What is a Charter School? (from the NC DPI Office of Charter Schools website)

Charter schools are public schools of choice that are authorized by the State Board of Education and operated by independent non-profit boards of directors. State and local tax dollars are the primary funding sources for charter schools, which have open enrollment and cannot discriminate in admissions, associate with any religion or religious group, or charge tuition. Charter schools operate with freedom from many of the regulations that govern district schools, but charter schools are held accountable through the State assessment and accountability system.

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Is there a cost/tuition to attend Longleaf School of the Arts?

No, Longleaf School of the Arts is a free, public charter school.

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What are the school hours and drop-off/pick-up times?

The school hours are 8:30am-3:30pm.  The building opens at 7:45am and all students must depart the building by 3:45pm unless staying afterschool for a club or tutoring.  Any students in the building after 3:45pm must be under a staff member's supervision. 

 

Does Longleaf School of the Arts follow the WCPSS calendar?

No, Longleaf does not follow a particular school system calendar, although our calendar is most similar to the WCPSS traditional calendar.  As a charter school we are able to develop our own calendar within State guidelines.  Please see the Calendar and Daily Schedule page of the website for our current year calendar. https://www.longleafschool.org/calendar-and-daily-schedule

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Does Longleaf School of the Arts provide transportation?

No, as a charter school LSA does not receive the funding necessary to provide transportation.  Parents/Guardians are responsible for providing their child's transportation to attend LSA.  Here are a few resources to consider:

• The LSA PTSA coordinates a carpool sign-up for parents to contact each other regarding possible carpool arrangements (see PTSA page).

• Longleaf is located near the Route 7 bus stop #8415 (behind Bojangles) of the Go Raleigh Bus Line (https://goraleigh.org/).

• A group of parents in North Raleigh has privately contracted with a shuttle bus company to transport their children and split the cost amongst themselves.  Interested families can email here for more information.

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Does Longleaf School of the Arts offer free and reduced lunch?

Yes, Longleaf does provide lunch assistance to qualifying families.  ALL (new and returning) students who anticipate qualifying for either free or reduced lunch are required to submit a Free & Reduced Lunch Application each year prior to the start of school. You must submit an application to Longleaf even if you have submitted one to your County’s Public School for other students. You may submit a copy of the student’s County application or letter of certification to receive free or reduced lunches in lieu of completing LSA’s application.
 

Who is eligible to apply to Longleaf School of the Arts?

Current 8th grade (applying to 9th), current 9th grade (applying to 10th), and current 10th grade (applying to 11th)* students are eligible to apply during the open application window.  Parents/Legal Guardians must be a legal resident of North Carolina at the time of application, and proof of residence is required to complete the registration process.  At this time Longleaf does not admit 12th grade students.  *11th grade will be accepted beginning with the 2022-23 school year

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What is the application process?

Prospective students/families set up an account and apply through SchoolMint, the online system that LSA uses for application, lottery, and enrollment/registration.  Families without internet access may set up an appointment to come to LSA for access and/or assistance in completing an application.

 

The application button will be live on the LSA website during the published application window dates (see Admissions page), generally mid-January through mid-February.

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Are auditions required for admission?

No, auditions are not required for admission to Longleaf School of the Arts.  There is no minimum skill level or talent required for enrolling in beginner level arts courses -  however, an interest in at least one of the arts is highly recommended due to the number of arts credits required to meet the LSA graduation requirements.

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How does the admissions process work?

The LSA Board of Directors decides on the number of seats that will be available during the application/enrollment process for each upcoming school year.  As each family completes their application they are assigned a lottery/identification number.  If the number of applicants exceeds the number of open seats, LSA will hold a lottery to determine which applicants receive offers of admissions, and all other applicants are placed on a numbered wait-list.  Families are notified of their status via email through their SchoolMint account.  The lottery is generally held Mid-March (date will be posted on Admissions page).

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Is attendance at the lottery required?

No, families are not required to attend the lottery.  The lottery is a public event held at LSA in the gallery and is open to anyone that wishes to attend in person.  Date and time of the lottery will be posted on the LSA Admissions page.

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When is the decision deadline for students selected during the lottery?

Families are given a two week window from lottery night to accept/decline their offer of a seat.  The decision deadline is posted on the Admissions page.  Offers that are not accepted by the deadline are rescinded.

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Are all applicants given equal status in the lottery?  Are siblings or employee children given priority?  

Siblings of currently enrolled LSA students and children of full-time employees/board members are given priority status in the lottery.  Students in priority categories must follow the application process in order to receive priority status.  All other applicants are equal and chosen at random through the automated lottery program in SchoolMint.

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What is the process for students that are placed on the wait-list?

Families on the wait-list will be contacted as open seats become available.  Offers are sent out via the SchoolMint system therefore it is recommended to provide an email address that is actively monitored.  Families may also choose to receive text message alerts that an email has been sent.  Offers that are not accepted by the deadline date listed in the offer email are rescinded and the next family on the list is contacted.

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What else is required to complete registration at LSA?

After accepting a seat, families must complete the registration form (including uploaded documents) in the SchoolMint system within two weeks of acceptance.  The list of required registration documents will be listed on the New Student Registration page of the website.

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*please email studentservices@longleafschool.com with admissions questions not answered above.

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