What is a charter school?

According to uscharterschools.org (an online learning community to serve and support charter schools):

“Charter schools are nonsectarian public schools of choice that operate with freedom from many of the regulations that apply to traditional public schools. The “charter” establishing each such school is a performance contract detailing the school’s mission, program, goals, students served, methods of assessment, and ways to measure success. The length of time for which charters are granted varies, but most are granted for 3-5 years. At the end of the term, the entity granting the charter may renew the school’s contract. Charter schools are accountable to their sponsor– usually a state or local school board– to produce positive academic results and adhere to the charter contract. The basic concept of charter schools is that they exercise increased autonomy in return for this accountability. They are accountable for both academic results and fiscal practices to several groups: the sponsor that grants them, the parents who choose them, and the public that funds them.”

APS Charter School FAQs

Charter Renewal 

PAPA Charter Renewal Application 2014

 PAPA’s Site Visit Report and Performance Framework Reports:

Public Academy for Performing Arts – 2019-20 Performance Framework

Public Academy for Performing Arts 2020-21 FALL and SPRING Site Visit Report

Public Academy for Performing Arts 2021-22 FALL and SPRING Site Visit Report

PAPA was originally founded during the 2000-2001 school year.  Our original founders were Frank Butler, Kristina Lord Linde, Bob Perls, Joan Findley Perls, Valerie Scott, and Fred Pink.

Is PAPA the “right” school of choice?

• If your child has a serious interest in the performing arts (dance, choir, musical instruments, theater, musical theater, film, visual arts)…
• If you are willing to make a commitment to performance schedules that go beyond the school day and on weekends…
• If you are looking for a rigorous, college preparatory curriculum…
• If your child is ready to take Algebra 1 in 8th Grade…(not required)
• If you are committed to having your child present and engaged daily…we are commuter school and expect students to be here on time and ready to learn. Our attendance policy follows the New Mexico Compulsory Education Laws – link to more information here.
• If you support the concept that homework is necessary for the acquisition of knowledge and skills needed for college…
• If you want your child to attend a school where respect is the norm, not the goal…
• If you think taking dance as your PE credit would be a blast…

PAPA may be the right school for your child!

The Lottery window opens in January each year and the link will be found on our website. 

Admission Information 2024-2025

We do not offer tours or shadowing to the public at any time.

Steps for the lottery process at PAPA

Each year, as per state regulations, admission to public charter schools is done by a lottery process. To learn more about lottery regulations, please click on this link:

http://www.ped.state.nm.us/ped/CharterSchoolsIndex.html

Current PAPA students are automatically entitled to enroll the following year without participating in the lottery.  Siblings of currently enrolled students will have priority for admission, subject to space availability, but must complete the lottery paperwork. Remember if a current PAPA student withdrawls before the 40th day of the school year, the students’ sibling will lose preference.

The lottery does not guarantee admission, but determines preference in filling available spots. Once a grade level is filled, any remaining names are placed on a waiting list for that school year in the order in which their names were drawn in the lottery.

Our Prospective Student Open House is held at the end of January every year. If you are interested in having your child attend our school, we ask that you attend the Open House to ask questions about staff, curriculum and schedules.

• Lottery drawing results will be posted on in February (dates TBD) Please visit our website to view the lists. The list will be posted once and will not be updated, if you need information please call us 505-830-3128 x24641. 

• New Student Orientation is in March and is from 8:00am – noon. Attendance at this event is mandatory for new students and parent(s).  All required enrollment forms must be completed and submitted by March 22, 2024 or the student’s lottery position will be forfeited and the student will not be enrolled at PAPA for the subsequent year.  Contact the office if there is an extenuating circumstance that prohibits you and your child from attending New Student Orientation. Lack of correspondence will result in forfeiture of the enrollment spot and your child will be put at the bottom of the wait list (if requested). If you have questions or concerns please email info@paparts.org or call us at 505-830-3128 x0. Failure to comply with this requirement, on the date such paperwork is due, will result in a student losing his or her place at PAPA.

Please note:

• Siblings are given priority in the lottery process but are still required to fill out an application for each child in your family. Remember there is no guarantee of admission for siblings if there are no openings in the grade your have applied for.
• We do not carry over lottery applications from one year to the next. It starts new every year in Janurary.
• We keep the lottery waitlist and continue to go back to it until December if we need to fill seats, after December the waitlist will close. If we call you and email you with an available spot you will only have 24 hours to respond and if we do not hear from you we will go to the next person in line.
• The date the application is received has no bearing on the lottery pull.
• We are an equal opportunity provider and employer. 

Important Dates – Lottery 2024-2025 School Year – Questions about lottery please email info@paparts.org or call us 505-830-3128 ext. 24641

Lottery opens  – January  | Check website for Google Form link

Perspective Student Open House – January  | 5:00pm-6:30pm

Lottery closes – February 

Lottery results posted – February | Check website for ticket number that was emailed to you. 

Deadline to accept spot – March | You must call and accept the spot by this date or we will mark you as declined.

New student orientation – March | 8:00AM – 12:00PM 

Final Registration – End of July (save the date flyer will be given to you at NSO)

Lack of correspondence will result in forfeiture of the enrollment spot and your child will be put at the bottom of the waitlist (if requested).

Please note: Only siblings of current students get preference. 

We will need copies of the following documents once you are accepted in the lottery drawing. 

A. Birth certificate 
B. Immunization Record 
C. Middle school – most recent report card, iMSSA (interim Assessment) scores for math and ELA
D. High school – most recent unofficial transcript/attendance record (credit analysis)
E. IEP/504/SAT/BIP (if applicable)
F. Any legal documents – custody, name change, etc. (if applicable)

Missed the lottery?

Please call to be put at the bottom of the waitlist. We will continue to go back to it until December if we need to fill seats.  To get on our waitlist please send email info to info@paparts.org | Students, first and last name, DOB, current grade and current school, parents name and good contact phone number.

Thank you for your interest in our school!