The Founders Academy Public Charter School is an open-enrollment public charter school. New Hampshire applicants who meet the school’s admission criteria may apply. The school may accept out-of-state students for a tuition fee, on a space-available basis.
Admission Criteria
(1) The applicant must have successfully completed the school year preceding admission with credits or creditable work in core subjects, with verification of the last grade completed from the sending school or Department of Education, unless an exception is granted.
(2) Applicants may demonstrate interest in any of the school’s core focus areas (leadership, history, literature, business, entrepreneurship, finance, law, ethics, rhetoric, and debate) through optional materials such as:
• Portfolios
• Documented projects or work products
• Participation in extracurricular activities
• These items are optional and are not required for admission.
(3) The applicant and parent/guardian must agree and acknowledge the mission of the school and its policies, program, and expectations.
Students complete the school’s application process, which includes submission of the application package and required documents. Placement testing may be required.
Application Timeline & Notification
An application deadline will be established and publicly posted each academic year for admission to the following school year. Application information will be available on the school’s website and through public notification channels.
Placement Testing
Applicants for grades 7–8 may be required to complete placement testing in Mathematics and Language Arts. Sixth-grade applicants may request placement testing. High school applicants must provide transcripts and meet with designated staff to determine placement.
Information Sessions
Applicants and at least one parent or guardian are strongly recommended to attend one of the school’s posted Information Sessions/Open Houses. The dates can be found on the school’s website at https://www.thefoundersacademy.org/admissions
Enrollment Lottery
In accordance with New Hampshire RSA 194-B and ED 318, when the number of applicants exceeds the number of available openings, The Founders Academy shall conduct a public enrollment lottery to ensure a fair and transparent admissions process. The lottery determines the order in which students are offered enrollment or placed on the waiting list. Below is the order of priority for the lottery.
(1) Siblings of Current Students
• Siblings of currently enrolled students are exempt from the general lottery and automatically offered enrollment, space permitting.
• If the number of sibling applicants exceeds available spaces, a sibling lottery will be conducted first to determine placement order.
(2) Children of Faculty and Staff
• Children of current full-time faculty and staff are exempt from the lottery and granted enrollment preference.
• If the number of children of faculty and staff applicants exceeds available spaces, a lottery will be conducted first to determine placement order, with faculty members entering the lottery first.
(3) Children of Board Members and Founders
• Children of current Board of Trustees members are exempt from the lottery and given enrollment preference in accordance with ED 318.
• If the number of children of board members' applicants exceeds available spaces, a lottery will be conducted first to determine placement order.
(4) General Lottery for New Families
• Once all exemptions and sibling lotteries are complete, a random drawing will be conducted by grade level to fill remaining spaces.
• If one child from a new family is drawn, all siblings from that family will be enrolled, space permitting.
• The lottery is conducted by grade, ensuring balanced placement and compliance with grade-specific capacity limits.
Wait-List
Applicants not admitted through the lottery will be placed on a wait list in the order drawn, by grade or program.
As openings arise, admissions will be offered in wait-list order.
Mid-year transfer applicants who complete the application package will be added to the bottom of the wait list for their grade/program.
Reopening Admissions
If openings are anticipated prior to the start of the school year in a grade where no waitlist exists, admissions may be reopened.
Policy Adoption
First Reading: January 22, 2020
Adopted by the Board on: March 18, 2020
Revised: October 15, 2025