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Admissions » Admissions Process

Admissions Process

Does TECA sound like a good fit for your family? We would love to have you join our community! Please follow the steps below to begin the process.

Step One: Visit Us

We encourage interested families to attend a tour of our school before applying. We invite you to visit our school to gather more information about why TECA is a great school for your family, and answer your lingering questions. Select a date to tour TECA and let us answer all of your questions.

See the Tours page for specific tour dates and times.

Step Two: Apply

Once you have toured our school, we welcome you to submit an application. A tour is not a required step in the process, you can always apply even if you are not able to attend a tour. As an independent public charter school, Thomas Edison Charter Academy does not charge a fee for applying or attending; nor does TECA participate in the SFUSD lottery.

We conduct our first-round placement lottery in February. Following this initial lottery, we’ll hold additional lotteries at regular intervals until we’ve filled all available spaces. We will add any application submitted after the first round deadline to the waiting list for future lotteries.

You can apply either in person or online. For the 2024–25 application, we strongly encourage all families to use the online application. The deadline for all applications is February 9, 2024. We include all applications in the same lottery process regardless of date or method of acceptance. The online application will be available beginning October 17. If you cannot submit an online application and can only apply by paper application, you may pick up a paper application from the school office starting the second week in October. You may submit a completed application only at one of the acceptance sessions listed below. We will not accept applications at other times. 

Paper Application Acceptance Sessions to apply for 2024–2025

Friday, October 27 from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m.
Wednesday, November 15 from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m.
Monday, December 11 from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Friday, January 19 from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m.

If you cannot submit an online application and need to apply with a paper application, you must attend one of the sessions listed and bring copies of the following documents.

  • Birth certificate or other birth verification document permitted by law
  • Student’s current immunization records
  • Two (2) proofs of residency in California for parent/guardian (see the Application Information page for examples; Parent ID and bill preferred methods of proof)
  • Most recent report card for grade level verification, for first- through eighth-grade applicants only

We cannot make copies of these materials; please be sure to bring a copy of whatever documents you may need. If you do not have all the documents, we cannot accept your application.

Step Three: Lottery

TECA holds a first-round placement lottery in late February. We will notify you of the results and whether your child was accepted or placed on our waiting list in mid-March via email and a letter mailed to your primary address.

Step Four: Register

If your child is accepted to TECA, you may complete the online registration process, or you can bring the necessary documents to our school office. These documents are due in April. We cannot guarantee a space for those with incomplete registration materials.

We invite all accepted students and their families to a new family meeting prior to the start of the new school year to meet other new students and their families as well as their teachers.

Waiting List & Follow-Up Lotteries

We place children who do not receive a spot at TECA in the initial placement lottery in February on the waiting list. We will hold subsequent lotteries for any spaces that become available. The follow-up lotteries will occur as follows:

  • Round 2: April
  • Round 3: May
  • Round 4: August
  • Round 5: September
  • Round 6: October
  • Round 7: December

Online Application Information

The availability of an online application is a convenient way for families to apply for a space at TECA. The online application for the 2023–24 school year remains available online.

*For the 2024–25 application, we strongly encourage all families to use the online application. We will continue to accept paper applications once a month for any families who cannot complete an online application, however if you are able to access the online application please use this format.

Online applicants must upload the following documentation:

  • Copy of birth certificate or other birth verification document permitted by law
  • Student’s current immunization records
  • Two (2) proofs of residency in California for parent/guardian
  • Most recent report card for grade level verification (first- through eighth-grade applicants only)

You are also welcome to print and complete the application.