How to Enroll

Multicultural Academy Charter School

Enrollment Procedures for 2026-2027

In order to enroll your child at MACS, you must follow the steps below.  To receive a copy of these procedures and related documents in a language other than English, please click on the link above.  Si te gustaría una copia de estas instrucciones en español, por favor visite nuestro sitio web.                                                                                                                           .    

Please visit applyphillycharter.org today to initiate the application process. The application window opens on September 19, 2025.  The deadline for submitting the application is January 20, 2026.

By January 20, 2026, if MACS has received more applications than there are open seats available, we will need to hold a public lottery, which will be conducted using the Apply Philly Charter website on February 4, 2026, at 3:15 PM in the school auditorium. (Please see the MACS Lottery Process Description, below, for more information.) If an applicant’s name is selected, the family will receive an Acceptance Letter asking them to submit the items listed in Step 3.  If an applicant’s name is not chosen, their name will be assigned a number on our Waiting List; the family will be notified of their position on our Waiting List via email from Apply Philly Charter.

By January 20, 2026, if MACS has received fewer applications than there are open seats available, all applicants will receive a letter by mail, asking them to submit the items listed in Step 3, below.  All applications submitted after the January 21 deadline will then be processed on a first-come, first-served basis, and the applicants will receive an Acceptance Letter asking them to submit the items listed in Step 3.    

In the Acceptance Letter, you will be asked to submit the following items to the office in order to finalize enrollment. Your letter will specify the deadlines for submitting this paperwork:

Proof of Residency: Acceptable documentation includes one of the following: a deed, a lease, current utility bill, current credit card bill, property tax bill, vehicle registration, driver’s license, or a DOT identification card

Proof of Child’s Age: Acceptable documentation includes one of the following: birth certificate; notarized copy of birth certificate; baptismal certificate; copy of the record of baptism – notarized or duly certified and showing the date of birth; notarized statement from the parents or another relative indicating the date of birth; a valid passport; a prior school record indicating the date of birth

Immunization Records: As required by law; acceptable documentation includes: either the child’s immunization record, a written statement from the former school district or from a medical office that the required immunizations have been administered, or that a required series is in progress, or verbal assurances from the former school district or a medical office that the required immunizations have been completed, with records to follow.

Sworn Affidavit: Parent Registration Statement, which is required by law. This form will be mailed with the letter described in Step 3.

Home Language Survey: As required by law, this form will be mailed with the letter described in Step 3.

All bolded items above can be submitted by mail, email, fax, or dropped off at the Main Office.

Our receipt of the required documents listed above will complete the enrollment process.  We will immediately send you a congratulatory letter confirming our receipt of all necessary items. 

Please Note:  If your child receives Special Education Services or ESOL Services, once your child is accepted, we also request the following applicable documents before June 30, in order to appropriately roster him/her:  IEP, ER, NOREP, ESOL documentation. 

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MACS Lottery Process Description (through Apply Philly Charter website)

If more applications are received than there are seats available, MACS will hold a randomized lottery to determine which applicants are offered a seat for enrollment. All applications submitted within the application window will be referred into the lottery, assuming an application is not a duplicate submission and the student is eligible to attend the school. The application window for enrollment for the 2026-2027 school year is September 19, 2025 through January 20, 2026. 

The lottery for the 2026-2027 school year will be conducted on February 4, 2026. The lottery will be conducted by the school on the Apply Philly Charter system.  Priority will be given to applicants in the following order:

Sibling currently attending MACS or Sibling of MACS alumni or Sibling of applicant selected in lottery (MACS reserves the right to require families to provide birth certificates, marriage certificates, proof of legal guardianship, etc. to verify sibling status.)
Lives in Philadelphia
Lives outside Philadelphia, but in PA

Upon application submission, each applicant is automatically assigned a random lottery number. When the lottery is run, it will take the following into account: first, the priority group an applicant falls into, and, second, the applicant’s random lottery number. Seats will first be offered to applicants who fall into the first priority group in order of lowest randomly selected lottery number to highest. The lottery will then offer seats to applicants in the second priority group, (and third priority group if seats remain) in order of randomly selected lottery number, until the number of available seats has been exhausted. Applicants who are not offered a seat through the lottery will be waitlisted in order of their priority group first, and their randomly selected lottery number second.

Applicants who are offered a seat through the lottery will be notified on February 6, 2026 via email through Apply Philly Charter. Applicants will also be able to log in to their Apply Philly Charter accounts on February 6 to view their application results. Applicants who are offered a seat through the lottery will have until February 20, 2026 to accept their seat offer on Apply Philly Charter by clicking “accept” in their Apply Philly Charter account.  

If your child is later offered enrollment through our waitlist, the same paperwork described in Step 3, above, will be required.  However, the turnaround time and deadline to submit this paperwork will differ, and your deadline dates will be specified in the letter and email that are sent to you:

Offers made on February 6, 2026: You will have 2 weeks to submit the required paperwork in the manner described in Step 3, above.

Offers made February 9 - June 30, 2026: You will have 7 days to submit the required paperwork in the manner described in Step 3, above.

Offers made on or after July 1, 2026: You will have 3 days to submit the required paperwork in the manner described in Step 3, above.

Exceptions to deadlines can be made if there is a language barrier; the parent must contact the office before the deadline to request an extension.         

