Skip to main content
Wizard joke: I solemnly swear our SBAC administrator is up to no good!

SDLA Compliance Resource

Conduct the Charter School Public Random Drawing

An implementation guide for charter schools that receive more applications than seats to run a public random drawing with only lawful preferences and document the results.

  • Attendance & Enrollment
  • Charter Schools
  • Governance & Board Approval
Date(s)Locally scheduled each enrollment cycle (commonly winter or spring for the following year) when applications exceed capacity
Applies toCharter schools whose applications exceed capacity

In Plain Language: Charter schools must admit all students who wish to attend, up to capacity. When applications exceed capacity, the school must hold a public random drawing. Existing students are exempt, students residing in the authorizing district get a preference, and other preferences (such as siblings or children of staff) must be in the approved charter and consistent with law. The school may not require parent volunteer hours or screen students as a condition of admission.

Why this matters

An improperly run lottery or unapproved preference is a charter violation that authorizers review at renewal and can lead to complaints and loss of facilities funding eligibility.

Joint ownership

Charter: enrollment office runs the drawing; the board approves the admissions policy. Authorizer: approves preferences and reviews lottery records.

From application counts to a documented public drawing: the SDLA ITO workflow

This workflow makes the drawing public, lawful, and auditable. This SDLA ITO (Input, Transformation, Output) graphic shows how the inputs become the outputs in 9 steps.

SDLA ITO: 9 steps. Input: application data; approved preferences; capacity by grade. Transformation: apply preferences; hold the public drawing; notify families. Output: lottery results record; waitlist; authorizer documentation.
Read down each column, then move to the next: Input identifies what to collect; Transformation covers apply preferences; hold the public drawing; notify families; Output delivers lottery results record; waitlist; authorizer documentation. Each enrollment cycle when applications exceed capacity.

Open the full-size workflow graphic

Implementation workflow

  1. FallPublish timelines.Post application windows and lottery date.
  2. Application deadlineCount applications.Compare applications to capacity by grade.
  3. Lottery dateHold the drawing.Conduct the public random drawing.
  4. After the drawingNotify and waitlist.Offer seats and manage the waitlist.
  5. On requestReport.Provide results to the authorizer.

Charter lottery checklist

  • Public notice of the drawing.
  • Only approved, lawful preferences applied.
  • No prohibited admission conditions.
  • Results and waitlist documented.

Official guidance and help

Source review completed October 25, 2026. Verify your approved charter's preferences and your authorizer's documentation requirements.