What is a charter school?

Charter schools are tuition-free public schools open to all students.

They operate independently of a school district through a contract (“charter”) agreed upon by a local school district, county office of education, or the state. The charter sets goals for which the school will be held accountable. In turn, charter school leaders and teachers are given the freedom and flexibility to try new approaches to education. Charter schools have unique models and offer an option for families seeking a different educational experience for their children.

All charter schools in West Contra Costa are run by not-for-profit organizations.

More FAQs

General Questions About Charter Schools

What is a charter school?: Charter schools are tuition-free public schools open to all students. They operate independently of a school district through a contract (“charter”) agreed upon by a local school district, county office of education, or the state. The charter sets goals for which the school will be held accountable. In turn, charter school leaders and teachers are given the freedom and flexibility to try new approaches to education. Charter schools have unique models and offer an option for families seeking a different educational experience for their children. All charter schools in West Contra Costa are run by not-for-profit organizations.
Who can attend a charter school?: Charter schools are open to all students. Charter schools celebrate diversity and welcome all students, regardless of their background or special needs. Like all public schools, charter schools are required to enroll and serve students with disabilities, and are committed to providing high quality and legally compliant special education services to any student with disabilities. California's SB 75 prohibits charters from discouraging any pupil from seeking to enroll, or encouraging existing pupil to dis-enroll for any reason including academic underperformance, EL status, socioeconomics, disability, foster status, homelessness, race or ethnicity, gender identity or sexual orientation. This applies even when a parent or student merely seeks information about the school (e.g., attends informational meeting or picks up enrollment materials), applies for enrollment, and when actually enrolled.
What qualifications do charter school teachers have?: Charter schools in California are required to hire credentialed teachers for all core academic subjects.
What charter schools can I apply to using EnrollWCC?: Nine out of 14 charter schools in West Contra Costa are participating in EnrollWCC . This means you can use the common application to apply to any or all of these schools. Click here to see a full list of participating schools.

Questions About Applying to Charter Schools

How does the application and enrollment process work?: All interested students must submit an application, which asks for basic student information such as name, grade level, and contact information. When a charter school receives more applications than space allows, a random lottery is held to determine enrollment. After the lottery is held, if a child receives an enrollment offer, they must confirm enrollment with the school and complete additional paperwork, such as emergency contact information and immunization records. If a child does not receive an enrollment offer because all spaces are filled, they are automatically added to the school’s waitlist.
How does the lottery work?: If more students apply to a school than there are spaces are available, each school will conduct a lottery to determine which applicants will be offered admission. A computer system randomly selects names based on priorities in each charter school's lottery. The process is automatic, and is audited. Each school has its own admissions priorities and waiting list process. Please refer to each school's pages on this website for more information on that school's admissions priorities. Lottery priorities vary by school, and all are authorized by the school board, a county office of education, or the state. Each school will contact students on the waiting list if space becomes available.
What does it mean to be on a school’s waitlist?: Because there can be more applications to a school than openings at that school, enrollment is not guaranteed. Many charter schools have waitlists and enroll more students as additional openings become available. Charter school waitlists cannot roll over from year to year, based on state law. Waitlists remain in place through the end of each school year. For example, if an application is submitted for the 2024-2025 school year, a child’s name will be on the waitlist only until the end of this year. The following year, everyone has an equal chance when reapplying.
How many charter schools can I apply to at once?: You can apply to as many charter schools as you like that serve your student’s grade level. Applying to more charter schools increases your overall chances of receiving an enrollment offer.
If I apply to more than one school, will this affect my child’s chances of getting into a specific charter school?: No. However, applying to more than one school will increase your overall chances of receiving an enrollment offer because you will enter the lottery at multiple schools. It will have no impact on your application to any particular school.
I already submitted an application for only one charter school. How do I apply to other charter schools?: Log into Avela using the account you created for your initial application. If you have forgotten your username or password, see instructions to recover it. Please avoid creating more than one account, as duplicates can cause complications in the system.
School X is my top choice. I want to wait until I see if my child gets an offer there first. Should I apply to the other schools after the lottery?: We recommend that you apply to all schools that you might be interested in before the February application deadline. After that date, you will still be able to apply to other schools in the Round 2 application process. However, by that time, all schools will have already run their lotteries, and most of them will only be accepting applications for their waitlist. Applying to multiple schools before the February deadline is in your best interest, as it will have no impact on your application to School X while increasing your overall chances of receiving an enrollment offer.

