By MICHAEL NUNES
Staff Writer
RED BANK — The Red Bank Charter School (RBCS) has been approved by the state to hold a weighted lottery for the next school year.
“We are pleased with Commissioner of Education David Hespe’s approval to serve a greater number of underserved students,” said RBCS Principal Meredith Pennotti.
“We are proud of the diversity of the RBCS community. We attribute much of our success to the rich experiences our children share through learning and growing together.”
According to a press release sent out by the charter school, children who qualify for certain types of public assistance will receive a 3:2 chance of admission into the school. The objective of the weighting is to ensure that Red Bank Charter School’s student population represents a cross-section of the local community’s school-aged children.
In a brochure sent from the charter school, under the weighted lottery, a child who lives in public housing or Section 8 housing, whose family qualifies for the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program or who qualifies for free or reduced lunch at their current school would have an increased chance of being admitted into the school.
“[The weighted lottery] gives us a chance to respond to the population of Red Bank,” Pennotti said during a press conference on Feb. 10 concerning the school’s application to the state to double its enrollment while holding a weighting lottery.
The application to increase enrollment from 200 to 400 students was denied by the state on Feb. 29.
Applications for the charter school will be accepted until April 25.
The lottery will take place at the RBCS, located on Oakland Street, on April 28.
Founded in 1998, the charter school educates pupils PreK-8 and enrolls an estimated 200 students.
