Enrollment & Admission

Connections Education Center

Enrollment for Pre-K through 8th

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We are a Palm Beach County charter school located in West Palm Beach, and our curriculum includes functional academics plus early interventions for children with autism and related disabilities.

Connections Education Center is open to all students ages 3-14 who have a medical diagnosis of autism or a related disability. Residents of Palm Beach County are given priority, and nonresidents of our county are welcome if space remains. We are currently unable to offer transportation between school and home.

Enrollment Policy

We will admit students of any race, color, nationality and ethnic origin, religion, sexual orientation or gender. Pursuant to Section 1022.33(10)(b), the school shall enroll any eligible student who submits a timely application unless the number of applications exceeds the capacity of a program, class, grade level or building. In such cases, all applicants shall have an equal chance of being admitted through a random lottery selection process. Enrollment will also follow FS 1002.33(15)c, which includes enrolling students according to racial/ethnic balance provisions in 1002.33 (7)(a)8.

Key Dates for Application

Enrollment for each upcoming school year will open on July 1 and close on May 1.

Admission Inquiry

Controlled Enrollment Policy

Commencing FY18, Connections Education Center of the Palm Beaches (CECPB) will comply with Fla. Stat. 1002.31 by instituting a Controlled Open Enrollment, or COE. COE provides parents and legal guardians of children entering grades K-8, the opportunity to apply to a school outside the assigned boundary school, Per this Statute, parents and legal guardians currently residing in any school district in the State of Florida, may apply to CECPB. Admission will be accepted if CECPB has not reached the established capacity.

In accordance with 1022.33 (10)(d), the School may give enrollment preference to the following populations:

Students who are siblings of a student enrolled in the School
Students who are the children of a founding board member of the School
Students who are the children of a school staff member
Students who reside in Palm Beach County

Limited Scope

Controlled Open Enrollment options are not available for pre-K students.

Criteria for Participation

Eligible Students must meet the guidelines outlined in the Enrollment Procedures below. CECPB must be below 90% capacity. Families will be notified via email, phone, and in writing if they are excepted thru the Controlled Open Enrollment policy and then will proceed to the enrollment procedures outlined below.

Enrollment will also follow FS 1002.33(15)c, which includes enrolling students according to racial/ethnic balance provisions in 1002.33 (7)(a)8. In accordance with 1022.33 (10)(d), the School may give enrollment preference to the following populations:

Students who are siblings of a student enrolled in the School
Students who are the children of a founding board member of the School
Students who are the children of a school staff member
Students who reside in Palm Beach County

Scope of Assignment

Placement through the Controlled Open Enrollment shall remain in effect until the last grade available at CECPB which is, grade 8.

Transportation

Transportation will not be provided for students who are assigned to a school through COE.

Enrollment Procedures

Student applications will be made accessible on the school website, and in paper form at the school.

Application Period

Enrollment for each upcoming school year will open on July 1 and close on May 1. School administration will have until May 15 to place current and potential students based in spots available in each grade/classroom. Once applicants are placed in the appropriate grade/classroom, any grade/classroom that has an over subscription of students will have a lottery conducted. If any grade/classroom has an under subscription of students, enrollment will reopen until all spots are filled. Any applications received after spots are filled will go on a waiting list.

Registration periods will be made public via the school’s website.

Upon submission of an application, the information will be date stamped, reviewed for eligibility of attendance, and filed by grade level. All accepted applicants will be provided with written registration requirements. Documentation required by the District is collected for review and verification. The following items are generally required for all students:

For those applicants that will be served as students with disabilities, a copy of the active IEP with Autism Spectrum Disorder as a primary eligibility (DD for children under age 6 as long as there is data to support an ASD diagnosis) is required.
Proof of residence
Current immunization/medical history

At each phase of the admission process the appropriate correspondence will be generated and communicated to each applicant. This will include an email and/or letter sent to the applicant to confirm receipt of the application. The data will be monitored and reports created to determine the need for a lottery, wait lists, and letters of acceptance.

Upon receipt of the application, parents will be contacted to come in for a tour and orientation. The schools mission and parent and student expectations will be discussed to insure that the school fits the needs of the family.

Enrollment for each upcoming school year will be closed on May 1st to give administration time to place current and potential students. There will be a two week window to complete enrollment.

The number of seats available will be determined by the number of students who recommit minus the capacity. This is in compliance with Section 1002.33 (10) (b).

If, at the end of the Open Enrollment, there is an over subscription for any grade level a lottery will be conducted. (see below for lottery procedures)
Parents will be notified in writing of their child’s acceptance no later than fourteen (14) days past the acceptance period deadline and will respond to the school in writing of their decision to attend no later than 1 week after acceptance. If an accepted applicant decides not to attend the school, the slot will be given to the first person on the waiting list for that particular age/grade level.

All applications received after the open enrollment period will be placed at the bottom of the waiting list for that particular program, class, or grade level in the order in which they are received.

Lottery Rules and Procedures

Rules: General

1. For the purposes of the following rules, the following terms are defined as:

All references to dates are defined to mean WITHIN THE HOURS OF OPERATION on the date indicated.
Manual lottery refers to the selection of applicant names by a random method such as the blind drawing of individual names from a container in sequence until all names in the container have been exhausted.

2. All Applicants who applied within the open enrollment window (Students not already attending the School) participate in the lottery. The Executive Director / Principal notifies the necessary parties of preference status prior to the lottery date.

3. Only applications received prior to the end of the enrollment deadline are eligible to participate in the lottery.

4. All applicants offered a seat shall be required to affirmatively respond to an offer for acceptance within 1 week of notice of acceptance. Those not responding (excludes declines) will be moved to the end of the waitlist.

5. Only one (1) lottery shall be conducted by a school to include all grades in which the number of Applicants exceeds the number of expected seats available.

At the end of the open enrollment window, if the number of Applicants is less than the number of seats anticipated to be available, no public lottery shall be conducted for that grade.
Siblings of Applicants in another grade who are offered and have accepted admission based upon the preference established by the school shall maintain the seat accepted. If the offer for the sibling has been rescinded, the open slot will be placed in the lottery.

6. ALL offers of enrollment shall be made in the order of the lottery results and established wait list. NO OFFER SHALL BE MADE TO A STUDENT NOT PROPERLY ENTITLED TO THE NEXT AVAILABLE SEAT.

Rules: Preferences

1. All preference categories shall be published prior to the conduct of the lottery

2. All Applicants entitled to receive a placement preference shall be identified PRIOR to the lottery

3. Preference status entitles an applicant to be offered an available seat ahead of applicants without a preference status.

4. Preferences granted are subject to review and verification. The School reserves the right to rescind acceptance offers if the preference status is not verified or validated (i.e. proof of legal guardianship).

5. In accordance with 1022.33 (10)(d), a charter school may give enrollment preference to the following populations:

Students who are siblings of a student enrolled in the School
Students who are the children of a founding board member of the School
Students who are the children of a school staff member
Residents of Palm Beach County

6. Siblings who are applying for the first time will receive preference only after one of the siblings has been selected in the lottery and accept their seat.

CECPB does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, age, disability or marital status in its educational programs, services or activities, or in its hiring or employment practices.