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Enrollment FAQs

FAQs

About Summit Public Schools

What is a charter school?

Charter schools are public schools. They are tuition-free and open to any student who wishes to attend. Charter schools allow parents, organizations, or community groups to restore, reinvent, and re-energize our public school system. Charter schools are designed, tailored, and governed by each local community and are governed by a non-profit board of directors, rather than an elected school board.

What does it mean to be tuition-free?

As public schools, Summit schools are free of charge to students who want to attend. There are no fees associated with enrolling in the schools. All students receive a college-preparatory education at no cost to them or their families.

Who are Summit teachers?

Our teachers are highly motivated, academically accomplished, innovative, and creative. They come to us from the best teacher preparation programs across the country because they truly believe in giving every student the skills needed to succeed in college and career.

At Summit, teachers participate in 40 days of professional development each year, during which they work together to ensure students are always receiving the highest quality education.

 

About The Summit Student Experience

What extracurricular activities are available at your schools?

Participation in extracurricular activities is essential to developing a well-rounded student. It is also an extremely important component of the college application. Applicants are most attractive when they have a strong academic record and demonstrate a sustained commitment to select extra-curricular activities.

At Summit schools, we focus on developing happy, healthy students who have a well-balanced lifestyle that mixes academic classes with personal passions and enjoyable extracurriculars. The majority of these activities are driven by student interest and demand. The philosophy at Summit schools is to embrace student leadership and initiative.

Students can expect the full support of the faculty in their interests and endeavors. Many of the activities and extracurriculars take the form of electives, clubs, committees, athletic teams, and organized social occasions.

How do Summit schools create safe environments?

Summit schools devote considerable time and attention to developing and maintaining safe school environments.

Key elements include:

  • A commitment to building and modeling character
  • A principled vs. rules-based approach
  • Consistent high standards and expectations
  • Involved parents

 

About Summit’s Enrollment Process

How can my child transfer into a Summit school now?

If you would like to transfer or enroll in one of our schools during the current school year, please submit an Intent to Enroll form either online or in person at one of our schools. If space is available, enrollment offers are made on a rolling basis. If there is no space available, we will make offers when seats become available. We will use a random selection process to determine which students will receive enrollment offers. Preferences in the random selection process will be given as provided by State law or permitted by the school’s charter. Dates for the random selection processes will be listed on our school websites at least two school days in advance.

What is the process to enroll my child for the next school year?

To start the enrollment process, please visit our Enroll page for more information. There are no academic prerequisites or other requirements for enrolling in a Summit school.

If there are more students expressing interest in enrolling than the number of available spots, we will use a random selection process to determine who will receive an enrollment offer.

Preferences in the selection process will be given as provided by State law or permitted by the school’s charter. You can contact our schools directly to learn more about their specific preferences. The random selection process is mandated by California and Washington states.

If you receive an enrollment offer, congratulations! You will have the option to enroll your student at that Summit school. If you are not yet selected, then you will be placed on a waitlist. As openings become available, students will be given enrollment offers in the order in which their name was selected in the random selection process.

California Schools Enrollment

Each Summit school in California will admit all students who wish to attend the school and who submit a timely application, unless the school receives a greater number of applications than there are spaces for students. If this occurs, Summit will have a public random selection process to determine which students will receive an enrollment offer.

Intent to enroll forms will be accepted during a publicly advertised open enrollment period each year for enrollment in the following school year. Following the open enrollment period each year, intent to enroll forms shall be counted to determine whether any grade level has received more intent to enroll forms than availability. At the conclusion of the public random drawing, all students who were not granted admission due to capacity will be given the option to put their name on a wait list according to their draw in the public random drawing.

Except as provided in the California Education Code, admission to Summit schools in California will not be determined according to the place of residence of the student or his or her parents or legal guardian within the State of California. Preference in the public random selection process will be given as required by the Education Code or permitted by the school’s charter.

Enroll in California schools: Summit Denali, Summit Tahoma, Summit Everest, Summit Prep, and Summit Shasta

California Schools Enrollment: Richmond and El Cerrito Area

Summit K2 and Summit Tamalpais are part of the Enroll West Contra Costa initiative. The initiative aims to inform the community about all public charter schools in the West Contra Costa Unified School District area and help families enroll with ease.

Enroll in Summit K2 or Summit Tamalpais

Washington Schools Enrollment

Each Summit school in Washington will be open to all students at the appropriate age groups and grade levels who wish to attend. Summit Atlas, Summit Olympus, and Summit Sierra will be open to all students without regard for the location of residence of students within Washington. If capacity is insufficient to enroll all students who apply to a school, admission to the school, except for existing students, will be determined by lottery.

Students wishing to attend Summit Atlas, Summit Olympus, and Summit Sierra must follow admission procedures with respect to completing applications, and enrollment forms and documents by the announced deadlines. Summit will not require admissions testing or other evaluations of any applicant. Summit will not charge tuition.

Following the open enrollment period each year, applications will be counted to determine whether any grade level has received more applications than capacity. If the number of students who wish to attend a Summit Washington school exceeds the school’s capacity, enrollment, except for existing students, will be determined by a lottery for each grade level. Preference in the lottery will be provided only to siblings of currently enrolled students or graduates of the school.

At the conclusion of the lottery, all students who were not granted admission due to capacity will be given the option to put their name on a wait list according to their draw in the lottery.

Enroll in Washington schools

When will enrollment offers start to be made?

Please check our Enroll pages to find our enrollment offer dates!

Should I submit Intent to Enroll forms to multiple schools?

Yes, we encourage you to submit Intent to Enroll forms to multiple Summit schools to increase your chances of being selected in the random selection process.

How do I sign up for a school tour or shadow day?

Please contact your school of interest to find out whether they hold school tours and shadow days.

If I can’t submit an Intent to Enroll form online, what are my other options?

If you’re unable to submit an Intent to Enroll form through our online portal, please visit our schools in person to fill out a paper form.

I have more questions. Who can I ask?

Please contact our schools directly to find out more information!

Summit Public Schools Equal Access Statement

Summit Public Schools Equal Access Statement

Summit schools shall be nonsectarian in its admission and enrollment policies and shall not discriminate against any student on the basis of actual or perceived disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic that is contained in the definition of hate crimes set forth in Section 422.55 of the Penal Code or association with an individual who has any of the aforementioned characteristics.

Summit schools are not allowed to discourage a pupil from enrolling or seeking to enroll in the charter school because the pupil exhibits any characteristics such as students with disabilities, academically low-achieving, English learners, neglected or delinquent, homeless, socially economically disadvantaged, foster youth, or based on nationality, race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. Summit schools are not allowed to request a pupil’s records before enrollment or encourage a child who is enrolled in a charter school to disenroll or transfer to another school. A parent, guardian, or pupil (18 years or older) who believes that a Summit school is in violation of Education Code Section 47605(d)(4) has the right to file a formal complaint. You can find the forms below.