01

General

• Is John Adams Academy a private school?

  No. John Adams Academy is a tuition-free, California public charter school, funded according to its average daily attendance (ADA).

• Who can attend John Adams Academy?

  As a school of choice, John Adams Academy's in-person campuses are open to any California resident with a TK-12th grade child who would like to attend, space permitting.

  To enroll in our Online Program, a family must reside in one of the following counties: Placer, Nevada, Sutter, Yuba, Sacramento, or El Dorado County. A family must live in the county or a county adjacent to one of our physical campuses. 

  
  

  
  

• What is a charter school?

  Charter schools are public schools as defined by federal and state law. In California, charter schools began with the Charter Schools Act of 1992. For more than 30 years, they’ve provided families with an innovative, common-sense, public education option.

  Charter schools meet the same academic standards required by all public schools,

  Charter schools are:

  • tuition-free, public schools of choice – open to all California students regardless of learning level. If more students enroll than there are spots available, a fair public lottery is conducted to determine order of enrollment in accordance with the first available seat and enrollment priorities set in the charter. 
  • non-religious, non-sectarian schools.  
  • funded with local, state, and federal tax dollars, as other                                 public schools.
  • often started by local teachers, parents, and community members who want to create new opportunities for students.
  • have historically operated with more flexibility than districts schools, but must still meet state and federal academic standards. Oversight and governance accountability has continued to increase exponentially over the past 10 years. 
  •  are closely monitored: completing yearly financial audits, receiving oversight from their authorizing district, requiring positive results to stay open.
  •  approved and renewed in five year increments. Schools meeting stringent requirements are approved for renewal. 

• Is John Adams Academy run by a “For-Profit” company?

  No. John Adams Academy is operated by a non-profit organization, John Adams Academies, Inc. Its board members are unpaid volunteers, providing service to their community.

• How are public funds allocated to charter schools?

  In California, public school funding follows the student, with the funding going to the public school the parents choose, whether a public charter or district school. Contrary to common perception, there is no overall loss to public school funding because charter schools are public schools. California public charter schools are primarily funded through the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), which provides a base grant per student plus supplemental funding for low-income students, English learners, and foster youth.

• How does a charter school get its facilities?

  There are several different ways a charter school may obtain facilities. In some cases, the charter school buys or builds its own facility. In other cases, the charter school can lease a facility. In some districts, the district provides or leases an existing facility to charter schools. Based on its investment grade credit rating, John Adams Academy has purchased the buildings and land at all of its campuses through private bond and at no expense to the tax-payer.

• Are John Adams Academy teachers credentialed?

  Yes. As required by California law, John Adams Academy hires credentialed teachers for all subjects.

• Does John Adams Academy serve scholars with special needs?

  Yes. John Adams Academy is open to all scholars, irrespective of their needs and is very proud of its Scholar Services Department that provides special education services. John Adams Academy partners with El Dorado County Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) to provide programs necessary to serve the individualized educational needs of our scholars.

• If John Adams Academy opens in my community will my child be required to attend?

  No. Public charter schools are schools of choice. No student is required to enroll, and no employee is required to work at a public charter school. John Adams Academy is open to any child, free of charge. Choice is a powerful tool for parents in making decisions for their children’s education.

02

Application & Lottery Process

• What is a lottery and how does it work?

  During an open application period, if there are more applications for a grade than there are seats available for that grade, the Academy is required to conduct a public random drawing (lottery). The lottery is used to determine which applicants will receive offers of admission for the available seats and to establish a waitlist for that grade.

• Admissions Timeline Overview

  • Application Window Opens: Families submit applications during the publicly advertised enrollment period.
  • Lottery (if needed): If applications exceed available spaces, a public random drawing is held.
  • Offers & Enrollment: Families offered a seat have 72 hours to accept and complete registration.
  • Family Orientation: Once enrollment paperwork is completed, families attend a required Zoom meeting and a one-on-one in person orientation with a school administrator.
  • First Day of School: Enrolled scholars begin on the first day of the academic year or as scheduled by the administrator at the one on one orientation.

  If you have further questions, please contact the individual campus via the enrollment webpage. 

• Application & Lottery Process

  I am unable to locate my application. What should I do?

  Please contact us at info@johnadamsacademy.org. 

  Have I missed the notification regarding my child's lottery placement?

