Enrollment
Re-Enrollment for Byron Center Charter School
Authorized by Grand Valley State University
Enrollment will open February 1, 2026 for the 2026-27 school year. Re-enrollment forms will be sent via email to all currently enrolled families. Returning families, please complete the online form and submit to the office as soon as possible once the form is received. Currently enrolled students whose enrollment form is turned in by March 30th will automatically be admitted for the following school year. If the re-enrollment form is received after March 30th, enrollment is not guaranteed.
New Student Enrollment
Enrollment forms for new students are available on our website or at the school office. Enrollment applications from students not currently enrolled, received by March 30th, will be reviewed.
- Parents/Guardians will be notified of admittance status by April 15th. (accepted, denied or lottery)
- Lottery: in cases where new enrollment requests exceed the grade level student count limit, a random selection lottery will be held on April 16th in the school office.
Priority Status Students
Siblings of currently enrolled BCCS students, and children of current staff and/or current board members have priority status for enrollment (per Michigan law). Priority status means if there are openings for enrollment, students from this group will be admitted first. This applies to the March 30th deadline only.
After March 30th, enrollment will remain open until classes are full. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the office@byroncentercharter.org
Admission and Class Structure
- Byron Center Charter School is a free public school academy open to all age-appropriate children for the grade levels offered. Byron Center Charter School does not discriminate based on race, religion, creed, color, national origin, disability, English proficiency, measures of achievement or aptitude, homeless status, intellectual or athletic ability, or any other basis that would be illegal for an existing school district.
- Admissions shall comply with all federal and state laws.
- Admissions shall be limited to those students who are residents of the state, except foreign exchange students.
- The school will predetermine the eligibility of enrollment for all new students.
- The initial deadline to submit enrollment applications for the following school year is April 15.
- Initial determinations of student enrollment for the following year will be communicated as soon as possible, yet no later than May 1st.
- Currently enrolled students who submit the re-enrollment form by the deadline (April 15) will automatically continue enrollment in BCCS for the following year.
- Eligible new students will be considered for enrollment in each grade/class that does not meet the enrollment cap by the April 15 deadline.
- The siblings of current students, children of staff members and current members of the Board of Education will be given priority for enrollment.
- In the event the number of new student applications exceeds the enrollment cap, a random selected lottery will be used to determine new enrollees.
- The lottery will be held in the school’s office as soon as all student eligibility is predetermined.
- The lottery will identify the order of new students enrolled and those placed on a grade-/class-level waiting list.
- If the enrollment cap is not met with students who enrolled by the April 15 deadline, an open enrollment to new students will continue until the grade/class is full on a first come-first serve basis.
- If the enrollment cap is met with students who enrolled by the April 15 deadline, a waiting list will be maintained in the order as determined by the lottery followed by the order of new student applicants received by the school.
- If at any time the number of students falls below the enrollment cap, new student applicants will be offered enrollment in the order designated by the waiting list.
- Byron Center Charter School will hold an informational meeting for the parents/guardians of new students who are considered as first time (new) families to BCCS in August.
- At the start of each school year, Byron Center Charter School reserves the right to offer the slots of students enrolled to students on the waiting lists for enrollment after the second full day of school if enrolled students have not attended, and/or have not made prior arrangements for absences, and/or have not communicated their intent to remain enrolled with the school at the start of the year.
Class Structure (Enrollment Capacity)
Each K-5 grade/class will have a maximum number of 22 students, and the maximum number in grades 6-12 is 24 students. The Board of Directors may authorize the cap to be raised in extenuating circumstances.
Foreign Exchange Students
Foreign exchange student’s enrollments will not exceed 2 per year and may not be counted in the class/grade numbers.
Ref: Board Policy 5111
Revised: 8/24/21
Admission of Students - Board Policy
Reference: MCL 380.502(3)(e)(iii); MCL 380.504
The Board of Directors will allow students who reside in Michigan to enroll in the Academy in accordance with limits established by the Board of Directors. Because space is limited, each student must enroll each year. Preferences will be in writing and given to:
- pupils who were enrolled in the Academy in the immediately preceding school year;
- siblings of enrolled students;
When maximum enrollment for a grade has been reached, applicants shall be placed on a waiting list and admitted on the basis of a lottery system.
The School Leader shall develop Administrative Procedures for the proper implementation of this policy.
Adopted 5/16/17
