Enrollment Lottery and Application
2024-25 Enrollment Lottery
The enrollment lottery for the 2024-25 school year was run on the second Tuesday of February and is now closed.
The 2025-26 school year lottery will be open for online applications beginning January 1.
Please note:
- Each family should create one account to complete the enrollment application. (You may add multiple siblings to one family account.)
- Families applying for Kindergarten, First, Second Third, and/or Fourth Grade may opt to enter the pools for both ABS North and ABS South.
- If you have technical difficulties, you may reach out to the Lotterease help desk via the "Contact" tab. For other questions about the lottery, you may reach out to Director Hollis [email protected] Thank you!
Each February, we hold the annual ABS lottery to determine who will be admitted for the following fall. The procedure for the lottery is dictated by the state, and we follow each step with care. It’s exciting for us that our school is beloved and that so many families hope to join our community. It’s also painful that we have to turn many away. There is no advantage to turning in an application early–the lottery is entirely by chance.
In 2022, as part of the Arts Based School's abiding commitment to expanding access to our exceptional school, we introduced a weighted lottery to provide increased opportunity for students from economically disadvantaged families. Families who fall into this category receive 2:1 priority in the lottery.
Administered via an independent third-party, Lotterease, the lottery system is secure, fully randomized, and creates an auditable lottery.
Application Process
Our application process begins every January for the upcoming school year. Applications received through January 31 at 3 PM are included in the lottery, which is held on the second Tuesday in February. Any applications submitted after 3 PM on January 31 will be added to the waiting list.
Applicants accepted during the lottery will be notified via email within seven days of the lottery. All others will be added to the waiting list in the order selected.
Once a child is enrolled at ABS, they have a spot each year thereafter unless withdrawn. Siblings of currently enrolled students receive priority placement but must fill out an enrollment application.
To be eligible for the ABS lottery, students must reside in North Carolina and be five years of age on or before August 31 of the year in which they are presented for enrollment.
Verification Process for Economically Disadvantaged Families
No specific information from a family’s weighted lottery application will be obtained beyond eligibility status, and the information will not be retained. If a family is selected for enrollment through the weighted option, they must provide supporting documentation of eligibility when requested following the lottery. If a family is unable to provide the supporting documentation necessary to qualify for the weighted option, the applicant will be moved to the general waiting list.
Non-Discrimination Policy
In compliance with federal laws; the Arts Based School administers all educational programs, employment activities, and admissions without discrimination because of race, religion, national or ethnic origin, color, age, military service, disability, or gender, except where exemption is appropriate and allowed by law.