Enrollment Application

Application for Enrollment for the 2014-2015 School Year

Rising Tide is Now Designated as a Regional Charter Public School.

Starting with the enrollment period for the 2014-2015 school year, Rising Tide has shifted the designation of its defined district to that of a regional charter public school. Residents of the following school towns are now included in Rising Tide's region:

Barnstable, Bourne, Carver, Duxbury, Falmouth, Halifax,Kingston, Lakeville, Marion, Marshfield, Mashpee, Mattapoisett, Middleborough, Pembroke, Plymouth, Plympton,Rochester, Sandwich, Wareham

How Does this Impact the Lottery?

At the lottery, cards for applicants are organized by grade level and then placed in one of three pools for each grade level, listed in order of priority for admission: sibling, resident, and non-resident. The shift to a regional school does not impact the sibling category. The shift does impact the second pool, the resident pool. Residents of the above-listed towns will now be drawn from the resident pool. Residents of any other towns in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts will be drawn from the third pool, the non-resident pool.

What if My Child is Currently on the Waiting List?

Your child will stay on the waiting list until he or she is offered admission or until February 15, 2014, whichever occurs first. The existing waiting list for each grade level will be maintained through February 15, 2014. On February 16, 2014 the existing waiting list for the current school year, for each grade level and waiting list pool, will be purged. If your child has not yet been offered admission by February 15, 2014, youmust submit a new application for enrollment by February 25, 2014 at 2:00 p.m. in order to be eligible for enrollment for the 2014-2015 school year.

You are encouraged to submit a new application for the 2014-2015 school year when the new enrollment period opens on November 1, 2013. A student can remain on the waiting list and submit a new application.

Will Transportation Options Change?

The designation as a regional charter public school will not change the transportation available for families. Because the school is located in the town of Plymouth, residents of Plymouth will still be eligible for bus transportation. Residents of any other town will need to drive or carpool.

Why the Shift to Become A Regional School?

Choice: One of the core assertions for establishing charter public schools in Massachusetts has been "to provide parents and students with greater options in choosing schools within and outside their school districts" (M.G.L. c. 71, § 89 (b)). Rising Tide is committed to providing choice in public education; we are pleased that our college preparatory public school is a choice for more families.

Access and Equity: In admitting students, Rising Tide does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, creed, sex, gender identity, ethnicity, sexual orientation, mental or physical disability, age, ancestry, athletic performance, special need, proficiency in the English language or in a foreign language, or prior academic achievement. With the shift to becoming a regional charter public school, Rising Tide is able to add greater access to more families within a reasonable travel distance to the school. Of the seventeen non-urban Commonwealth charter public schools in Massachusetts, Rising Tide was one of the only schools not designated as a regional school. The shift to enable more equitable access to Rising Tide is consistent with the regional designation of nearly all other non-urban charter public schools.