Questions about Applications before the February Deadline

Does it matter when I submit my application?: We recommend applying as soon as possible. As long as your application is received by the February deadline, your chances of admission will not be affected in any way. All applications received by that date will be included in a randomized lottery process per each school’s lottery preferences.
How do I know if my application has been received?: Once your application is submitted to Avela, you will receive a confirmation email or text message. For applications for the 2025-2026 school year, you will receive a notification by February 28, 2025 from each school you selected informing you of their lottery results. For applications to the 2024-2025 school year, you will only hear from schools if there is an opening this year and your child has reached the top of their waitlist. Please keep your contact information up to date in your Avela profile because that is how schools will communicate with you.
Is a paper application available?: No. All applications must be submitted online. If you need help accessing or completing the application, please go to the front office of any Enroll WCC participating school once schools reopen, or call the school's main office.
How can I get additional help with my application?: Call or visit any participating EnrollWCC school during regular work hours.

Questions about Applications after the February Deadline

I missed the application deadline, but I’m still interested in applying. What can I do?: For the 2025-2026 application year, the initial application period (called Round 1) ends on February 14, 2025. If you miss the Round 1 deadline, you can submit a Round 2 application after February 18, 2025. Your application will be considered for enrollment after applicants who applied by the Round 1 deadline. Round 2 applications will not be included in any school’s lottery. If a school has availability, Round 2 applicants will be enrolled on a first-come, first-served basis, per each school’s policy. If a school does not have availability, Round 2 applicants will be added to the waitlist.
Who can apply during the Round 2 process (after February 18, 2025)?: Anyone! Round 2 applications are usually submitted by families who missed the application deadline, just moved to the area, or are interested in a different school option.

Questions About Admissions & Enrollment

How do charter schools use priorities in the admissions process?: When a public charter school receives more applications than space allows, a lottery is held to determine which students will be enrolled. Each school’s lottery may differ in the way it prioritizes different types of applicants, in accordance with its school policies and California charter school law. Visit the individual school's page on this website to learn more about each school's admissions priorities.
How do I accept an enrollment offer at a charter school?: To accept an offer to a school, login to your Avela account. The Student Dashboard lists any applications you have submitted, along with their status. If an application is in "offered" status, there will also be a button that you can click to accept the offer, as well as another button that you can click to decline that offer. Click "accept" to accept. You should get a confirmation email and/or text confirming that you accepted, with more instructions on how to register. Please note that after this step, you must register with the school to ensure your seat. You can ONLY accept an offer at ONE school, even if you receive offers from multiple schools. If you are on the waitlist at additional schools, accepting an offer will NOT remove you from other schools’ waitlists.
After I accept an offer, how do I register?: After you accept an offer at one school, that school will contact you to complete a registration process. This may include additional paperwork, verification of student records, and other steps. The enrollment process will be complete only when you submit all required documents to the school itself.

Questions About Accommodations for Student Needs

What programs do charter schools offer for students with disabilities?: Charter schools celebrate diversity and welcome all students, regardless of their background or needs. As public schools, charter schools are required to enroll and serve students with disabilities in the same manner as traditional public schools. Charter schools understand their responsibility to serve all students and are committed to providing quality and compliant special education services to students with disabilities. Because charter schools have additional flexibility, they can offer individualized support and various educational strategies to meet the needs of all students, including those with disabilities and other unique challenges. Contact each school directly for detailed information about the special education services they provide.

Questions About Transfers To or From WCCUSD Schools

What about WCCUSD schools?: West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) operates more than 50 public schools. For more information about your zoned neighborhood school, other district options, and how to register, visit the WCCUSD website. View data about WCCUSD schools, student demographics, and academic results on the California School Dashboard.
Can I attend a WCCUSD school other than the one assigned to me?: Yes. To attend a WCCUSD other than your assigned neighborhood school, you can request a transfer during the annual Transfer Enrollment period. Visit https://www.wccusd.net/transfers for more information. Please note, WCCUSD gives priority to students who are assigned to attend or are currently attending a Title I, Program Improvement school. These schools are: Bayview, Chavez, Coronado, DeJean, Downer, Grant, Greenwood, Highland, King, Riverside, and Stege.

Privacy & Security of My Personal Info with EnrollWCC and Avela

Is my personal information secure? I’m concerned about privacy and data sharing.: Avela is a secure website that families across the country use to apply to schools. It will only ask you basic information such as name, relationship to student, contact information, and student birth date, NOT Social Security number or other personal details. Learn more about Avela’s privacy policy at https://avela.org/privacy-policy. Application information will only be used to contact you and to ensure accuracy during the lottery and enrollment process. Information will only be shared with schools and staff participating in EnrollWCC.