McKinney-Vento Homeless Enrollment Policy

Homeless Students Residing in Shelters, Facilities, or Institutions

MACS will admit any student who is living in a licensed shelter, group home, maternity home, residence, facility, orphanage, or other institution for the care or training of children or adolescents. A student who is in a temporary licensed shelter located in MACS’s school district, may attend MACS and is entitled to free school privileges from our school.

Homeless Students Not Residing in a Shelter, Facility, or Institution

Homeless students may reside in hotels, motels, cars, tents or temporarily doubled-up with a resident family because of lack of housing. If this is the case, homeless families are not required to prove residency regarding school enrollment at MACS. These children are entitled to attend MACS regardless of where a parent, guardian, an adult caring for them, or where an unaccompanied child:

Spends the greatest percentage of his or her time; or
Has a substantial connection such as where he or she is

regularly receiving day shelter or other services involving any of the 16 McKinney-Vento Activities (42 U.S.C. 11433(d)) for individuals who are homeless;
Conducting daily living activities; or
Staying overnight on a recurring basis.

This policy helps maintain continuity and school stability for homeless children in compliance with the McKinney-Vento Act. The student shall continue to be enrolled at MACS until the complaint or appeal is fully resolved by a McKinney-Vento coordinator, state coordinator, through mediation, or in court.

School Placement

In accordance with the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, MACS has an assigned liaison who works with our students and families who are experiencing homelessness. It is our duty and responsibility to ensure that no barriers exist for these students and their families. The liaison at MACS will:

Identify homeless students with assistance by school personnel and through coordination activities with other entities and agencies.
Inform parents or guardians of educational rights and related opportunities available to their children and provide them with meaningful opportunities to participate in the education of their children.
Disseminate public notice of the educational rights of homeless students where children and youths receive services under the McKinney-Vento Act (such as schools, family shelters, and food pantries).
Mediate enrollment disputes in accordance with the Enrollment Dispute section.
Inform the parent or guardian of a homeless student and any unaccompanied student, of transportation passes for students to and from school.
Ensure that unaccompanied youth are immediately enrolled at MACS pending resolution of disputes that might arise over school enrollment or placement.
Assist students who do not have documentation of immunizations or medical records to obtain necessary immunizations or necessary medical documentation. We do not deny the enrollment of a student or family experiencing homelessness regardless of lack of documentation.
Understand the guidance issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) for the education of homeless students and be ready to explain MACS’s policy related to homeless education to staff.
Have a list of the resources in their community to assist families with referrals for things such as shelter, counseling, food, and transportation. Also, provide case management according to the needs of students and families experiencing homelessness.
Distribute information on the subject of homeless students to all staff members at our school.
Provide standard forms and information about enrollment procedures and key school programs to each shelter in our district.
Become familiar with the various program materials that are available from PDE.
Ensure that public notice of the educational rights of homeless students is posted throughout the school. Locations include the main lobby frequented by parents, administrative offices, classrooms, and hallways.
Collaborate with our special education program to ensure that homeless children who are in need of special education and related services are located, identified, and evaluated.
Ensure that homeless students who have or may have disabilities have a parent or a surrogate parent to make special education or early intervention decisions. In the case that an unaccompanied homeless student is disabled or may be disabled and the student does not have a person authorized to make special education decisions, the following people can be temporary surrogate parents: staff in emergency shelters, transitional shelters, independent living programs, street outreach programs, and state or local educational agencies, or child welfare agency staff involved in the education or care of the child.
Identify unaccompanied homeless youth while respecting their privacy and dignity by providing specific outreach to areas where eligible students who are out of school may congregate.
Ensure that unaccompanied youths are enrolled in MACS, and have opportunities to meet the same challenging state academic standards as the state establishes for other children and youths, and are informed of their status as independent students under section 480 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) (20 U.S.C 1087vv), and their right to receive verification of this status from the local liaison.

In determining the best interest of the student under McKinney-Vento Act, MACS:

Will allow a student experiencing homelessness to remain at our school through the duration of homelessness or the remainder of the academic year if they become permanently housed during the school year.
Will immediately enroll the student at our school, even if the student lacks records normally required for enrollment, such as previous academic records, medical records, proof of residency, or other documentation.
Will enroll a student experiencing homelessness even if he or she has missed the application or enrollment deadlines or is currently on the waitlist, as long as this does not exceed our enrollment cap of 275 students.
Will inform staff of the legal requirement that homeless students be immediately enrolled and provided transportation; review school regulations and policies to ensure that they comply with the McKinney-Vento Act requirements; inform families and youth, in a language they can understand, of their rights; develop clear, understandable and accessible written explanations of decisions and the right to appeal; and expeditiously follow up on any special education or language assistance needs presented by a student.
Teachers, administrators, and support staff will address the individual needs of a student experiencing homelessness. Collaboration among the staff will allow us to serve the student in the best way possible.

Each student will be handled as an individual case and assessed for their specific needs. The liaison will comply with the request made by a parent or guardian regarding school selection, and shall attempt to minimize disruptions in order to maintain the highest possible degree of continuity in programs for all homeless students. The choice regarding placement shall be made regardless of whether the student lives with the homeless parents or has been temporarily placed elsewhere.

MACS will not allow homelessness to be a factor that separates the student from our school environment. Students experiencing homelessness have equal opportunity and immediate access to education and other educational services at MACS (i.e. special education, after-school programs, tutoring).