Application
Process Overview
Applying to Alturas is a straightforward, family-friendly process designed to help families understand how public charter school applications and enrollments work. This page walks you through each step, from submitting an application to accepting an enrollment offer. If you have questions along the way, our team is here to support you.
How To Apply
The first step in our admission process begins with an online application. You may begin your online application by clicking on the button to the right. Read the Application Process for detailed information on how to apply.
Families will submit online applications with SchoolMint, our Application & Lottery Management tool, the experience is quick and easy to use. Using either a mobile phone or computer, families can use a single account to submit applications for multiple children.
A lottery application must be completed and submitted to Alturas International Academy for all students interested in attending Alturas. The State of Idaho requires that your child be 5 years old by September 1st of the year they start kindergarten (please refer to Idaho Code Statute 33-201). Proof of birth date is required prior to enrolling.
Important Lottery
Information
When Is The Lottery
Alturas Academy will hold the lottery on the first Friday following March 31st. The lottery is broadcasted live on Facebook and we have a 3rd party person on site supervising the integrity of the lottery. The lottery is automated through SchoolMint, our Application & Lottery Management tool, and emails will be sent following the lottery (it should be the day of the lottery).
Our lottery software program (SchoolMint) has automated most of the process for the lottery, so there is not a lot to watch. We will have a very short live stream on Alturas International Facebook page to explain how the lottery works, announce we are beginning the lottery, and then will end the live stream. It is not necessary or required to view the live stream.
When the lottery is completed an email and/or text notification will be sent within a couple of hours (or sooner) notifying either a seat was offered or the student is on the waitlist. Next step instructions will be in the emails.
When To Apply To The Lottery
Alturas Academy will begin accepting lottery applications for the next academic school year in mid-January. The application window closes on March 31. Lottery Applications received after the deadline will be placed at the bottom of the waiting list in the order it is received.
Lottery Process
- First Priority – Students returning to Alturas Academy.
- Second Priority – Children of full-time employees, children of the Founders, provided that this admission preference is not more than ten percent (10%) of the capacity.
- Third Priority – Siblings of students already enrolled or selected by the lottery.
- Fourth Priority – Prospective students who reside within charter defined district bounds.
- Fifth Priority – Prospective students who reside outside of charter defined district bounds.
Offers For Enrollment
Waitlist
THE LOTTERY FOR THE 2026-2027 SCHOOL YEAR WILL BE HELD APRIL 3RD, 2026.
ALTURAS ACADEMY NORTH WILL HOLD THEIR LOTTERY ON APRIL 10TH, 2026.
Following the lottery, families that have applied to the lottery and are on the waitlist for the 2026-2027 school year can view their waitlist number by signing into their SchoolMint account by clicking the waitlist button.
Frequently Asked Questions
ADMISSION QUESTIONS
Do I have to reapply every year?
Yes, until a child is enrolled with Alturas, an application must be completed each year to be included in the lottery. The waitlist does NOT carry over to the next year.
Does applying for my child on the first day of the lottery window give them an advantage to being accepted?
No. As directed by state statute we accept lottery applications for a specified period of time prior to the lottery. The date/time the lottery application is submitted has NO bearing on its standing in the lottery or the waitlist. This is something that we don’t have any say over, again, we are adhering to the state statutes regarding Charter Schools. Any enrollment application submitted AFTER the lottery period is added to waitlists in the order they are received BELOW those submitted during the initial lottery enrollment period.
I am lower than I would like to be on the waitlist, is there anything I can do?
The answer is simple: no. Again, we’d encourage you to hang tight and hope for the best! We certainly wish we could enroll every interested family. We’re told by the state Charter Commission that waitlists are healthy, and a sign that we’re a great educational choice. We sincerely hope to see your student enrolled!
If one of my children is accepted does that mean all of my children will be accepted?
No. The only exception would be twins in the same grade.
My first grader got a seat but my fourth grader is number 20 on the waitlist. I'd prefer not to have my kids at different schools.
The short answer: HANG TIGHT! The longer answer: The initial waitlist sent following the lottery is strictly DRAW ORDER, the order that each student was randomized in the lottery. If you choose to register your first grader you will then have an “enrolled student”. When our waitlists are shuffled (approximately every 2 weeks beginning mid-April) your fourth grader will be moved up on the waitlist. It is the goal of Alturas, and the goal of the state, to keep families together in schools. Eventually, we hope to see siblings enrolled together. In the worst-case scenario, you have children at different schools for a time. Our enrollment will fluctuate some throughout the school year. If your other child(ren) still didn’t get in, they would enter next year’s lottery as a “sibling” and be almost guaranteed a spot.
When can I place my kindergartener on the waitlist/lottery?
Alturas Academy starts accepting applications the January before a child would start Kindergarten.
Special Education & 504 Services
Does Alturas provide Special Education and 504 Services?
Alturas Academy, offers, free of charge, special education and 504 services to those students who meet federal and state requirements. All information regarding a student’s ability level is confidential and protected through the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). If you have questions about the programs and referral process, please contact the school office.