The first charter school in Schuylkill County, established three years ago, now has to hold public lotteries to decide what spot on the wait list new applicants will occupy.
"This is the first year we've had to hold a schoolwide lottery. The student interest speaks to the impact this school has had on our students and the community," Nicolle M. Hutchinson, Gillingham Charter School's CEO and director of education, said Thursday in a prepared statement.
The second of three scheduled lotteries this year was held Thursday at the school at 915 Howard Ave., Pottsville, before a crowd of 15. It was hosted by Tara Cromis, Hutchinson's administrative secretary.
Using a green fish-shaped ceramic urn as a lottery bowl, Cromis drew the names of student applicants for wait lists for seats in second grade and ninth grade.
Since Gillingham opened in fall 2011, it's grown. It started out with grades kindergarten through ninth. When school opens Aug. 25, it will have its first senior class.
In a chart handed out to the public Thursday, Gillingham reported it had 268 students enrolled so far for the 2014-15 school year, and 25 on wait lists.
"Classes at Gillingham are no larger than 22 students, with the exception of 23 in eighth grade," according to Brittany Tressler, public relations manager for Sylvia Marketing, King of Prussia, who was also present at the lottery.
- The kindergarten class was full Thursday, Cromis said.
"I had four students that did not hand in paperwork who have forfeited their seats," Cromis said. So four students on the wait list were moved into those seats. Monday was the deadline for enrolled students to turn in their applications. If that paperwork was not turned in on time, the seats for those enrolled students were vacated and, in some cases, students on wait lists were given those seats, Cromis said.
- The first-grade class had three seats open and two new applications.
"So there is one seat available," Cromis said.
- The second-grade class was full Thursday, but there were two new applications. Cromis had the names of the students printed on white pieces of paper. She folded up each, dropped them into the urn, shook it up then reached in and picked one. Amara Weatherby, Mahanoy Area, became the first on the second-grade wait list. Joseph Updike, Mahanoy Area, became the second.
- Third grade was full Thursday, Cromis said.
- Fourth grade was full Thursday.
"I had three withdrawls, so there will be three students on the wait list that will be moving into seats," Cromis said. In the process, that wait list was vacated. Then Gillingham received an application from a student looking for a seat in the fourth-grade class, and restarted that wait list, Cromis said.
- Fifth grade was filled Thursday. This week, one seat was open and an applicant who was a sibling to a Gillingham student was given that seat.
"Preference goes as follows: siblings of current students, students who reside in the Pottsville Area School District and then students who live in all other school districts per state regulations," Tressler said.
- In sixth grade, there were three openings earlier this week. One student who applied was given a seat, since there was no sixth grade wait list, Cromis said.
- In grade seven, Cromis said, "I have two forfeited seats because of lack of paperwork. Two students on the wait list were given those seats. This reduced the seventh-grade wait list to six."
- Eighth grade was full Thursday and there were eight students on the wait list, Cromis said.
- "Ninth grade is another lottery situation," Cromis said. There was "a forfeited seat" and it was given to the student at the top wait list. Gillingham received three new applications for ninth-grade seats. One, a Pottsville Area student, Victor Stehr, was given seventh place on the waitlist. In a lottery, David Tenney, a student from Pine Grove, was given eighth place and Edward Conapitski Jr., Shenandoah Valley, was given ninth, Cromis said.
- Grade 10 had 20 students Thursday. There are two seats remaining, Cromis said.
- Grade 11 was filled Thursday with a new application, Cromis said.
- Grade 12 has eight students, 13 openings and no new applications, Cromis said.
Hutchinson was not present at Thursday's lottery.
The next lottery is scheduled for 6 p.m. Aug. 5, Cromis said.