lottery. You will receive notices through there regarding the status of your children. Paperwork MUST be completed by the due date in order to retain your spot.

What students have preference?

Pursuant to F.S. 1002.33(10)(d), and the charter agreement, a charter school may give enrollment preference to the following student populations: 

Definition of….. 

Sibling: Sister, brother, step sister and step brother (Legal documentation will be requested)

Children: Daughter, son, step-daughter, step-son, child who have a guardian who is considered a parent (Legal documentation will be requested)

Preference will take place in this order:

• Students who are children of a member of the Governing Board

•  Students who are children of an employee

•  Students who are siblings of a student enrolled in the charter school

•  Students who have completed a voluntary prekindergarten (VPK) education program by the charter school during the previous year

• Students who are of an active duty member of any branch of service

•  Osceola County residents

• Students in other counties as permitted by state.

How does CIJS ensure that students with disabilities have an equal opportunity?

CIJS admits all students, based on space availability and subject to selection through the School’s lottery system. A student’s ESE status will not be used in the selection and lottery process. CIJS operates within the context of the larger school district (But, CIJS is not a district school). However, we contract with the district to serve as the Local Education Agency (LEA) with regards to federal IDEA (Individual with Disabilities Education Act), and therefore, CIJS personnel collaborate with the district in regards to special education services. Given that the IDEA DOES NOT require that all special education services be provided at all schools, CIJS acknowledges that some ESE services may need to be provided at alternative locations within the district based on the needs of the students and the district’s special education delivery model at their schools.  

According to the CIJS approved charter contract with the state, if a student were to be accepted via lottery to CIJS whose IEP requires services significantly above what is currently being offered at CIJS, and/or if a student cannot be best served by receiving at least 80% of instruction within the regular classroom and/or a student whose needs cannot be met in the regular classroom, with reasonable supports and accommodations, CIJS will convene a meeting to discuss the placement and develop a plan for an appropriate placement to meet the needs of the individual student.