Admissions and Enrollment Policy and Procedures
We at Spark Academy are committed to building a strong and diverse community of students and teachers. Admission to our school is open to any student residing in the State of New Hampshire. Our admissions process is meant to provide prospective families will the information needed to help parents and guardians determine if our school is a good fit for their student. The admissions process is designed to respect student rights and the law prohibiting discrimination and the violation of individual rights.
One of the goals of the admissions process is to inform prospective families of the benefits and challenges of attending a public charter school by offering informational programs on the school program and experience. Enrollment meetings with individual families will help further ensure an understanding of both the student and the school while establishing the beginning of a sound relationship between home and school.
Admissions Process Overview
Upon receipt of completed application, prospective students and their families will be asked to attend at least one informational meeting at which our educational approach and school expectations of students and their families will be explained prior to enrollment. Spark Academy will provide information for prospective students about the school, its philosophy, and expectations of attending students and their families. These and other student-related policies will be posted and available to the public, online. Parents will be asked to sign an agreement indicating their understanding of the school’s mission and other expectations as part of the admission process. A committee will review applications for completeness. A complete application includes all items found on the application checklist.
Admission shall be blind. Should the number of applicants with completed admissions application materials exceed capacity prior to the deadline date, students will be chosen by a lottery system with a wait list developed from the lottery overflow. Students applying for admission after the deadline date will be placed on the wait list to be reviewed for admission by application date after lottery overflow candidates are admitted.
Enrollment Provisions
Spark Academy will offer automatic re-enrollment to its students. Families will be asked to sign a letter of intent to re-enroll by a stated date preceding the lottery.
Spark Academy will admit students from the waitlist should space become available after the lottery. Siblings of children already enrolled at the school will be exempt from lottery, space permitting. The Board reserves the right to give preference in enrollment to the children of Spark Academy’s and Manchester Community College’s faculty and staff and Spark Academy’s Board of Trustee members. Spark Academy will reserve up to five spots for the children of Spark Academy’s and Manchester Community College’s faculty and staff.
Spark Academy Non-Discrimination Policy
Spark Academy of Advanced Technologies admits students of any race, color, sex, religion, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students in the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national or ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.
The law regarding Title IX is very clear: No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance. Spark Academy follows the letter and intent of the law with respect to all forms of discrimination. It is our intent to provide all Spark students with equal opportunity in accordance with the law and with the respect, consideration, and care which we consider to be essential to our mission.