Weighted Lottery
Public charter schools in Oregon are allowed to implement a weighted lottery to give enrollment preference to historically underserved students. Historically underserved students are defined as students who are "at risk because of any combination of two or more factors including their race, ethnicity, English language proficiency, socioeconomic status, gender, sexual orientation, disability, and geographic location." The intent of a weighted lottery is to ameliorate the impact of discrimination against historically underserved students.
The Emerson School will be implementing a weighted lottery for 2024-2025 enrollment. Demographic data demonstrates that The Emerson School has lower rates of enrollment of students from the following historically underserved student categories:
- Historically underserved students based on race (African American, Pacific Islander/Native Hawaiian, American Indian/Alaska Native)
- Historically underserved students based on ethnicity (Hispanic)
- Economically disadvantaged students (Directly certified/free and reduced priced meal program)
- English language learners
The Emerson School's weighted lottery process will be conducted as follows:
Applicants will indicate on their application form if they qualify as historically underserved by self- identifying in at least two of the four above mentioned categories. Those who do will have their application number entered into our lottery 3x as opposed to 1x for students who do not qualify as historically underserved.
Demographic data will be collected for administrative purposes as indicated by ORS 338.125. School Administration is responsible for producing reports on the enrollment and demographic information collected. The Emerson School Board of Directors will assess the weighted lottery process on an annual basis to determine its impact and whether adjustments need to made to the process.
Order of Lottery:
- Younger siblings of currently enrolled students may bypass lottery for kindergarten entry.
- Grade 1-5 siblings of currently enrolled students who are awaiting an opening in their grade will go through a lottery if there is more than one sibling for the same grade. Those siblings will be placed on the waiting list ahead of non-sibling applicants.
- Self-identified historically underserved applicants will be entered into the lottery 3x.
- Non-sibling applicants who reside within the Portland Public School District will then be placed by lottery.
- Out of district applicants will be placed by lottery after all in-district residents have been placed.
The Emerson School uses a random number generator to conduct the lottery.
Late applications are not included in the lottery, and are placed at the bottom of the waiting list in order of receipt.
The lottery is drawn in late March/early April.