Ready To Apply to the Lottery?
Our Application Period for the '25-26 School Year Lottery is OPEN! It will close Friday, February 14, 2025 at 5:00 pm (EST). The Lottery will run on Wednesday, February 19 at 9:00 am (EST). Applications for our Waitlist will open again on February 20, 2025.
Statement of Non-Discriminatory Policy
Cape Fear Center for Inquiry shall not discriminate against any student on the basis of gender, gender identity race, creed, color, religion, national origin, age, ancestry, disability, sexual orientation or measures of intellectual ability or achievement or aptitude or athletic ability in its admissions or education programs. Tuition or admission fees shall not be charged to any student.
Lottery Application Period
The Application period begins at the start of each December of the previous school year in which you'd apply, and ends mid February. The lottery runs the 3rd Wednesday of February. Parents & Guardians are encouraged to attend one of the Parent Information Open House Sessions/Campus Tours which will be held in January and early February.
CFCI’s lottery application process uses an online lottery management system called School Mint. You must create a free account to apply.
Parent Information Sessions/Campus Tours
Please come see us! Join us for a information session to learn about CFCI, see our wonderful campus, and envision your student in one of our classrooms.
If you're unable to attend one of these sessions, you can also schedule a tour with us!
- Thursday, January 16, 2025 6-7 pm
- Tuesday, January 28, 2025 6-7 pm
- Saturday, February 8, 2025 10-11 am
Lottery
The lottery will close on Friday, February 14, 2025 at 5:00 pm and will run on Wednesday, February 19th, 2025 at 9:00 am. All participants will be notified of their lottery standing via email that day.
Admissions
Admission to CFCI is based on a lottery system, as required by state policy. There will be a random drawing of lottery numbers to establish enrollment and waiting lists. Maximum class size limits of 20 students in each K and 1st grade class, 22 in each 2nd and 3rd grade class, and 24 in each 4th – 8th grade class will determine the numbers of students allotted for each class. A waiting list will be established using the lottery system whenever capacity is exceeded and the students on the list will be contacted if and when openings occur in the current school year only. The waiting list does not roll over to the following school year. A new application must be completed and turned in to the main school office each school year to be included in the lottery.
The following exceptions to the lottery and admissions process may be made each year, in accordance with the 1997 amendments to G.S. 115C-238.29:
Currently enrolled students will be given first priority. children of CFCI faculty/staff members will be given second priority. Siblings of currently enrolled students will be given third priority. Siblings constitute brother or sister, half-brother, half-sister, stepbrother, or stepsister who resides in the same household as the currently enrolled student. Siblings of students who have completed the highest grade level offered by CFCI and who were enrolled in at least four grade levels offered by CFCI will be given fourth priority. Students who were enrolled in CFCI within the two previous school years but left the school to participate in an academic study abroad program or a competitive admission residential program or because of the vocational opportunities of the student’s parent will be given fifth priority.
Enrollment
Once a student has been admitted to CFCI, formal enrollment is required to reserve the student’s space in the school. Enrollment will take place directly following the Lottery. The enrollment procedure will ensure that the school has information necessary to acquire student records which are needed to meet State Board of Education records requirements for charter schools. This information includes birth certificate, immunization record, and transfer records from previous schools (public, private or home schools) including test scores, IEP/504/MTSS records and behavioral records. These records are not needed during the enrollment period, but we must receive the enrollment form to reserve the space. All kindergarten enrollment forms must have a copy of the birth certificate attached. A student who has been admitted but who is not enrolled by March 31st will be removed from the list.
Waiting lists will be maintained from the time of the lottery through the 20th day of school of the upcoming year. If and when an opening in any grade should occur, the next child on the wait list will be called. Parents have 48 hours in which to enroll from the time the offer is extended. If enrollment does not take place within this time frame, the application will be withdrawn. No new students will be admitted after the 20th day of the new school year.