CMS Reopens the School Choice Lottery Through Feb. 19

CHARLOTTE-MECKLENBURG SCHOOLS School Choice Lottery is opening back up until February 19 for Round 2! If you haven’t applied yet, it’s not too late! There are still great schools with space all across the county. Match your dreams to your school with our different magnet programs.

(Already applied? Scroll down and check out some key information you don’t want to miss!)

Available Programs:

Albemarle Road Relief
Theme: Spanish Language Immersion
Grades: K-8
Open Lottery Grades: K, 1, 6
Transportation Zone: Green

This school is brand new! It is located on the old Eastland Mall property. Families are excited about this new program and the opportunity to have a Spanish Immersion program in the green zone. Language Immersion programs promote high academic achievement in literacy and proficiency in dual languages while enhancing the level of cultural awareness among students.

Grades K-1 and 6 will be available for the 2018-19 school year. The program will grow by a grade each year until grades kindergarten through 8th grade are served. There is also an attendance boundary for this school, which will relieve nearby elementary and middle schools. To be entered into the Language Immersion program, students must apply for the lottery. A late assessment is required for students after 1st grade to enter the program.

Greenway Park Elementary School
Theme: Creative Arts & Sciences
Grades: K-5
Open Lottery Grades: K-3
Transportation Zone: Green

Greenway Park Creative Arts and Sciences Magnet School is located in Southeast Charlotte, near the Sardis Road North area. The creative arts and sciences program was determined based on input from the community to provide instruction through the arts and sciences to foster the creative gifts in all children. Students will have the opportunity to participate in band, orchestra, and dance, while receiving integrated content and arts curriculum instruction in the classroom. Hands on science instruction in a newly created science lab and maker-space furnished with LEGO robotics will be available next year. The magnet program will be accessible to all Greenway Park students. All students living within the Greenway Park attendance zone have a seat as a neighborhood student. The creative arts and sciences magnet will continue to Crestdale Middle School, where students will have the opportunity to apply and continue their creative arts and sciences education.

Long Creek Elementary School
Theme: Visual & Performing Arts
Grades: K-5
Open Lottery Grades: K-3
Transportation Zone: Violet, Blue portion of the West Mecklenburg High feeder pattern

Located on 23 beautiful acres in northern Mecklenburg County, Long Creek opened in 1923. This school will introduce the Visual & Performing Arts theme in 2018-19. Students receive weekly classes in each of the four arts disciplines, as well as Arts integrated instruction in their grade-based classroom. Students will continue into middle and high school at Northwest School of the Arts, a highly successful school and nationally renowned program.

Marie G Davis
Theme: International Baccalaureate
Grades: K-8
Open Lottery Grades: K-5
Transportation Zone: Blue, Green, Violet

Marie G Davis sits on a beautiful campus 2 miles south of Charlotte in South End. The International Baccalaureate program was introduced here in the 2017-18 school year. This popular theme is highly sought after in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and has been well-received by the community. This theme continues all the way through 12th grade.

The IB program is a rigorous program of study that focuses on critical thinking and international mindedness. The program seeks to develop the whole child — intellectually, personally, socially and emotionally — through teaching of cultural understanding, language development and volunteerism. Designed to reinforce a positive attitude, the program teaches students to ask challenging questions, reflect critically, develop research skills and become active learners.

University Park Creative Arts
Theme: Visual & Performing Arts
Grades: K-5
Open Lottery Grades: K-5
Transportation Zone: Violet

University Park Creative Arts is located 3 miles north of Charlotte right around the corner from Northwest School of the Arts. The Visual & Performing Arts theme in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools has been highly successful for our scholars. At the elementary level, the Arts are used as a catalyst for building a collaborative, creative, Arts-infused culture and community. Having the opportunity for these talented students to access this curriculum in elementary school is extremely valuable! Students from here can continue into middle and high schools focusing on their interests and talents in the arts.

Round 2 Dates:

Enroll in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools by February 5, 2018.
Submit your application January 12 – February 19, 2018. The lottery is open from 6am to 10pm daily.
Notification letters will be mailed early March 2018.

Key Information:

If you applied in Round 1 and received a letter stating you have been placed in the school of your first choice, that assignment will not change.

If you applied in Round 1 and did not get placed in the school of your first choice, you’ll automatically be enrolled for later rounds.

The lottery is always working to place each student in their top preference. This may mean your assignment changes after each round if your preference is available. Assignment changes in the lottery process are automatic – there is no option to accept or decline.

Waitlists will not be generated until the end of the Round 3.

A notification letter will be mailed to you after each round of the lottery with your assignment. If you get placed into a school of higher preference, you will receive a new letter. If you receive an assignment letter stating you have been placed in the school of your first choice, that assignment will not change.

We will start to call with assignment changes from the waitlist during the summer months. You will have the option to stay in your current assignment or choose the waitlist seat. This option is only available after the lottery rounds have closed and for the waitlist process only.

Questions? Email us at schoolchoice@cms.k12.nc.us or call 980-343-5030.