  Lottery results are posted publicly and can be accessed by selecting from the campus list on the right of this page.  

  When will official offers be sent out?

  Official enrollment offers will be sent out in March. 

  We were not placed in the lottery and cannot view our current ranking. How can we access this information?

  If you applied after the application window or were not included in the lottery, your application may be on the waitlist. Please log in to your account to view your status or contact our admissions office for clarification. 

  5. When will we know if there is a chance of securing a seat from the waitlist?

  Waitlist movement depends on seat availability, which can vary. We will notify families as soon as a seat becomes available for their scholar. 

  6. Do the lottery and Foundation placements coincide?

  Foundations placements and the lottery process are separate. Foundations seats are based on availability determined by our Foundations team to meet the needs of individual families. For questions related to Foundations, please contact foundations@johnadamsacademy.org. 

• Offers & Enrollment

  If one of my scholars gets in, when will their siblings get in?

  Siblings of admitted scholars receive priority on the waitlist. While we strive to accommodate families, sibling admission depends on seat availability. 

  Can I hold my offer until my other children receive theirs?

  Holding an offer is not possible due to enrollment timelines. Families have 72 hours to accept their offer once received to secure their child's seat. Once you accept an offer for one child, their siblings receive priority on the waitlist. We suggest that families accept the first offer they receive, so that the other children receive a sibling priority, which improves their standing on the waitlist. 

  Do I have to reapply if I decline an offer?

  Yes, if you decline an offer, you will need to reapply during the next application window for future consideration.

  Can I choose my own start date?

  Start dates are set according to the academic calendar. Requests for alternative start dates are considered on a case-by-case basis. 

  I selected AM TK or Kindergarten but was given PM (or vice versa). Can I change it?

  Placement in AM or PM sessions for TK or Kindergarten is based on availability. You may request a change by contacting the campus administrator, but changes are not guaranteed. 

• What is an application window?

  California requires charter schools to set an application window to determine whether there are more applications for the upcoming year than there are seats available. If there are more applications than seats available the charter school is required to conduct a public random drawing (lottery) for those seats. 

  The 2026-27 school year application window will begin:

  Monday, January 8, 2026 - Tuesday, March 3, 2026

  The application window is used to determine if a lottery is required for any particular grade. If necessary, the lottery will be used to fill available seats and establish a waitlist.  For frequently asked questions about lotteries and to see which grades require a lottery for the 2025-26 school year, please visit our Lottery FAQ page.  

  Anyone applying after the application window will NOT participate in the lottery, but will be placed on the waitlist if a seats are not available or receive an offer of admission if a seat is available.

• How can I make a complaint about the admission and lottery process?

  To lodge a formal complaint regarding the admissions or enrollment process, please find the specific campus form HERE.

• If I live in the district where John Adams Academy is located will my child have priority in the admission process?

  Yes. Potential scholars who live within the boundaries of the authorizing school district receive priority in the admissions process over those who live outside of the authorizing school district boundaries.

• Do all grades need a lottery?

  The need for a lottery will be determined by the number of applications received, the number of available seats, and whether or not a waitlist exists for that grade level.

04

Lottery

• What is a lottery?

  During an open application period, if there are more applications for a grade than there are seats available for that grade, the Academy is required to conduct a public random drawing (lottery). The lottery is used to determine which applicants will receive offers of admission for the available seats and to establish a waitlist for that grade.

• Do all grades need a lottery?

  The need for a lottery will be determined by the number of applications received, the number of available seats, and whether or not a waitlist exists for that grade level. Any grade level that has an existing waitlist will not have a lottery. Any grade level without an existing waitlist that has more applications than space available will have a lottery. The lottery will be used to fill the available seats and establish waitlists for each grade level.

• What grades require a lottery at each campus?

  The need for a lottery will be determined by the number of applications received, the number of available seats, and whether or not a waitlist exists for that grade level.

• If a lottery is needed, when will the lottery be held?

  Zoom link will be sent to those participating.

