Thank you for your interest in TMSA Public Charter Schools! TMSA is North Carolina's growing network of high-performing nonprofit public charter schools offering quality, tuition-free STEAM curriculum. We serve more than 5,400 students from kindergarten through 12th grade on six campuses in Apex, Cary, Charlotte, and Greensboro.

Applying is simple, fast, and free. When you click the link below, you will be prompted to select the school of your choice. 

Apply to TMSA 

HOW TO APPLY

Families that are new to TMSA are required to submit an application due to the limited spots available in our schools. Please note that the application is for new students only and must be submitted every year until an assignment is made. 

Current students at TMSA DO NOT have to go through the application process again.

You can find our Enrollment Policy HERE.

LOTTERY PROCESS

We conduct a lottery in February to assign students in a fair and equitable way. Our lottery is publicly undertaken and may be attended by any member of the public.
TMSA Public Charter Schools utilize a preference status process that gives enrollment priority to qualified applicants.  Preference status entitles an applicant to be offered an available seat ahead of applicants without a preference status. Enrollment priority will be given to the following populations in the order listed: 

● Children of employees and Board Members will be given preference. By law, these students can amount to no more than 15% of the school(s) total enrollment. 

● Sibling preference will be granted to the siblings of currently enrolled students who were admitted in a previous school year. By law, a sibling includes half-siblings, step-siblings, and children residing in a foster family home. 

● A student who was enrolled in TMSA within the two previous school years but left the school (i) to participate in an academic study abroad program or a competitive admission residential program or (ii) because of the vocational opportunities of the student's parents.

● A student who was enrolled in another charter school in the State in the previous school year that does not offer the student's next grade level. 

● A student who was enrolled in another TMSA school in the State in the previous school year. 

● If a lottery is needed and a student from the waitlist is offered admission, their siblings are granted priority to the extent that space is available. 

ENROLLMENT & REGISTRATION

Applicants who receive an assignment to one of our schools will need to complete the necessary registration forms within the given two-week period in order to enroll. If the applicant does not notify the school of their acceptance of admission by registering on time, the applicant will be deemed to have declined admission, and the next applicant on the waitlist will be offered admission.

The following items are needed in order to complete the enrollment process. If applicants do not have some of these documents available immediately, such as EOG test results or kindergarten physical exam, they can be submitted at a later time, but you MUST communicate with the enrollment office. (See contact information below)

Documentation for enrollment required by the school is submitted by the parent and generally includes the following:

● Government-issued photo ID for parent/guardian

● Copy of student(s) birth certificate

● Proof of N.C. residency through a utility bill, mortgage/lease document, etc.

● Immunization records

● Guardianship/custody papers, if applicable

● Most recent report card or transcript

● Standardized test scores, such as EOG

● Kindergarten Physical Exam Form from the child(s) physician (for kindergarten only)

● Documentation for homeschoolers, if applicable

● Any IEP, ESL, or 504 plans, if applicable.

IMPORTANT DATES

NOVEMBER 20, 2024 at 9:00 AM: Application opens for new students

Application window for new students opens (Nov 20th 2024 to Feb 5th 2025)

FEBRUARY 10, 2025: The enrollment lottery is held online and is open to the public  on Feb 10th 2025 at 11:00 AM

FEBRUARY 10, 2025: Seat confirmation emails are sent out by 5:00 PM

FEBRUARY 17, 2025: Deadline to accept offered seat(s)

Deadline for registration: 15 days after the offered seat is accepted.

INFORMATION NIGHTS & TOURS

We are looking forward to welcoming you and your student(s) to our information and tour nights. Visiting our schools is a great way to get a true sense of the culture, curriculum, and student life. Our passionate faculty and dedicated administration teams help you explore the school firsthand before you make your final decision. Please contact the schools directly for information night and tour dates.

CONTACT US

If you have any further questions about our admissions process, please connect with the school to which you are applying.

TMSA Triangle K-7 (Cary Campus) (919) 388-0077 or send email to [email protected]

TMSA Triangle 8-12 (Apex Campus) (919) 329 2299 or send email to [email protected]

FAQs

Is the lottery random?

We randomly select names or numbers through SchoolMint Enrollment Application software. Once all available seats are filled, a waitlist will be established by listing the students in the order drawn. 

I have twins. How does the application and lottery work for multiple births?

Parents must submit a separate application for each multiple-birth sibling. If one of the multiple-birth siblings is selected, all multiple-birth siblings will be admitted. Applications submitted after the scheduled lottery will be placed at the bottom of the waitlist.

How do I know the process is fair?

We do not discriminate against students on the basis of sex, national origin, ethnicity, religion, disability, academic, artistic, athletic ability. We are an open enrollment school and admit any child who qualifies to attend a public school in North Carolina regardless of the school district in which the child resides. We employ a lottery system with prioritization categories. Our lottery is publicly undertaken and may be attended by any member of the public.