Admissions

The Hoboken Charter School is a public school open to all students.  There are no admissions tests or requirements.  Enrollment is determined by a random lottery held in public in January each year for the following school year.  If there are more applications than spots available in a given grade, a waiting list is created.  Admissions policies and procedures are monitored by the State Department of Education and the Hoboken Charter School Board of Trustees.  For more information about laws and regulations governing charter school operations, consult the following links:

Questions and Answers Lottery 2008

What if I forgot my child’s lottery number?
You can double-check the number before the lottery begins.

What if I don’t get admitted tonight?
You will remain on a waitlist while spots are offered to the people admitted.  Keep in mind that families frequently apply to more than one school, and may not take the spot that is offered to them.  If you did not get in tonight, it does not mean that you will not be offered a spot at some point in the future.

How long will people have to make up their minds about taking a spot that is offered to them?
People will be given two weeks to make up their minds.  

I got in tonight, what are the next steps?
If you are ready to accept the spot, you must sign what’s called a “Letter of Intent.”  This holds your spot for a two-week time period to allow for you to get your admissions paperwork completed and submitted.

If someone is not here tonight, how and when will they find out whether they were admitted or placed on a waitlist?
·   If they are accepted, they will receive a phone call from the school office.
·   Please call 201-963-0222 ext. 17 for lottery results.

If I’m on the waitlist, and I really want to get in, how often should I call to check on my status?
As often as you’d like, but weekly would seem sufficient.

Once I’m on the waitlist, can my position change for the better?
Yes.  As people above you decline spots for whatever reasons, your status will improve.

What happens to applications received after the deadline?
Applications received after the deadline go into the reserve pool and are placed into a lottery if and when all current waitlists are exhausted.

Once I’m on the waitlist, can my position change for the worse?
Yes.  For example, you may be 1^st on an out-of-district waitlist for 3^rd grade.  If, subsequent to the lottery, a ninth grader is admitted who has a 3^rd grade sibling, that sibling will move to a higher priority waitlist than yours.  The following list outlines the priority order for admission with regard to waitlists and the reserve pool:

1.  Hoboken Resident Sibling Waitlist

2.  Single Hoboken Resident Sibling in the Hoboken Resident Sibling reserve pool

3.  Multiple Hoboken Resident sibling applicants in reserve pool (new lottery required)

4.  Out-of-District Sibling Waitlist

5.  Single Out-of-District Sibling in the Out-of-District Sibling reserve pool

6.  Multiple Out-of-District sibling applicants in reserve pool (new lottery required)

7.  Hoboken Resident Waitlist

8.  Single Hoboken resident in the Hoboken Resident reserve pool

9.  Multiple Hoboken resident applicants in the Hoboken Resident reserve pool (new lottery required)

10.  Out-of-District Resident Waitlist

11. Single Out-of-District resident in the Out-of-District reserve pool

12. Multiple Out-of-District resident applicants in the Out-of-District reserve pool (new lottery required)

If I don’t get in this year, do I need to reapply for next year?
Yes.  The State Department of Education requires charter schools to eliminate all waitlists and to lottery only new applications each year.

What if I have questions not answered here?
You can call the school office at 201-963-0222, ext. 17 and ask to speak to Maria.