Scholar Application Information 2024-2025
General Information about The Lottery Process
The ASK Academy is a public charter school, open to any New Mexico resident in grades 6-12 regardless of race, color, gender, creed, or religious affiliation. The ASK Academy accepts all scholars who come to the academy in “good standing” with all records and immunizations as space is available. We fill open seats on a lottery basis, with the exception that siblings of a scholar currently attending The ASK Academy, scholars who have parents employed by The ASK Academy, and scholars of active military personnel receive preference in the lottery.
The Lottery Process - The ASK Academy fills available seats through a lottery process. The exceptions to this policy are scholars continuing in attendance from year to year who don’t need to re-apply, and eligible siblings of existing ASK scholars, scholars who have parents employed by The ASK Academy, and scholars of active military personnel who will be offered admission for the upcoming school year, if seats are available, prior to the lottery draw, or placed on the waiting list ahead of other applicants drawn in the lottery.
The process begins at 12:01AM on February 1st of each year. Potential scholars must first submit their names and other information through the online scholar application. The filling of available seats in each grade level is done by the end of the second week in March, using all scholar names submitted online by 11:59PM on the last day of February. Selection is done through a public, random, electronic drawing process.
Scholars drawn to fill the available seats will then be sent an email invitation with instructions and with the registration packet attached. They will have five working days to fill out this registration packet and return it to the Academy.
After all available seats are filled during the public random electronic drawing by the end of the second week in March, all scholars’ names remaining on the original lottery list will continue to be randomly drawn for placement on a waiting list for each grade level and they will be sent an email letting them know where they are on that waiting list. Their place on the waiting list could be impacted by new scholars who also have eligible siblings. When future seats become available, the next scholar on the waiting list will receive an email invitation to register.
Scholars who apply after the end of February will be placed at the end of that grade-level’s waiting list based on the time-stamp of their online application. If there are seats available in the grade-level they applied for and there is no current waiting list for that grade-level, they will be invited to register.
What you need to know:
- The only requirement for admission to The ASK Academy is a desire and passion for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
- The ASK Academy is subject to all federal and state laws and constitutional provisions prohibiting discrimination on the basis of disability, physical or mental handicap, serious medical condition, race, creed, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, spousal affiliation, national origin, religion, ancestry or need for special education services.
IS THE ASK STEM PROGRAM RIGHT FOR YOUR CHILD? PLEASE CONSIDER:
- The ASK Academy is a rigorous academic school of choice designed to prepare your child for STEM careers focusing primarily in Engineering & Design and Biomedical Sciences.
- Your high school child will declare a Career Pathway either Engineering & Design or Biomedical Science. In these pathways they will be challenged with rigorous courses preparing them for post-secondary programs in these careers. These are different than elective course offerings found in traditional public schools.
- Your child will receive credit for courses if they average 70% or higher, unlike traditional public schools that give credit for an average of 60% or higher. See Parent Handbook.
- The State of New Mexico Public Education Department requires 25 credits to receive a high school diploma; The ASK Academy requires 28 credits to receive a high school diploma.
- ASK has classes Monday through Thursday most weeks of the school year. Please review the School’s calendar at www.theaskacademy.org. Fridays are not instructional days. ASK is open 8 am – 10 am for intervention needs, project completion days, and opportunities for your child to work with their project managers (teachers) for improved understanding.
- ASK does not have a lunch program. Food vendors service your child with food offerings on campus or they can bring lunches from home.
- ASK is a closed campus (except for seniors who meet all requirements for lunch).
- ASK has no to-and-from transportation program. Families that choose ASK get their children to and from the Academy. Parents have established carpooling to assist in this area.
- ASK’s middle school program is designed to ready your child for the challenging ASK Academy high school STEM curriculum.
- An ASK uniform is required for all ASK scholars. The uniforms promote our Dress for Success mission and help to identify the scholar’s Career Pathway declaration in the high school program.
The actual number of spots available for the lottery in each grade will be affected by returning scholars and scholars with enrollment preference.
Immunization Requirements
As a charter school, the ASK Academy recognizes and follows the immunization guidelines set forth by the New Mexico Department of Health.
