Admissions and Enrollment at Gentry Academy

*Admission to Gentry Academy is open to all students, without regard to ability, race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, sexual orientation or disability or any other factors, other than the capacity of the program, class, grade level, or building. A charter school cannot limit admission to pupils on the basis of intellectual ability, measures of achievement or aptitude, or athletic ability and may not establish any criteria or requirements for admission that are inconsistent with[section 124E.11] Minnesota Statutes 2021, section 124E.11

To apply for enrollment at Gentry Academy please complete the Student Application Form.

To be eligible for enrollment, students must be entering grade 5 or above. Gentry gives preference for enrollment of the following students who:

• Meet the application deadline
• Sibling of a currently enrolled pupil or foster child of the pupil’s parents
• Child of a Gentry Academy staff member

Enrollment

After the open enrollment period ends, if the number of student applications exceeds the space available, a lottery will be held the week following the enrollment deadline. If the number of applications does not exceed the space available at a given grade level, all applicants will be admitted, and the enrollment process will continue.

Applications will continue to be accepted after the open enrollment period, admitting students at grade levels with space available and placing students on the waitlist once the lottery has been completed for grade levels already at capacity.

Admissions

After the student has been formally accepted, “additional information about the student, such as date of birth, race/ethnicity, special education status, disability data, etc. This information is used to fulfill state and federal reporting requirements, place the student in an appropriate program or class, and identify resources or supports the charter school will provide to enable the student to succeed.”   

The enrollment form is provided to families once their student has been formally accepted in order to register him or her at the charter school. It is also known as an enrollment packet, registration form, registration packet, etc. In addition, all parents and guardians enrolling a student must complete a Minnesota Language Survey which should be on a separate page of the enrollment packet.

After the open enrollment period ends, if the number of student applications exceeds the space available, a lottery will be held the week following the enrollment deadline. If the number of applications does not exceed the space available at a given grade level, all applicants will be admitted, and the enrollment process will continue.

Applications will continue to be accepted after the open enrollment period, admitting students at grade levels with space available and placing students on the waitlist once the lottery has been completed for grade levels already at capacity.

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Important Dates

The following are important dates for families interested in 2024-25 registration:

·        November 1, 2024 – Enrollment opens for students for the academic year 2025-2026

·        February 14, 2025 – Deadline for families to commit to attending Gentry

·        February 14, 2025 at 4:00 pm – Deadline for applications to be included in the lottery

·        Week of February 24th, 2025 – Enrollment lottery takes place

·        Week of March 3rd, 2025– Notification to families of lottery results

Lottery Process

1. The lottery shall begin with twelfth grade and work down by grade level.
2. Student names are randomly drawn in the lottery process. All siblings of a student whose name is drawn in the lottery will automatically receive sibling preference for enrollment or for placement on the waiting list for their grade level if that level has no open slots for placement.
3. Parents of students admitted to Gentry via the lottery process will be notified via e-mail or post card within 10 business days. Students admitted shall have 30 days from the date of their notification of admission to submit a Letter of Commitment. Failure to submit such form so that the school receives it within the 30 day time limit shall automatically result in loss of the student’s admission.
4. Children not chosen in the lottery will be placed on a waiting list by the same lottery process described above, and their parents will be notified of their child’s placement ranking on the waiting list. If anyone declines the opportunity to enroll, the next child on the waiting list will be offered the spot.
5. After the enrollment lottery, names will continue to be added to the bottom of the waiting list in the order in which their applications are received. Siblings of enrolled students applying after the enrollment lottery shall receive sibling preference and be placed at the top of the waiting list in the order in which their applications are received.
6. When a vacancy occurs during the school year, it may or may not be filled, at the discretion of Gentry Academy. Such vacancies will be filled, if at all, in order from the waiting list.

School Tours

To schedule a school tour, please reach out to Heidi Larson at  heidi.larson@gentryacademy.org or 651-604-8300.