Admissions Preferences
Telra Institute applies admissions preferences in the student assignment process in alignment with North Carolina State Law. These are designed to strengthen our school community and help Telra maximize its impact on student education.
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Families who believe their student qualifies in one or more of these categories should indicate so on their application in order to improve their chances for selection in the admission lottery. Supporting documentation is not required at the time of application, but if your child is admitted, proof of eligibility must be provided to complete enrollment.​
The assignment order is as follows:
1. Enrollment priority groups have first access to seat assignments:
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Children of Staff and Board members
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Siblings
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Certain transfers
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Military
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2. Educationally disadvantaged students have next access to up to 20% of seat assignments.
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3. General applicants are assigned.
Enrollment Priority Groups
Children of Staff and Board members
​Children of full-time employees and children of the Board of Directors have first priority for admission; however, this category is limited in that no more than 15% of the total school enrollment can receive this priority.
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Siblings
Multiple-birth siblings (twins, triplets, etc.)
A set of multiple-birth siblings who apply for admission at the same time are bundled together as one unique lottery registration. This registration does not receive priority enrollment, but if it is selected, all the multiple-birth siblings in a bundle will be offered admission together.
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Other siblings (non multiple-birth)
An applicant who has a sibling currently enrolled at Telra Institute is eligible for priority admission.
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If the currently-enrolled sibling enrolled in a prior year, then the new sibling applicant will have this priority applied immediately upon submission of the application.
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Example: Student A applies in Year 1 as a 3rd grader, is selected, and enrolls. In Year 2, Student A continues to 4th grade and his/her younger sibling, Student B, applies for entry to Kindergarten. Student B would receive priority consideration in the assignment lottery.
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If a child receives an offer of admission and completes enrollment in an ongoing application cycle, then any unassigned sibling applicants also in the ongoing application cycle will have a priority assigned at that time. Note that the system will identify and apply this priority automatically if two or more child applications are submitted from the same parent account. (No further action is required to "claim" sibling status.)
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Example: Student C applies as a 3rd grader, along with his/her sibling, Student D who is applying as a 1st grader. In the lottery, Student C is offered admission, while Student D is placed on the waitlist. Student C accepts admission and completes enrollment. At that time, Student D is assigned a sibling priority and moves up on the waitlist, increasing the likelihood of admission.
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An applicant who has a sibling graduate of Telra Institute is eligible for priority admission. For the purposes of this sibling priority, a "graduate" is a student who has completed the highest grade level offered by the school and who remained enrolled for at least four grade levels, or since the launch of the school.
Transfers
Other charter school
A student who was enrolled in another charter school in the State in the previous school year that does not offer the student's next grade level and with whom Telra has an enrollment articulation agreement
Returning student
A student who was enrolled at Telra within the two previous school years but left the school
- to participate in an academic study abroad program or a competitive admission residential program or
- because of the vocational opportunities of the student's parent
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Preschool
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A student who was enrolled in a preschool program operated by Telra Institute in the prior year
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A student who was enrolled for at least 75 consecutive days in the prior semester in a preschool program operated by an entity with whom Telra has a written enrollment articulation agreement; however, this category is limited in that no more than 10% of the total school enrollment can receive this priority.
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Military
A student whose parent or legal guardian is on active military duty.
Educationally Disadvantaged Students
Educationally Disadvantaged (ED) students often have limited access to advanced learning options and supports. We believe the Telra program can have an outsized impact on outcomes for these students.
Educationally Disadvantaged status in admissions
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Educationally Disadvantaged (ED) applicants participate in a special ED lottery prior to the general lottery. Any ED students that do not win a seat in the special lottery are immediately entered in the general lottery. If offered a seat, ED applicants will be asked to provide documentation to demonstrate ED eligibility during the enrollment process.
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We urge families to read the descriptions below carefully to see if any might apply to your child. Often, parents of advanced learners do not realize that their child could achieve even more by recognizing and working to overcome areas of disadvantage.
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Applicants should claim Educationally Disadvantaged status and an Admission Priority if both apply. They will benefit from both in lottery assignment.
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Educationally Disadvantaged status is applied to any student who falls into one or more of the following classifications.
1. Economically Disadvantaged
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This preference category aligns with Reduced-Price lunch eligibility, which means any income below 185% of the Federal poverty guideline. Tables showing income thresholds vs. family size are available here.
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2. Students with Disability
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This preference category applies to any student that has a medical diagnosis of a disability or to any student that has a 504 or IEP plan noting a disability identification or accommodation.
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Many gifted children and advanced learners can fall into this category, often without their caregivers realizing it. In fact, it happens so often that there is a name for it: Twice Exceptional, or 2E.
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2E children are often highly gifted or knowledgeable in at least one specific domain. In addition, they have a disability or difference, such as a specific learning disability—Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or Autism Spectrum Disorder. Sometimes their difference or disability overshadows their intelligence or knowledge, and in other cases their intelligence or verbal ability masks the difference or disability.
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Sometimes, simple accommodations for these students (e.g., classroom layout, understanding their learning styles, specific learning materials or coaching) can make all the difference between an educational environment that is a struggle and one that they love coming to each day.
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Parents may also find online screening tools helpful as a first step:
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Ultimately, families should consult with a professional who is knowledgeable about identifying 2E students. You may want to speak with your child's pediatrician.
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There is no "one profile" of 2E children, and no single model works best for all of them. You might find Telra is a great fit for your child, while others might thrive in a different environment. Children (and schools) are unique! ​​​
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For parents that don't know where to start, we'll maintain a list of licensed therapists specializing in 2E children who have offered to speak to our families as a professional courtesy to help them understand their options for identifying 2E issues and coaching them through the 504/IEP process.
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3. Immigrant Student
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This preference category applies to any student who was not born in the United States and has not attended U.S. schools for more than three full school years. If you believe both of these conditions apply to your child, you can denote "immigrant student" status in your application.
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Example: Your child moved to the United States at age 2, attended school in the United States starting in Kindergarten, and is currently in 2nd grade. Since the child was not born in the United States and has completed only 2.5 school years at the time of application, he or she qualifies as an immigrant student.​​
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4. English Learner
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This preference category applies to any child whose most recent public or private school records identify the child as an English learner or a child who has never been enrolled in a public or private school and whose Home Language is other than English.
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During the enrollment process, Telra will administer a Home Language Survey. If you indicate a Home Language other than English, we will follow up with you and may perform a screening assessment to understand your child's English proficiency and to determine what kind of ongoing English Learner support they may need.
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If you believe your child may qualify, then we suggest you indicate English Learner status on your application. If you are not sure, you can read more about English Learner identification process, or please contact us for more information.