It’s Open Enrollment for the 2026-2027 – Jan 1 – March 31!
All students eligible for enrollment in a North Carolina public school are eligible for enrollment at The Franklin School of Innovation. Families must provide proof of residency with their applications. Applications received outside of open enrollment may be considered after the enrollment lottery and waitlist are completed, if there is space available.
The 2026-27 enrollment lottery will be held Tuesday, April 14th at 4:30pm.
Proof of NC Domicile/Residency
Before any student can apply for enrollment (or be entered in the lottery) at The Franklin School of Innovation, the student’s parent/legal guardian* must provide proof of permanent residency (or being domiciled) in North Carolina.
* A P.O. Box will not be accepted.
Document can be:
- Copy of Deed OR record of most recent mortgage payment
- Copy of Lease
- Residency affidavit from landlord affirming tenancy AND record of most recent rent payment
- Section 8 agreement
- Letter from approved agency (group & foster home purposes only)
- A utility bill dated within the past 30 days, including: gas, water, electric, landline phone, cable.
- Valid NC driver’s license
- Valid NC photo identification card
- Vehicle tax bill (dated within the past year)
- Property tax bill (dated within the past year)
- Medicaid card (dated within the past 60 days)
- Payroll stub (dated within the past 60 days)
- Bank or credit card statement (dated within the past 60 days)
During our lottery If there are enough open slots at a specific grade level for all applications, all applicants will be offered a spot of admission. FSI will continue to accept applications on a rolling basis until all slots are filled. Any applications received after all slots are filled will be added to the waiting list, in the order of the date of receipt. If the number of applications received for any specific grade level exceeds the number of open slots, the school will hold a lottery for that grade. All complete applications received during Open Enrollment will be included in the lottery. The lottery is open to the public.
The following preferences are given for the lottery:
- Siblings of currently enrolled students, siblings of students who graduated from the School and attended the School for at least four grade levels, and siblings who apply to the charter school for admission beginning in the same school year. The term “siblings” includes any of the following who reside in the same household: full siblings, half siblings, step siblings, and children residing in a family foster home.
- Children of full-time employees (no more than 15% of the total school’s population)
- Children of members of Board of Directors
Weighted Lottery
The Franklin School of Innovation has implemented a Weighted Lottery. It is our hope that the Weighted Lottery will help us become a more intentionally diverse school by setting aside enrollment slots for lower wealth students. Students whose families meet the income guidelines for the Federal Free or Reduced Lunch program may be entered into the Weighted Lottery. Participation is optional. Families are not required to submit any additional documentation until after the lottery. By applying under the weighted lottery, you agree to provide documentation after the lottery that supports eligibility after the lottery process. Failure to provide the documentation will result in the student’s enrollment withdrawn and being placed at the bottom of the waitlist for enrollment. Families who did not check income requirements that were provided during the application process and now realize they do not qualify, will also be withdrawn and put back on the waiting list.
The Weighted Lottery is just one part of our efforts to create a school where every student feels safe, welcomed, and supported to reach their highest potential. Other efforts include a school-wide effort to exam, reflect, and challenge our own biases; providing training to improve the teaching skills of our excellent faculty; and providing services such as afterschool care and tutoring, a school nutrition program, and bus transportation.
The weighted lottery will be held before the general lottery, and after enrollment priorities are provided. This means that siblings of currently enrolled students, as well as children of staff and Board members, will be placed first. The Weighted Lottery will then be held. Any students who do not receive slots in the Weighted Lottery will be entered into the General Lottery.
LOTTERY FAQS
Will there be a lottery?
If the number of applicants exceeds the number of available student slots for a particular grade level, a lottery will be held. We anticipate this being the case every year due to the high interest and demand. Our lottery for each school year will be held in early April.
Does applying sooner increase my child’s chances in the lottery?
No. All applications submitted during the open enrollment period (Jan. 1-March 31) will hold equal weight, with the exception of the priorities, listed above.
How will I know if my application is received?
You will receive a confirmation email from SchoolMint once your application is submitted.
When will I find out if my child was chosen in the lottery?
The Lottery results will be emailed (by 6pm at the latest) notifying parents on whether their child will fill an open seat at FSI or be place on a waiting list.
If I already have a student attending FSI, does their sibling automatically get enrolled?
No, parents must submit an application for the sibling during open the open enrollment period (1/1/26 – 3/31/26). Siblings will get priority in the lottery but are not guaranteed a spot.
How long do we have before we make a decision to accept or decline the offer of enrollment?
Parents will have 7 days from the date of an enrollment offer to accept or decline. If there is no response after communication has been made, the school has the right to remove the student from the enrollment roster and offer the next student on the waiting list the spot.
I have heard that FSI can be difficult to get into. What are my odds of my student being offered a slot?
This is a difficult question to answer “as the odds” CHANGE EVERY YEAR based on how many slots are available in each grade level AND how many applications we receive for that grade level. Enrollment trends also change from year to year, so it is difficult to determine probability. Applying is easy, so you have nothing to lose!
How much does it cost to attend FSI?
The Franklin School of Innovation is a PUBLIC charter school in NC and is, therefore, tuition free!
NOTE: For specifics on how the lottery process works please read our complete Admissions Policy
