Enrollment FAQ

2023-2024 Enrollment Frequently Asked Questions

Who is eligible to attend I³ Academy?

I³ Academy is a tuition free, non-selective public charter school serving children in grades K-8. All Alabama students in the applicable grades are eligible to attend I³ Academy.

How do you determine which applicants are offered a seat at I³ Academy?

If there are more applicants than seats available, applicants are placed in a lottery and selected in the order of I³ Academy’s enrollment priorities. Those applicants not selected for a seat will be placed on a waitlist and will be contacted if a seat becomes available.

Who participates in the lottery?

All prospective students who submitted qualifying applications through the online lottery application through PowerSchool by 11:59 PM Central Standard Time on January 16, 2023 will be included in the lottery and will either be offered a seat or placed on a waitlist. A qualifying application is a completed application that is submitted for an entering kindergarten through 8th grade student. Kindergarten students must be age 5 before September 2nd.

What is the priority structure for admission for the 2023-2024 school year?

Admissions and enrollment priorities for 2023-2024 school year are as follows:

Priority A- Staff and Board Members
- Children of current I³ Academy board members and current full-time employees. These students may make up no more than ten percent of the total student population.
Priority B- Birmingham City Schools
- Students zoned for a Birmingham City School.
Priority C- Siblings
- Siblings of students currently enrolled in I³ Academy. There is no guarantee that all siblings will be offered a seat in the lottery.
Priority D- Outside of Birmingham City School
- Students zoned for schools outside of Birmingham City Schools

Do children who attend I³ Academy go through the lottery process each year?

Children in grades K-8 in the 2023-2024 school year will remain at I³ Academy for the upcoming school year as long as they re-enroll with qualifying documentation within the re-enrollment period.

How many spots will be available in each grade?

The number of available spots varies per grade. I³ Academy reserves the right to manage the number of offers made from the waitlist in each grade level in order to balance class size and to follow best practices.

When will the lottery take place?

How does the lottery work?

Applications will be organized by grade according to the school’s charter admission priorities. Each student who submits a qualifying application will be assigned a unique lottery identification number. Students will be identified only by their unique lottery identification number, not by name.
The lottery will be conducted using the PowerSchool platform, a well-known provider of online registration management tools for charter schools. Drawings will begin with kindergarten and will continue, by grade, through grade eight.

What if I moved after I submitted my initial application?

Please contact Magaly Monzon at 205-403-5777 or (mmonzon@i3academy.org) as soon as possible in order to update your address.

How will I know if my child has been accepted?

Lottery results will be posted late February 2023. An acceptance letter will be mailed and emailed to the address on file. Please make sure the school has your current address. You must accept or decline the offer within five (5) business days of the date of the acceptance letter. Offers to attend I³ Academy that are neither accepted or declined within five (5) business days will be considered expired and that seat will be offered to the next applicant on the waitlist. Parents can accept or decline the offer through PowerSchool or contact the school at 205-403-5777.

How is a student’s address determined and verified?

A student’s address will be determined based on the bona fide primary residence of the custodial parent/legal guardian. The address of residence is subject to verification according to the enrollment checklist during the enrollment process.

What happens when my child’s name is put on the waitlist?

Your child will remain on the waitlist throughout the 2023-2024 school year until a spot opens in the applicable grade. Please ensure the school has your updated contact information (address, email address, and phone numbers) so we can contact you if a spot becomes available.

What happens when my child is on the waitlist and his/her name is next in line for an offer of admission?

When your student is next in line on the waitlist and a spot becomes available, you will receive a phone call from I³ Academy extending a verbal offer of admission. A letter with a written offer of admission will be mailed that same day and you will have five (5) business days from the date of the letter to accept or decline the offer. You will need to complete the enrollment process (including current proof of residency). If you do not respond to the offer by 5 PM on the fifth business day after the date of the offer letter, the offer will expire and the space may be offered to the next child on the waitlist.

How long will my child remain on the waiting list?

Your student will remain on the waitlist until s/he is offered admission to I³ Academy during the 2023- 2024 school year or until you elect to remove him/her from the waitlist. The waitlist for the 2023-2024 school year will be vacated on the last day of school in May 2023 and will not carry over to the 2024-2025 school year. Parents/guardians may resubmit an application online for the 2024-2025 school year during the open application period.

If I missed the application deadline, will the application still be available?

Yes. Applications submitted after January 16, 2023 will be added to the end of the waitlist in the order received and not be included in the lottery process.

What if I made an error on my application and entered the wrong grade information for my child?

Please contact our Magaly Monzon at 205-403-5777 as soon as possible to have your child’s grade corrected. After the lottery occurs, if the wrong grade information was entered, the child will be placed at the bottom of the waitlist for the correct grade for his/her respective enrollment priority.

If my child receives a seat in the lottery and an acceptance letter to attend I³ Academy, what documents are required to enroll?

If you receive an acceptance letter for your child to enroll at I³ Academy, you will need to provide all documentation to the school by June 30, 2023 digitally by 11:59 PM CT.

Photo Identification of custodial parent/legal guardian
Birth Certificate (or alternative documentation showing child’s age)
Proof of Residence (annual tax notice/mortgage statement, copy of lease/rental agreement, or current HUD certificate)
Current Alabama power bill or gas bill from Spire
Custody papers (if applicable) - must be a certified court order showing physical custody
Immunization Form
Most recent report card
Withdrawal paperwork
Individualized Education Plan (IEP) - if applicable
504 Plan - if applicable

What if I move during the enrollment period?

If you move after the lottery occurs and you were seated based on your previous address:
- If the new address is in the same or higher priority than the address submitted on your application, you retain your seat and must prove residency at both addresses.
- If the new address is in the lower priority than the address submitted on your application, you forfeit your seat and are placed at the bottom of the waitlist for the enrollment priority of your new address.

What if I need assistance with my application or with the PowerSchool platform?

You can direct questions about application, enrollment, and admissions to Magaly Monzon (mmonzon@i3academy.org) or call our office phone 205-403-5777.