A clear, plain-language look at how we fairly fill seats when more families apply than we have room for.
When more families apply to a school than there are seats available, the law requires us to fill those seats through a fair random lottery — not on a first-come, first-served basis, and never by picking favorites.
You apply
The application is free and takes about 5 minutes. Applying early or late makes no difference in the lottery.
Every child gets a random number
On lottery day, every eligible child receives a random number from a published draw. Nobody chooses or influences the number — it's random for everyone.
Seats fill by priority group, then by number
Seats fill in priority-group order first (for example, siblings already at the school). Within each group, seats go purely by random number — lowest number first.
You get an offer or a real place in line
If there's a seat, you'll receive an offer. If not, your child goes on the waitlist with a real position you can see at any time — not a guess.
Each school's priority groups come from its board-adopted enrollment policy: the same rules for every family, published here for anyone to see.
C.R. Neal Academy
Preferences must be claimed on the original application. They cannot be added after the application window closes.
Applications close February 28, 2027; the lottery will be held March 1, 2027.
Rooted School Vancouver
Extra entries in the general pool
Extra entries raise the chance of a low number. They never guarantee a seat.
Preferences must be claimed on the original application. They cannot be added after the application window closes.
Applications close February 28, 2027; the lottery will be held March 1, 2027.
Rooted Schools Cleveland
This school's priority groups will be published here once its board adopts its enrollment policy.
No. When you apply makes no difference: every application submitted before the window closes is treated the same way, whether it's the first or the last one in. Some schools give certain groups extra entries in the draw, as listed above.
Your child goes on a real waitlist with a live position you can check anytime. Seats open often, and waitlist families are contacted as soon as one does.
No. Priority groups, like sibling priority, are set by each school's public, board-adopted policy, not by staff discretion. Within a group, order is decided purely by random number.
The draw is reproducible: the same random number is produced every time it's re-run with the published inputs, so the results can be independently audited and verified after the fact.
No. The application itself needs no documents. Paperwork like birth certificates and proof of residency is only collected later, after your child is offered a seat.
Yes. We're a free public school, and the application itself never costs anything.