What Is a Charter School?

Charter schools are tuition-free public schools of choice which are operating under a performance charter.  The charter allows the school to operate under a set of defined rules and guidelines under the supervision of  a governing board.  Charter schools are held to the same academic standards as traditional public schools,  and their students are assessed using the same state assessments as other public schools.  Charter schools are required to adhere to state education laws including background screening all staff, establishing a school safety plan, hiring qualified, Florida certified teachers, and operating in a fiscally and academically responsible manner.  Mi Escuela Montessori is open to any student in Polk County, FL, however the school guarantees transportation for students residing within 2-5 miles from the school and may provide hubs for transportation within 8 miles.  

Application Process

The demand for our dual language Montessori preschool program is very high.  Please complete all of the following steps to ensure you understand the differences between our program and other programs and that you feel we are a good fit for your family.  We aim to enroll families who are committed to being a long term part of our school community through their children's elementary education. Our enrollment process consists of the following steps:
  1. Review information on the Charter School on our website and application materials. 
  2. The application for Mi Escuela Montessori will open on this site on January 8 at 8:00am through February 16 at 4:00pm, and concurrent with Polk County Public Schools open enrollment for schools of choice.  
  3.  When the application opens, create an account with our online application system.  Complete one application for each child. If you are applying for more than one student in your family, you must fill out one application for each student, however you are able to apply within the same account.  
  4. Enrollment availability is based on the number of grade level slots available and the allowable number of students within related classroom space.  If MEM receives more applications for any grade level than the number of slots available, a public, computerized lottery will be held for that grade level.  Applications will be placed in a lottery drawing run by a computer and pulled based on openings in each grade level, beginning with Kindergarten.  The lottery process will be transparent and will comply with all established state or federal laws. The date for this year’s lottery is February 20, 2023.  Additional lotteries will be run each month on the third week of the month or when a vacancy occurs. ​​

Preference in the Computerized Lottery

  • Students whose siblings already attend Mi Escuela Montessori in K-7
  • Children of founding board members or staff members​​
*All other information collected on this application form is for contact and planning purposes only and does not influence a student’s acceptance.

Acceptance or Waitlist

You will be notified within two weeks of the lottery being completed of your child’s acceptance or placement on the waitlist. If your child’s application is drawn in the lottery, you will be notified by email and text that there is an opening for your child, and you will be provided a means to digitally accept or decline your enrollment by a designated date.  Failure to accept the offer of admission within 14 days will be interpreted as a decision to decline.  If you later change your mind, you will need to reapply for the next lottery.​

If your child is placed on the Mi Escuela Montessori waitlist and an opening occurs at the school, you will be notified via text and email. If your student is on the waitlist for the current school year, you must apply during the Open Enrollment period each year that you wish to be considered for enrollment.   

Applications After Open Enrollment

MEM will accept additional applications following the Open Enrollment Application period, however these applications will not be considered unless the Open Enrollment waitlist has been exhausted. Once the Open Enrollment waitlist has been exhausted, MEM will hold additional advertised lotteries at regular intervals as needed to fill vacant spots and will follow the above procedure throughout the year. All applications and associated waitlist numbers expire after one school year; therefore any student not offered admission during one school year must reapply for the following school year during the next Open Enrollment Application period. 

Additional Considerations

  1. Acceptance will be for the grade for which you applied; if your student is retained at another school prior to enrollment at our school or if you accidentally apply for and are offered a seat in an incorrect grade, you will have to forfeit that seat and reapply for the correct grade.  
  2. Please be advised that if you falsify any information during registration or enrollment, your child’s application may be null and void, and admittance may be revoked. Any applications found to be falsified will be placed at the bottom of the waitlist.
  3. Mi Escuela Montessori welcomes all student applications. Students with an Individualized Education Plan have equal opportunity for selection within our lottery program. The majority of students with IEP’s can be served in the Mi Escuela Montessori inclusive and/or resource room settings. Mi Escuela Montessori students with IEP’s receive related services, per their IEP, such as speech/language therapy, occupational or physical therapy, mental health services, and visual or hearing therapy at our school site. After acceptance and prior to enrollment, administration will review your student’s IEP. If there are concerns that the school does not have the resources to provide your student with their free and appropriate education or provide the level of service indicated in your student’s IEP, you may be invited to an IEP meeting to discuss your student’s educational goals and needs and ensure that MEM is an appropriate placement for him or her.  
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