The process for enrolling your child in a top-ranked charter school like BASIS can feel complex, but it’s designed to be transparent and fair. Since charter schools are tuition free public schools of choice, students aren’t automatically assigned based on their address. Instead, families actively apply for a seat.
Because the demand for our high-achieving network is often greater than the number of seats available, we use a clear, unbiased system: Open Enrollment followed by a lottery.
Read on to understand how our Open Enrollment period works and the steps you need to take to secure a seat for the upcoming 2026–27 school year.
What Does “Open Enrollment” Mean?
“Open Enrollment” has two meanings for charter schools:
- Non-Restrictive Admission: Charter schools, by law, are open to all students. We cannot restrict admission based on academic achievement, attendance zones, or any protected class. Every child is welcome!
- The Application Window: It is the specific, designated period when families must submit an application for the following school year.
The Open Enrollment period is your best opportunity to apply. Missing this deadline means you forfeit your chance to be included in the initial enrollment lottery.
The Most Important Step: Apply During Open Enrollment
BASIS Charter Schools in Arizona, Texas, and Louisiana hold their Open Enrollment period in the late fall for the next academic year.
Critical Deadline Alert: The Open Enrollment window for the 2026–27 school year is currently open and ends soon, on December 12, 2025.
If we receive more applications than we have open seats—which is typical across the BASIS Charter Schools network—applying during this time guarantees your child a spot in our random enrollment lottery. We strongly recommend applying now to maximize your chance of admission!
Lotteries: Our Fair Enrollment System
Because we often receive more applications than we can accommodate, a lottery system is used to ensure every family has an equitable chance at admission.
The BASIS Charter School network typically conducts its electronic, randomized lottery in mid-January 2026. Only applications received during the Open Enrollment period are included in this drawing.
We do grant enrollment priority in specific, legally mandated instances, such as:
- Children of current school employees.
- Siblings of currently enrolled students
Applicants who qualify for priority are still randomly sorted within their group to ensure fairness.
What Happens If My Child Isn’t Selected?
If your child is not selected during the January lottery, they are automatically placed on a grade-specific waitlist. This waitlist order is also assigned randomly during the lottery process.
We make enrollment offers to waitlisted families as seats become available throughout the spring, summer, and sometimes even into the beginning of the school year. Your waitlist position is dynamic, so it’s always worth staying on the list!
Join the Nation’s #1 Public Charter School Network!
BASIS Charter Schools are the #1 tuition-free public charter school network in the U.S. Our schools are consistently ranked among the best in the nation, with BASIS Tucson North claiming the top spot as the #1 High School in the U.S., per U.S. News & World Report.
Our accelerated K–12 academic program ignites a passion for learning and empowers students to achieve at globally competitive levels, preparing them for success at the world’s best colleges.
The time to act is now: To apply to BASIS Charter Schools, visit our Apply page and select your region. From there, you can view detailed enrollment policies, read our FAQs, and begin the application process.
Remember: Open Enrollment for the 2026–27 school year ends December 12, 2025. Don’t wait—we can’t wait to welcome you to the BASIS Charter Schools family!
(Note: The enrollment information in this article applies to our schools in Arizona, Louisiana, and Texas. BASIS Washington, D.C. has unique enrollment policies, as it participates in the My School DC common citywide lottery. For more information, visit MySchoolDC.org.)
