Idaho Arts Charter School
Frequently Asked Questions
Please ask yourself this very important question prior to applying -
Do your children want to come to our school?
Do not force them or make them come. This is especially true for entering high school students, grades 9-10.
We are a school about the arts. Seniors will be required to do a capstone experience, either a recital, an exhibit, or portfolio. If they have no training in the arts, they won't graduate. We can't stress this enough.
We want students to come because they want to come and because they love the arts.
Who should apply to IACS?
What’s the school calendar like?
When is the deadline for admission forms?
What are the hours of the school?
If one child in my family gets in will they all get in?
How does the lottery work?
What curriculum will IACS be using?
How will IACS be different than a traditional public school?
What is the student to teacher ratio?
How many students in each grade?
Where is the school located?
Is there a dress code?
How are parents involved?
Who is the authorizing agency?
Who should apply to IACS?
We are not just another school. Our focus is the arts. Apply because you love the arts and learn best through their use.
What’s the school calendar like?
We have a modified calendar. We start early August, and will finish the first semester before Christmas break. We have a few longer breaks throughout the year and 8 weeks off for summer. There are approximately 170 student days.
When is the deadline for admission forms?
The lottery is in April each year and applications are accepted for that after January 1st. Once the lottery has taken place we still accept applications and place students on the waiting list in the order they are received. All grades have a waiting list, but don't let that stop you from putting your application in. There is movement all year long, so you never know, you could get in. Waiting list applications must reapply each year.
What are the hours of the school?
The office is open at 7:30am-till 4:30. School starts at 7:50 and ends at 2:45 for MS/HS. The elementary school starts at 8:50 to 3:45. There are two separate bus times, with a late bus for students staying after school.
If one child in my family gets in will they all get in?
We hope so, we will do our best. But it depends on the lottery. The order, set by law is: founders, siblings of those selected, students in the primary attendance area, all others.
How does the lottery work?
If we are at capacity, by state law we are required to have some sort of lottery. This may be by grade. For example, currently at capacity we will have 675 students.
A possible scenario is as follows: we have 70 signed up for 8th grade but only 50 signed up for 7th grade. All 50 for the 7th grade will get in, since it is less than our capacity for that grade (set at 60). But we will have to do a lottery for the 8th grade. The lottery, by state law has preferences as follows: first is founders (up to 10% of capacity can be reserved for founders), second siblings of those already in the school, third students in the primary attendance area (for us that is the Nampa School District), fourth those outside the Nampa School District.
There is no "first-come-first-serve" for the over enrollment list. Everyone gets the same chance of getting selected regardless of when they submitted their application. However, we are encouraging early applications so we will have an idea if there is the possibility of over enrollment. That way we can plan for a lottery if necessary and let parents know early enough if their children got selected to attend the school. This will give them time to look for another school. It will also give us an idea as to how many teachers we can hire.
There is a waiting list, after the lottery. This list will be in lottery number order. But it gets renewed each year. The purpose for this list is if students leave during the year and vacancies become open. Once students are in they don't need to be lottered again, unless they leave and then come back.
What curriculum will IACS be using?
It will be Arts-integrated. Our teachers take the state standards in their content or grade level and plan from those. All lessons have an arts focus to them, for example you are teaching History, but reading and acting out a play about the American Revolution. Our approach will be called "Focused Investigation." It will be an in depth study of topics that will last an extended period of time and all subject matters will focus on this topic. The teachers will stay with the students for at least two years. The arts will be at the heart of all we do. Younger students will do all the arts and won't have much choice. By the time students are in middle school and high school they can start to pick and choose. They will have a capstone experience which will either be a recital or portfolio or exhibit. They will make a presentation to their peers and faculty.
How will IACS be different than a traditional public school?
With our arts based instruction, we will be different. Some students currently in traditional public schools get a music or art class only once a week. Ours will be daily. Again research has indicated students that become involved in the arts, graphic, music, drama, dance, etc., do better in other areas as well. They have less time to get in trouble (with music and dance lessons, etc.) and their test scores rise.
What is the student to teacher ratio?
Grades K, 1 & 2 are around 22:1, grades 3-6 are around 30:1, but keep in mind each teacher has an aide to assist them. It also depends on how many students we have and the rotation out of the class to their “arts” classes. We like to have parents in the classroom as well, and many volunteer several hours a week.
How many students in each grade?
Kindergarten through 6th grade will have a maximum of 45 each, for a total capacity of 315 for elementary. Seventh through twelfth grade will have a maximum of 60 each, for a total capacity of 360 for high school.
Where is the school located?
904 12th Ave. Road (the old Berean Baptist Church). There are also 9 portables on the premises. Our plan is to move to a location in town and build on to an existing building.
Is there a dress code?
Yes. We will have uniforms. There will be some choice of style and color, but all will be required to wear a uniform. Research has found there to be less problems with the haves and have-nots. Please read the uniform policy and look at the various options. Plan on adhering to it and read over the policy carefully, as it will be strictly enforced next year.
How are parents involved?
We can't force parents to become involved, but the state wants us to try as much as possible to involve parents in their children's education. We have a PTO. There will be the normal parent/teacher conferences twice each year. We will want parents to help out in the classroom as aides whenever possible. There will be plenty of fund raisers where we want involvement from the parents. Again, research here is unmistakable, if parents are involved in their children's education, the students will do better, even if the student is behind grade or he or she even has a bad teacher, hopefully that won't be the situation at our school!
Who is the authorizing agency?
The Nampa School Board (NSD #131) approved our charter on August 10, 2004. It has been a lot of work, but we have had cooperation and encouragement from everyone we've met. The local school board has encouraged us, we have received much assistance from district personnel, and many teachers in the traditional public schools have supported our efforts.
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