Applying to Lab

Charlotte Lab School is a tuition free public charter school which admits students through an open lottery system.

Now accepting K-12 Applications for the 2025-26 school year!

Click the link at the top of the page to apply.

Lottery applications closed at 2 PM on March 11, 2025.

All late applications will be added to the bottom of our waitlist in the order they were received

We held our lottery on March 18, 2025 at 11AM.

Please note, waitlist do not carry over. A new application will need to be submitted

each year you are interested in joining Lab.

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Applications for the 2025-2026 School Year

Lottery applications opened 10:00 am November 12, 2024 and closed 2:00 pm March 11, 2025.
All applications received after the lottery close date will be added to our waitlist in the order they were received.
We held our lottery on March 18, 2025 at 11:00am.

All lottery applicants received an email notification of their status (seat offer or waitlisted) no later than 4:00pm Friday, March 21, 2025.
For a Step-by-Step Guide to the application process click here.
To check your application status click here for the Lotterease Parent Portal.

General Lottery Information for 2025-2026 School Year

Applications and enrollment must be submitted by the parent / legal guardian. Proof of guardianship will be required.
You must be a resident of NC to apply and attend a NC public school. Non residents will be removed from our application and lottery process.
Children who turn 5 years old on or before August 31, 2025 who live in NC, are eligible to apply to 2025-2026 lottery.
Waitlists do not carry over from one year to the next. Each year, we start fresh with new applications and new lotteries. Parents need to (re)apply each year they wish to be considered in the lottery.
Only one (1) application per student per year is allowed. Multiple application submissions may result in exclusion from the lottery process.
For more information, please contact Niya Menefee, Director of Admissions: [email protected] or call 704-464-3830.

Admissions and Enrollment Priorities

Sibling, Employee and Board Member (SEBM) Preference

Charlotte Lab School offers a priority in our admissions process to children of full-time employees and to children of past and present Board Members, and to siblings of current Lab students.
SEBM applicants will indicate their desire to be considered for the SEBM Preference on the general application form.
SEBM applicants will receive first preference to available Lab seats during the enrollment process.

Click here to view more information for our other priorities.

Open House Information

Click here to view more information about our 2024-25 Open House season.
PLEASE NOTE: We are unable to accommodate any requests for tours outside of our scheduled Open House events. Each spring, we will host tours during the school day for families admitted through the school lottery.

You may direct specific questions about student enrollment and admissions to our Admissions Office by calling 704-464-3830 or emailing [email protected].

Charlotte Lab School admits students of any race, color, gender, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, religion and ability to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. Charlotte Lab School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, religion or disability in administration of its educational policies, admission policies, and other school programs.