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Enrollment Information

Horizon Science Academy Southwest Chicago

2024-2025 Enrollment Lottery Policy
 
 

Time and Place

The enrollment lottery for the 2024-2025 academic year will be held on March 8th, 2024, at 3:30 PM in the school cafeteria, which is located at 5401 S. Western Avenue, Chicago, IL 60609.
 

Transparency and Equal Opportunity

The lottery process will be videotaped in a time-stamped fashion. Moreover, any parent who wishes to observe the enrollment lottery is welcome to attend. Horizon Science Academy Southwest does not require any information other than grade level and contact information for participation in the lottery. The lottery is open to all City of Chicago residents.
 

Application to Lottery

All applications will be completed through the school website which requires nothing more than basic contact information about the student and the parent(s), grade level, and whether the student is currently under expulsion or not. If a parent does not have access to a computer at home, the parent will be allowed to use a computer at school for the application process. The deadline for applications is February 28, 2023.  A copy of the application form is included in the plan.
 

Method for Conducting Lottery/Creating Waitlist

  • Prepare 2” by 3” tickets for each applicant indicating the name of the applicant and the grade level.
  • Read each applicants name aloud and show the ticket to the audience and the camera.
  • Fold the ticket twice and place it in a translucent bin.
  • Cover the bin with a lid and shake it for 15 seconds.
  • Draw one ticket at a time and read the name on the ticket aloud as well as the numerical placement in the lottery.
  • Show the ticket to the audience and the camera.
  • Repeat until all tickets are exhausted.
  • Repeat the above process for each grade level.
 

Notification of Parents

A notification letter will be sent to parents sharing the results of the enrollment lottery within one week of the lottery date.
 

Enrollment and Registration Policies

Horizon Science Academy Southwest does not conduct any intake activities as a condition of enrollment. Any applicant, who is accepted as a result of the enrollment lottery, may enroll by completing the necessary paperwork within two weeks. Should the parent express disinterest or fail to complete the enrollment process within that time frame, the spot will be offered to the next student on the waitlist.
 
Horizon Science Academy Southwest provides priority to siblings of students currently enrolled. Siblings listed will be considered first before starting the process for the waitlist.
 

Notification of the Authorizer

The results of the enrollment lottery, as well as a copy of the videotape, will be submitted to the authorizer within ten days of the lottery. Should the authorizer wish to send a designee to observe the lottery process, the designee is welcome to attend.
 

Waitlist Submissions to the Authorizer

A copy of the waitlist for enrollment will be sent to the authorizer on a quarterly basis. The waitlist will indicate which students were removed from the waitlist and the reasons for removal.