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Lottery Information

 

Depending on the school location and grade level, after accounting for returning students, spaces were offered to new students through a public random lottery drawing held on April 22, 2021. Students selected in the lottery must submit a valid Proof of Age, Proof of Residency, and Master Agreement within ten (10) business days or the student’s spot will be forfeited to the next student on the waiting list.

Lottery Waiting List Procedure: 

 

1. Students included in the lottery but who were not selected have been placed on a lottery waiting list in the order in which their names were drawn during the lottery.
2. These students will be notified and offered the opportunity to continue the process if space becomes available in their grade and school.
3. When a student is released from the lottery waiting list, a valid Proof of Age, Proof of Residency, and Master Agreement must be submitted within ten (10) business days.

General Waiting List

• All students applying after the Open Application Period should still submit a valid Proof of Age, Proof of Residency, and Master Agreement in order to be placed on the general waiting list in order of when they complete all tasks.
• Students will be notified and offered the opportunity to continue the process if space becomes available in their grade and school.
• Students will only be considered for the offer of a space once the lottery waiting list for that grade level and school has been exhausted.
• More information about the waiting list policies and status is available to families who already have an account on the Caretaker Dashboard after you log in to your account.

Enrollment Process

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Child's Proof of Age

A copy of one of the following documents must be provided for every student to verify age eligibility:

• Official birth certificate
• Passport (U.S. and other countries)
• Certificate of live birth
• Military ID or Driver’s License
• Adoption record
• Tribal affiliation card
• Green card
• Custody documentation
• Medical records
• School records from previous school

Not Sure Where to Get That?

 

• If you need a copy of your child's birth certificate, you can order it online through the California Department of Public Health. Please visit the California Department of Public Health website for more information.
• If your child was born in another state, please visit the CDC’s Where to Write for Vital Records webpage for more information. When using this tool, please remember to follow the CDC's Application Guidelines.
• Need a replacement Green Card (Permanent Resident Card)? Visit the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website.
• Have questions about your U.S. passport? Visit the U.S. Department of State FAQs page.

As a reminder, the age eligibility is as follows:

• Transitional Kindergarten: Any student enrolling in transitional kindergarten must be five (5) years old between September 2 and December 2 in the school year for which you are enrolling.
• Kindergarten: Any student enrolling in kindergarten must be five (5) years old on or before September 1 in the school year for which you are enrolling.
• First Grade: Any student enrolling in first grade must be six (6) years old on or before September 1 in the school year for which you are enrolling.
• Maximum Age: Any student who turns nineteen (19) years old on or before the first day of school and has a break in public school enrollment will not be eligible to enroll in California Connections Academy. The maximum age for general education students with continuous enrollment is twenty (20) years old. The maximum age for special education students with continuous enrollment is twenty-two (22) years old.

Proof of Residence

According to the California Department of Education Residency Guidelines, you must reside in one of the following California counties to enroll in one of the California Connections Academy schools: Alameda, Amador, Calaveras, Colusa, Contra Costa, Fresno, Glenn, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Lake, Los Angeles, Mendocino, Monterey, Napa, Orange, Riverside, Sacramento, San Benito, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Stanislaus, Sonoma, Tulare, Ventura or Yolo. You must provide ONE acceptable proof of residency to be eligible for enrollment in California Connections Academy. There are many verifiable forms of documentation, which are detailed below:

Not Sure What is Accepted as Proof?

 

• A residential utility bill
  Acceptable Documents Include: gas, electric, water, sewage, cable, home phone, internet, or trash bill from the last 90 days, in the resident's name and address.
• Mortgage statement from the last 90 days or current annual lease agreement.
• Property tax statement
• Current voter registration card
• Payroll stub from the last 90 days
• Letter from a government agency from the last 90 days

If you do not have any of these documents, please contact the enrollment team at 1-800-221-2720 to discuss acceptable alternatives.

Geographical Limitations

 

You must reside in one of the following California counties and provide acceptable proof of residency to be eligible for enrollment in Connections Academy:

Southern California: Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego

Central: Fresno, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Tulare

Central Coast: San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura

Monterey Bay: Monterey, San Benito, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz

North Bay: Colusa, Glenn, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, Sonoma, Yolo

Ripon: Alameda, Amador, Calaveras, Contra Costa, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Stanislaus

Child’s Proof of Immunization

Immunizations are not required to enroll in the school because the California Connections Academy virtual school program meets California’s criteria of an independent study program.

With this said, California Connections Academy schools are still required to collect information from parents and report to the state on immunizations. Therefore, immunization records should be submitted for students upon enrollment and resubmitted upon entry into seventh grade. Even though during the enrollment process all immunization records must be submitted, if the records indicate that the student has not received all the state required immunizations, the student will still be allowed to enroll.

Documentation of every received shot will assist California Connections Academy school staff in notifying families with unvaccinated students of exclusion from in-person activities in the event of a disease outbreak that may impact their student(s).

