2026-2027 ENROLLMENT
Wilmington School of the Art’s lottery runs from Dec – February each year. If you missed the enrollment window you may still apply and your child will be placed on our waitlist for consideration if space becomes available this year. A new application is needed each year if your student is not currently enrolled at WSA.
Wilmington School of the Arts shall not discriminate against any student on the basis of gender, gender identity race, creed, color, religion, national origin, age, ancestry, disability, sexual orientation or measures of intellectual ability or achievement or aptitude or athletic ability in its admissions or education programs. Tuition or admission fees shall not be charged to any student.
Admission
Admission to WSA is based on a lottery system, as required by state policy. There will be a random drawing of lottery numbers to establish enrollment and waiting lists. Maximum class size limits of 22 students in each K and 1st grade class, 24 in each class grades 2nd – 8th will determine the numbers of students allotted for each class. A waiting list will be established using the lottery system whenever capacity is exceeded and the students on the list will be contacted if and when openings occur in the current school year only. The waiting list does not roll over to the following school year. A new application must be completed and turned in to the main school office each school year to be included in the lottery.
The following exceptions to the lottery and admissions process may be made each year, in accordance with the 1997 amendments to G.S. 115C-238.29:
Currently enrolled students will be given first priority – currently enrolled families will indicate in a form in December about their intention to return. Children and grandchildren of WSA faculty/staff members will be given second priority. Siblings of currently enrolled students will be given third priority. Siblings constitute brother or sister, half-brother, half-sister, stepbrother, stepsister, or a foster child who resides in the same household as the currently enrolled student. Siblings of students who have completed the highest grade level offered by WSA and who were enrolled in at least four grade levels offered by WSA will be given fourth priority. Students who were enrolled in WSA within the two previous school years but left the school to participate in an academic study abroad program or a competitive admission residential program or because of the vocational opportunities of the student’s parent will be given fifth priority.
Weighted Lottery
WSA utilizes a weighted lottery, which allows us to meet the needs of educationally disadvantaged (ED) students in our community by giving those ED students a statistically higher chance of being selected through a random, general lottery.
Educationally disadvantaged students are defined in charter as students who are economically disadvantaged (students who qualify for SNAP, TANF, WIC, Medicaid, or PINS ). WSA will also give weighted applications to homeless or unaccompanied youth.
You will not be asked to indicate how you qualify as ED prior to enrollment, but if chosen through the lottery, you must provide supporting documentation of eligibility. If you are unable to provide supporting documentation necessary to support the weighted lottery under the category of ED, your child will be returned to the general waiting list.
All applicants will participate in the lottery for enrollment for the 2026-2027 school year. The following exceptions to the lottery and admissions process may be made each year, in accordance with the 1997 amendments to G.S. 115C-238.29: Currently enrolled students will be given first priority – currently enrolled families will indicate in a form in December about their intention to return. Children and grandchildren of WSA faculty/staff members will be given second priority. Siblings of currently enrolled students will be given third priority. Siblings constitute brother or sister, half-brother, half-sister, stepbrother, stepsister, or a foster child who resides in the same household as the currently enrolled student. Siblings of students who have completed the highest grade level offered by WSA and who were enrolled in at least four grade levels offered by WSA will be given fourth priority. Students who were enrolled in WSA within the two previous school years but left the school to participate in an academic study abroad program or a competitive admission residential program or because of the vocational opportunities of the student’s parent will be given fifth priority.
Lottery Application Period
The Lottery Application period begins December 15, 2025 and ends February 8, 2026. The lottery will take place on February 9, 2026. All participants will be notified of their lottery standing that afternoon via email, so please ensure that the supplied email address is functional and is set to receive emails from WSA.
Tours will be available beginning November 17 and will run through February 6. Tours of our facility run between 8:45 am and 10:45 am. Please email enrollment@wilmingtonschoolofthearts.com to schedule a tour!
Enrollment
Once a student has been admitted to WSA, formal enrollment is required to reserve the student’s space in the school. Enrollment will take place during the month of March. The enrollment procedure will ensure that the school has information necessary to acquire student records which are needed to meet State Board of Education records requirements for charter schools. This information includes birth certificate, immunization record, and transfer records from previous schools (public, private or home schools) including test scores, IEP/504/MTSS records and behavioral records. These records are not needed during the lottery period, but we must receive the enrollment form to reserve the space. All kindergarten enrollment forms must have a copy of the birth certificate attached.
Students admitted before May 15 will have 10 calendar days from the date of their acceptance email to accept or decline enrollment, and 7 days from the time of the acceptance email to return enrollment paperwork back to WSA.
If a student is admitted to WSA after May 15, they will have 7 days to accept or decline enrollment, and 5 days from acceptance to return enrollment paperwork.
After July 15, families will be given 48 hours to accept or decline their spot for enrollment, and an additional 3 days from acceptance to complete enrollment paperwork.
If the school does not receive enrollment confirmation and enrollment paperwork within the specified time frames, the Principal may decline enrollment to the student and offer the spot to the next student on the waitlist. If enrollment is declined and then a parent later decides that they wish to send their child after all, they will be asked to submit a new application and will be placed on the waitlist in the next available spot.
Wait lists are maintained from the time of the lottery through December of the upcoming year. If and when an opening in any grade should occur, the next child on the wait list will be called. Parents have 48 hours in which to enroll from the time the offer is extended. If enrollment does not take place within this time frame, the application will be withdrawn. WSA will exhaust all reasonable means of communication prior to the expiration of the 48 hours.
Please be sure to double check your information for accuracy on our enrollment form — students admitted into the incorrect grade level due to an input error will be placed onto the waitlist for their appropriate grade level.
Our link for Open Enrollment for the 26-27 School Year will go LIVE on December 15 and will run through February 8!