How to Enroll
Admissions
Admission to the school shall be open to any resident of Merced County or adjacent counties who wish to pursue an inclusive nonclassroom-based, personalized learning environment or a classroom-based dual-language immersion program for all students, including students with special needs. No test or assessment shall be administered to students prior to acceptance and enrollment into MSCS, with the exception of students in grades 2 through 6 in the DLI program, who will be assessed on their language ability.* All students will be considered for admission without regard to nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, disability, perceived disability or any other characteristic.
Upon interest in the school, parents complete the Intent to Enroll Form for the appropriate program (see below) , which is limited to the program of interest, the student’s name, address, age, grade, and names of siblings. Intent to Enroll Forms are accepted throughout the year.
When a vacancy does occur, parents and students meet with a school administrator or designee, individually or during a group orientation, to discuss:
- The unique programs offered at the school
- The school philosophy
- The Schoolwide Learner Outcomes and expectations for students and parents
- Any questions or concerns the student or parent may have.
After the meeting, the parent and student will decide if they would like to continue with the enrollment process and if so, the enrollment information is then collected and processed.
*By grade two, to enroll in a dual immersion program, students must have enough ability in the partner language as they will be joining a class where students have been studying in Spanish or Hmong immersion curriculum for one or more years. Entering students must have a level in the partner language similar to those students enrolled in their grade level. Students in grades 2 through 6 will be assessed on their language proficiency in either Spanish or Hmong, depending on which program they would like to enroll in.
Lottery Preferences and Procedures
MSCS shall admit all students who wish to attend. If the number of pupils who wish to attend MSCS exceeds the school’s capacity in any grade or class of each program, enrollment shall be determined by a public random drawing (“lottery”). Students currently enrolled in the school are exempt from the lottery. Existing students who wish to return must notify MSCS during open enrollment.
Prior to the drawing, or lottery, MSCS shall have the right to grant priority in admissions to the following (listed in order of preference):
- Siblings of currently enrolled students
- Children who reside within Merced County
- Children who reside within adjacent counties to Merced County
After the wait list has been created through the lottery system, intent to enroll forms will continue to be accepted and date/time stamped on a rolling basis for addition to the wait list with students accepted for enrollment on a basis of available capacity. If no lottery was conducted for students enrolling for the current school year, students who complete an intent to enroll form and after meeting with the school administrator will be accepted into the program, space permitting. Once student enrollment capacity has been met, students will be added to the waitlist in the order received and will be contacted for enrollment when there is an opening and in the order of the waitlist.
Still interested?
If you are interested in attending our school, please complete the following form:
Are you looking for our MSCS Dual Language Immersion Program? Click here for more information or complete the Intent to Enroll form below.