Charter and Other Operator-Run Schools

Contract Schools:

Contract schools are citywide public schools operated under contracts with outside entities. Their budgets follow the charter school formula, and they are generally granted the same autonomies as charters and like charters are governed by a performance contract, detailing its program, goals, and methods of assessment. Contract schools may have unique enrollment processes detailed in their contracts. There are currently two contract schools operating in City Schools’ portfolio:

• Bard Early College High School Baltimore – (special application process - families can apply by listing this school on the choice Application; however, there are additional steps involving an interview, seminar, and writing sample that determines placement and enrollment at this school)
  • (seats available)
• Elmer A. Henderson: A Johns Hopkins Partnership School – (school-based lottery)

Transformation Schools:

Transformation schools are secondary public schools open to all students from across the city and operated by independent nonprofit entities. City Schools currently has three schools of this type in operation, and each has a specific theme and a unique curriculum that focuses on college, career, or alternative programming. The district has two of these schools:

• The REACH! Partnership School – (choice process)
• Baltimore Design School – (special application process – please visit the school’s website for details. It includes both an application and an interest survey for students interested in middle school; for high school students apply directly via an application and must be successful in a Portfolio Review that determines placement and entry to the high school)
  • (seats available)

• February 15, 2023: Deadline for accepting applications from families
• February 20-March 3, 2023: Charter lottery window
• March 9, 2023: Schools notify families of lottery results
• April 14, 2023: Deadline for families to confirm or decline acceptance

All charter and contract schools must broadly publicize the location and timing of their lotteries, and all schools share the same deadline. Lotteries must be held in public and the results must be shared publicly. All applications submitted by the February 15, 2023 deadline become part of the publicly drawn lottery, after accounting for preferences, in random order until capacity is reached, and the remainder of the applications are placed on the wait list.

All charter schools grant preferences for siblings, children of original founders, and children of staff members that are City residents. There are some schools who have Board-approved enrollment preferences for other categories such as geographic preferences, or for students who are in certain categories, including students:

1. with limited English proficiency, 
2. eligible for free or reduced-price meals; 
3. with disabilities; 
4. classified as Homeless, as defined under the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act; or
5. residing in a geographic attendance area with a median income that is equal to or less than the median income of the county for the public charter school.

No later than March 9, 2023, family notification letters are sent to any family that applied to the school(s), and families have until April 14, 2023 to accept or decline a seat offer. Any applications received post-enrollment period are added to the wait list in the order they are received. As spaces become available at the school, they are offered to the waitlisted applicants according to their order of placement on the wait list.

Non-city residents may apply to charter and contract schools; however, these students may be enrolled only after all city residents have been offered a seat. If accepted, these families will be charged tuition by the Office of Enrollment, Choice, and Transfers.