FAQ

IS MY CHILD ELIGIBLE TO ATTEND DIXIE MONTESSORI ACADEMY?

As a public school, Dixie Montessori Academy is open to all students without admission requirements, except, in accordance with statute:

Children must turn five (5) on or before September 1st of the school year in order to enroll in Kindergarten. Applications received for children who are not old enough to attend school for the school year they are applying for will not be accepted.

Any student who has been expelled from any school, including Dixie Montessori Academy, during the preceding 12 months may be denied enrollment.

WHAT IS OPEN ENROLLMENT AND THE LOTTERY?

Open Enrollment is a specified and limited time when the school begins to accept applications, more commonly known as Lottery Applications, for the next school year. The Lottery is a random selection of students to be admitted when the number of applicants during Open Enrollment exceeds the number of spaces available in a particular grade.

WHEN IS OPEN ENROLLMENT AND THE LOTTERY?

Our lottery is usually held mid-February each year. The lottery opens the first week in November – Mid February. The students accepted in the lottery will be contacted via email within 72 hours via automatic email.

I MISSED THE OPEN ENROLLMENT DEADLINE. CAN I STILL APPLY?

Yes. After the initial Open Enrollment and Lottery, the school will continue to accept Lottery Applications until fall. New Lottery Applications received after the closing date of the Open Enrollment period will not be entered into the lottery, but will be processed in the order in which they are received and added to the bottom of the upcoming school year wait-list in the appropriate grade/priority AFTER all lottery students and accepted as enrollment openings become available.

WHAT ARE THE CHANCES OF MY CHILD BEING ACCEPTED AT DIXIE MONTESSORI ACADEMY?

Because of the fluctuating number of students applying for a limited number of openings in the school on a daily basis, this cannot be determined. Additionally, it is not possible to predict when and how many student openings may occur during the year, or the number of students who will accept or decline an offer of admission, all of which contribute to the rate in which movement is made through the waitlist.

HOW CAN I IMPROVE MY CHILD’S CHANCES OF BEING ACCEPTED AT DIXIE MONTESSORI ACADEMY?

Some applicants are eligible to receive preferential enrollment. If you are a founding parent of the school or employed by the school, or you have another child who is already attending the school, your child is eligible for preferential enrollment. By law, preference cannot be given for extra volunteer hours, services, special favors, or monetary donations. Please note that previous Montessori experience will not/does not improve your student's chances of being accepted.

DO I NEED TO RESUBMIT A LOTTERY APPLICATION EACH YEAR?

Because of the lottery process which is used each year to determine admission, Dixie Montessori Academy cannot maintain wait-lists for classes beyond the current school year. If your student has not been accepted to the school during the year and you wish to continue to be considered for enrollment, you will need to submit a new Lottery Application and undergo the lottery process again for the following year.

I SUBMITTED A LOTTERY APPLICATION JUST RECENTLY, IS IT NECESSARY FOR ME TO SUBMIT AGAIN?

If you submitted a Lottery Application any time prior to November 1st, you will need to submit a new Lottery Application in order to be considered for the following school year.

HOW WILL I KNOW IF MY CHILD HAS BEEN ACCEPTED?

You will be contacted via automatic email. Dixie Montessori Academy is not responsible for outdated contact information or the inability to contact you; it is your responsibility to ensure that the school has your current contact information and to respond in a timely manner to an offer of admission. The status of any child whose parent cannot be contacted or is non-responsive within a designated time period will be changed from “accepted” to “withdrawn” and the seat will be offered to another child. Generally, you will not be contacted if your student is not/has not been accepted. Contact Heather King by phone or email if you have any question about whether your child has been accepted or not.

MY CHILD’S POSITION ON THE WAIT LIST WENT DOWN? WHAT HAPPENED?

When the wait list is created (Lottery day) your child/ren’s name/s will be put in a random order which does not change. However, if a child receives priority (sibling or employee child) it could bump everyone down.

MY CONTACT INFORMATION HAS CHANGED, HOW DO I UPDATE THIS IN THE LOTTERY SYSTEM?

Please send the updated information to Heather King. If you do not receive a response acknowledging your update, you can email info@dixiemontessoriacademy.org to confirm that your update was received.

CAN I VISIT DIXIE MONTESSORI ACADEMY?

Absolutely. It would be our privilege to talk with you about the school, answer any questions you may have, and take you on a tour of our facility. To schedule an appointment, please visit the “School Tour” page of our website.

MY CHILD CURRENTLY ATTENDS DIXIE MONTESSORI ACADEMY. DO I NEED TO PARTICIPATE IN OPEN ENROLLMENT AND THE LOTTERY AGAIN?

No. Parents wishing to re-enroll their currently registered and attending students need only submit returning student and update forms to renew their registration information.

DOES DIXIE MONTESSORI OFFER A PRE-SCHOOL?

DMA does not offer a Pre-School option as part of the Charter school.

IS DMA’s KINDERGARTEN FULL DAY OR HALF DAY?

Dixie Montessori Academy’s Kindergarten classes are now a full day. See our calendar for class times and schedules.

DOES DMA OFFER TRANSPORTATION?

No. Parents are responsible to provide transportation each day.
Parents or carpooling families must have a DMA issued tag to proceed thru the driveway. Individuals with no tag must park proceed to the office for pick up and ID verification.

DOES DMA OFFER A LUNCH PROGRAM?

No. Parents are responsible for providing lunch each day. Please note that DMA does not have equipment or facilities to heat or keep cool any lunch items. Ice packs or thermos’ are recommended for these purposes.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO ATTEND OR ENROLL IN DMA?

DMA is a free public Charter School. There are no fees or costs associated with registration or enrollment.

DOES DMA PROVIDE SUPPLY LISTS BEFORE THE SCHOOL YEAR BEGINS?

No. DMA provides all the required learning materials each child needs. However, DMA has a list of school supplies needed school-wide if parents wish to donate anytime throughout the year. Receipts are available for tax write-off purposes if needed.

DO CHILDREN WEAR UNIFORMS AT DMA?

Children at DMA do not wear uniforms. DMA does have a dress standard, however. Children are not to wear or accessorize with anything that may distract from their learning or the learning of others. Clothing should be modest and appropriate for the weather and activities for the day. Children often work and sit on the floor so shorts should always be worn under skirts or dresses. Closed toes shoes are highly recommended each day.

DOES DMA FOLLOW THE WCSD CALENDAR/SCHEDULE?

DMA tries to match the WCSD main holiday schedule but cannot always do so. Please refer to the DMA Calendar under the “Parents/Students” page of our website for any comparisons needed for inquiries or planning. First days and last days of school may also differ from WCSD.