Families will be able to submit immunization records and/or exemptions once they begin the enrollment process.

• Immunization booklet
• Official school record
• Healthcare provider or Health Department printout
• Connections Academy Immunization form (found in the Enrollment Portal)

This form may require both the parent/guardian and health care provider signature.

When Do I Need to Provide My Immunization Records?

Immunization records must be presented prior to enrolling in Connections Academy.

Not Sure What Immunizations Are Required?

For more details, including information regarding what immunizations/shots your student needs, please refer to the Shots for Schools website, and for a complete list of immunization requirements, please see the Health and Safety Code Section 120325–120380 document.

The California Immunization Record (sometimes called the "yellow card")

 

The California Immunization Record (sometimes called the “yellow card”) helps you keep track of what shots your child has received and when. Many California medical offices and clinics can now update your child’s yellow card automatically using an electronic immunization registry, known as the California immunization registry.

Where Can I Get Immunizations for My Student?

Immunizations can be obtained from doctor’s offices, clinics, or hospitals. Pediatricians and family doctors or their nurses or medical assistants can give your student the shots they need to meet the requirements for school enrollment. In addition, some large chain pharmacies offer immunizations for older children and adults.

Print the Child Immunization Checklist (en Español) to help keep track of the vaccines your child needs to be protected.

What if I Need Assistance Paying for Vaccines?

By law, California managed-care organizations (such as Kaiser Permanente and Blue Cross) must cover recommended immunizations for children. Your health plan may charge a co-payment for the shot visit. Check with your health plan or your doctor’s office about any fees.

If you don’t have health insurance, you may be able to get free immunizations through one of these programs:

• Healthy Families. Children enrolled in California’s Healthy Families plan receive free immunizations with no copayment.
• Medi-Cal. Medi-Cal covers preventive care services for eligible low-income children and adults. Contact your local County Social Services for more information.
• Vaccines for Children. Many private-practice California doctors participate in the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program, which gives free vaccine to eligible children up to age 18. Ask your child’s doctor if his or her office offers VFC shots.
• CHDP. Children eligible for California’s Child Health and Disability Prevention (CHDP) program may also be eligible for free or low-cost shots.

Child's Proof of Health Examination

According to the California Department of Education, California state law requires that each student/child’s family provide, within 90 days of entrance into the first grade, a certificate documenting that the child has received a health checkup within the previous 18 months. Please complete the form below to fulfill this state requirement.

• California Health Examination

What If I Can't Afford a Health Examination for My Student?

Some children may be eligible for a state-paid examination. Referrals to doctors and clinics are provided on request by the Child Health and Disability Prevention (CHDP) program coordinator of the local health department. Children through age 18 may receive a free checkup funded by CHDP if their families meet specific income guidelines. Most county health departments have a CHDP coordinator who can advise parents regarding eligibility.

To find out more about Child Health and Disability Prevention (CHDP) services or the application process, please contact your county CHDP office, which can be found on the "County Offices" page of the California Department of Health Care Services website. For more information on the CHDP, including a program overview and health check-up information, please view the CHDP Description of Services brochure.

Prior Academic Records

All students who have previously attended public school, private school, or homeschool are eligible to enroll and will be requested to submit academic records for placement.

• Report Card

For students applying for grades K–9: Please submit a copy of the report card from the most recent school year.

The following items should be included on the report card:

• Student Name
• Grade Level
• School Year (example: 2020–21)
• School Name
• Grading Scale (example: 90–100%=A)

• Unofficial Transcript

For students applying for grades 10–12: Submit an unofficial transcript that includes the complete end-of-year grades from the prior school year(s) and any academic documentation (such as a progress report/interim report, class schedule, or marking period/semester report card) issued for the current school year. Additional documentation may be requested for placement.

The following items should be included on the unofficial transcript:

• Student Name
• Grade Level
• School Year (example: 2020–21)
• School Name
• Grading Scale (example: 90–100%=A)
• Credits Earned

Not Sure How to Get Your Child’s Report Card or Transcript?

 

• Contact your student's previous school and request the document, providing them with the information outlined above, OR contact your school's district office with the request.

If after attempting these steps you still cannot obtain your student's report card or transcript, please contact the academic placement services team at 1-800-221-2720 to discuss acceptable alternatives.

Have Your Child(ren) Been Formerly Homeschooled?

• Prior Academic History Form
  For homeschooled students in grades K–12: Complete the Prior Academic History Form indicating what courses were completed through a homeschool curriculum. This form will be available to you in the Enrollment Portal.

Other Documents for Special Circumstances

You may need to provide additional documentation if any of the following circumstances apply:

• Custody order: If your legal guardianship is determined by a court order, please submit a copy of the order.
• Gifted documentation: If you are requesting any Gifted and Talented programs, you will need to submit formal gifted documentation which may include gifted assessment results, gifted evaluation, report cards, and state test scores. This document is required for Gifted and Talented course placement.