Admissions
We want to make the admissions process as simple as we can for all interested families. You'll find lots of information on this page, and we don't expect you to be an expert at this process.
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You are welcome to call or email us at any time to discuss the process or the status of your application(s).
How to Enroll
The enrollment process at Baden Academy always includes an application. We're a public charter school, and everyone is welcome to apply.
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We conduct a lottery each year in January (more information is available in the How our Lottery Works section of this page), but outside of the lottery governing enrollment for an upcoming school year, PA residents may submit an application and be admitted to our school at any time during the current school year, provided that we have availability.
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If you should happen to apply for a grade level that doesn't have any open seats, your child's/children's name(s) will be added to our waitlist, and we'll do our best to complete the enrollment as soon as space becomes available.
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Important Note: When an application is submitted but the student is not granted admission, the student is added to the waitlist for the current year. Our waitlists do not carry over from one year to the next, so students who are not pulled in from the waitlist will need a new application for the following year if still interested in enrolling.
How our Lottery Works
As a public charter school, our admissions process includes the completion of a digital and random lottery, through which we identify students to be offered a slot for the upcoming school year. The lottery is conducted each January.
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If we receive more applicants than the number of expected open seats for the upcoming school year, students who were not selected in the initial lottery are placed on a waitlist and offered admissions as seats become available.
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During the lottery, the nature of our charter requires that we give preference to applicants for the lottery (for the upcoming school year) in the following order:
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Siblings of existing BACS students from the Ambridge Area School District
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Siblings of existing BACS students from all other districts
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Family members of BACS founders - in the Ambridge Area School District
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Family members of BACS founders - from all other districts
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Students from the Ambridge Area School District
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Students from all other districts
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During open enrollment (for the current school year, or for the upcoming school year after the lottery has been completed), admissions is handled on a first-come, first-serve basis.
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Whether you're looking to apply during open enrollment or submit a lottery application for the next school year, you can get started by clicking the link below.
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What's the first step?Contact us! We're happy to discuss any questions you have an walk you through the process of applying/enrolling. We'll let you know what is needed and keep in touch with you throughout the process.
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Can we visit the school before deciding?Absolutely! We love to have visitors, and we encourage families to tour our facilities and talk with our administrators and teachers before making a final decision.
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How much does it cost to attend?NOTHING! We're a public charter school, and in Pennsylvania, public charter schools are tuition-free.
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Is transportation provided?Your child's school district-of-residence is required to provide transporation if the district's boundaries are anywhere within a 10 mile radius of our campus at: 1016 W. State Street Baden, PA 15005
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What is arts integration?Arts integration is giving the same amount of focus to an arts standard and an academic standard in the same lesson. It emphasizes the use of the arts to teach the core curriculum and leads to engaging instruction that goes far beyond historical approaches to teaching. This is a proven method of developing the whole child and enhances the social and emotional growth of each student.
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Where are you located?We're located at 1016 W. State Street, Baden, PA 15005, just 30 minutes north of Pittsburgh, just off of Route 65. Our historic location offers a private school experience in a tuition-free public charter school.