High Demand Reflects Desire for More Public School Choices
Tacoma, Wash. – On Saturday, March 21, 2015, over 200 families entered SOAR Academy’s lottery hoping to enroll their child(ren) in Tacoma’s first homegrown public charter school for K – 8th grade.
SOAR’s application period started October 1, 2014 and ended with a deadline of 5:00 p.m. on March 15, 2015. With 62 spots for Kindergarten and 62 spots for First Grade, SOAR Academy, as required by Washington state law, selected students through a random, public lottery held at 9:00 a.m. on March 21, to ensure fairness for available seats. SOAR was the first South Puget Sound public charter school to hold a lottery.
Students whose names were drawn will make up SOAR Academy’s founding classes of Kindergarten and First Grade for the 2015-2016 school year.
"We are excited and humbled at the strong, positive response in our school as well as for Summit and Green Dot. Tacoma and Pierce County families are leaping at the opportunity to choose learning environments that best suit their child's needs. That's what this is all about - excellent caliber school choice! We at SOAR just want to say "thank you" to the families of Tacoma and Pierce County for trusting us with their most prized possessions. We look forward to welcoming our founding families and students this fall!" said Kristina Bellamy-McClain, SOAR Founder and CEO.
Families who were not chosen through the lottery were given a spot on a waitlist through a random drawing after the lottery. With a robust waitlist and a diverse population of enrolled families, SOAR continues to move steadily towards its first year of operation.
“The Washington State Charter School Commission is happy and excited at the strong family and community interest in SOAR Academy. We congratulate SOAR on its historic day and look forward to continued support of SOAR as it readies to open this fall,” said Joshua Halsey, Executive Director of the Washington Charter School Commission.
Set to open its doors on August 17, 2015 for the first day of school, SOAR Academy staff is eager to serve its enrolled students in gaining a new experience in learning.
About SOAR Academy:
SOAR Academy is a free public charter school, operated by a 501c3, serving K-8th grade students. Located in Tacoma’s Hilltop Neighborhood, SOAR offers an integrative arts curriculum, a longer school year and extended school days where all learners are provided with a highly rigorous, engaging and personalized education. SOAR aims to transform the educational experience for all learners to prepare them for success in high school, college and beyond.