  El Dorado Hills
  Wednesday, March 4, 2026 @ 9am
  El Dorado Hills Campus - Location: Reagan Center
  1104 Investment Blvd. El Dorado Hills, CA 95762 

  Lincoln
  Wednesday, March 4, 2026 @ 11:30am
  Lincoln Campus - Location: Lecture Hall
  1797 Bella Breeze, Lincoln, CA 95648 

  Roseville
  Wednesday, March 4, 2026 @ 2:00pm
  Roseville Campus - Location: Liberty Hall
  1 Sierra Gate Plaza, Roseville, CA 95678

• Do I have to be present at the lottery to claim my child’s spot?

  No, you do not need to attend. Attendance at the lottery is NOT mandatory for your child to receive an offer. Lottery results will be emailed out.

• If I cannot attend the lottery how will I know if my child got in?

  It is not mandatory for you to attend the Lottery. After the lottery, results are verified and then will be made public. If your number is selected, you will receive an email and phone call officially offering you a seat. If you are placed on the waitlist, you will be able to view the waitlist number on your account. 

• Can I send someone else to the Lottery in my place?

  Yes. This is a public lottery so all are welcome to attend. Prior to a lottery staff will provide families with a student ID number for their applicant that is used in the selection process. If you are sending someone in your place to view the lottery, please ensure that you provide them the unique Student ID number you were emailed. They must know the Student ID number before they arrive. On the night of the lottery, we will only give out Student ID numbers to the parent or guardian that filled out the application. The Parent/Guardian will need to show identification in order to receive the Student ID number at the lottery. 

• May I bring my children to the lottery?

  Yes, but you will need to supervise them during the lottery.

• What happens if the grade fills up before my child’s number is drawn?

  Even if all of the available seats for a grade have been filled, all scholar’s numbers that are in the lottery will be pulled. Once the available seat limit is reached the remaining scholar’s names continue to be drawn and will go on the waitlist in order of number drawn.

• What happens if my scholar’s name is selected for a seat in the lottery?

  After the lottery results are verified, they will then be made public. If your number is selected, you will receive an email and phone call officially offering you a seat. Once an offer is made you will have up to 72 hours to log on to your account and accept or decline the seat, and complete the registration paperwork.

• How much time do I have to decide after I receive an offer of admission?

  You will have 72 hours to complete the registration process. This includes accepting or declining the offer, completing the on-line registration information, and uploading the required documentation. If you fail to accept the offer and complete the registration process within 72 hours your seat will be forfeited and offered to the next person on the waitlist.

• If I have a sibling already attending JAA campus, does that guarantee my other scholar(s) a seat in at another JAA campus or online?

  No, sibling admission preference is based on the currently enrolled sibling attending the same Academy that their sibling is applying to.  Sibling admission preferences are also not guarantees of admission.

• Does participation in one John Adams Academy Lottery get my child into other John Adams Academy campuses?

  No. Lotteries are site specific. Parents must apply separately for each campus that they want to attend. If you receive an offer resulting from a lottery it is to attend that campus only. Families wishing to be considered for enrollment at more than one campus should submit applications for enrollment for each campus separately through the admissions portal.

03

Medical & Immunization

• Immunization

  As a California public charter school, John Adams Academy is required to be in compliance with state immunization requirements and to keep records of immunization status of all our scholars. (CCR Title 17)

  If you have questions regarding these requirements please feel free to contact Admissions or visit CDPH (California Department of Public Health).

  Admissions@johnadamsacademy.org
  CDPH

• Medical Records

  Please complete the necessary forms using the link below, if:

  • Your Scholar has as Asthma, Allergy or Diabetes.
  • Medication needs to be given to your scholar while at the Academy, or kept in his/her backpack.
  • Your scholar has a history of seizures.

  Forms will be reviewed by a Registered Nurse. 

  Forms & medication must be provided one week prior to scholar attending a field trip.

  Medical Forms

• Kindergarten & 1st Grade

  The following forms need to be completed during a scholar's Kindergarten year:

  • Oral Health Assessment Form or Waiver
  • Health Examination for School Entry

  *The Oral Health Assessment Form or Waiver of Oral Health Assessment Requirement is due by May 31st of the Kindergarten school year. Please print and take the form with you to your scholar's dental exam and return it to the office once it has been completed by your scholar's dentist. 

  *The Health Examination Form can be turned in anytime during kindergarten, and is required prior to entry into First Grade. Please print and take the form with you to your scholar's physical exam any time during the year and return it to the office once it has been completed by your scholar's physician. 

  All other forms are due at the time of enrollment.

  Medical Forms