Below is the order of the 2024-25 wait list. Once we determine what vacancies are available, we will contact applicants in the order they are on the list below:
Admission to Side by Side Charter School
Side by Side Charter School is a public charter school authorized by the CT State Department of Education. We are not part of the Norwalk Public School System but report directly to the State of Connecticut Commissioner of Education.
Who is Eligible
Any resident of Connecticut is eligible to participate in our Lottery. Upon acceptance, residency must be proven by submitting a copy of a household utility bill. Applications are accepted for children entering pre-school (3 & 4 year olds) through the 8th grade. The birth date cut-off date for preschool and Kindergarten is September 1st; it is December 31st for first through eighth grades. Currently, 235 students from Norwalk and surrounding communities are enrolled at Side by Side.
How One Applies
Our online lottery application will be made available on January 22, 2024 at the following link: https://forms.rediker.com/sidebysidecs Once the application is available, you will find it under the “Requirements to be Completed” column. If you have previously used our online application but cannot remember your password, there is a “Forgot your password?” link on the login page.
In addition to filling out an application, we encourage you to attend an Open House session; the available dates for these are listed below. In order to attend an open house, you must make a reservation.
For reservations, please call 203-857-0306. It is highly recommended that you attend one of the scheduled Open Houses to learn more about our school and to determine if Side by Side is the “right” school for your child(ren). However, we do ask that only parents/guardians (no children) attend the presentations. Please plan to attend the morning Open House if you wish to observe the classrooms. Visits to the classrooms at other times are discouraged, as we want to minimize disruption of regular classroom activities.
When You Receive Your Application
As we process your completed application, your child(ren) will be assigned a lottery number and we will notify you via e-mail of your lottery number. If your e-mail address, home address address, or phone number(s) change at any time after you submit your application, please notify our office.
If you submit an application but we’re unable to contact you, your application will be withdrawn from consideration.
During the weeks and possibly months following the Lottery, enrollment packets for those applicants accepted will be sent to the address of record.
Important Dates
Informational Session dates: Wednesday, February 28 at 10:30 AM or Wednesday, March 20 at 5:00 PM
Lottery application deadline: Monday, April 1, 2024 at 4:00 PM
Public enrollment lottery: Wednesday, April 24 at 5:00 PM
When Vacancies are Filled
If your child is accepted, you will receive verbal notification from Side by Side; and you will be given 24 hours to accept or decline placement. If you accept placement for your child, you will be given Enrollment Forms, which must be submitted to Side by Side within one week of placement notification, or the offer of enrollment will be withdrawn. If no response is received within 24 hours of notification, your placement will automatically be withdrawn without further notification.
How Placements are Determined
We are fortunate in that there are limited vacancies to fill in our 2024-2025 Lottery. Families of students currently enrolled are given preference for any siblings wishing to enroll in the Fall of 2024. Once the sibling lottery is completed, we’re able to determine how many vacancies are available in each class. On the day of the Lottery, we will draw each number and post them on the lottery boards in the order in which they are called.