The deadline to register for the New York state charter school lottery is April 1. 

But with more than 300 charter schools across the state, picking which one is right for your child can be a tough decision. 

One year ago, the Paul family wasn’t sure where their son would start kindergarten. After deciding to participate in the charter school lottery, the Pauls enrolled their son at Rochester Exploration. The Pauls had one child in a traditional school, but knew coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic their son might need a different approach to learning. 

“I’ve seen the change in my son. It’s not, 'I have to go to school,' it’s, 'I want to' and seeing the same response from his educators," said Leonte Paul. 

Charter schools in New York state are still public schools but have more flexibility in their curriculum. Rochester Exploration Executive Director Maya Crane says that’s one of the biggest draws she sees for parents. 

“Folks want options. I think it’s really important that families are able to have different options to see what works for their child," said Crane. 

As of the 2024-25 school year, New York has 351 operating charter schools serving over 180,000 students. Parents enter a lottery, ranking their top schools for their children. It’s a process required by the state since there are more applications to a charter school than seats available. 

“They can fill out an application for as many schools as they’re interested in," said Crane. "If a parent is interested in STEM but their child might want the arts, do all the applications at once."

The deadline to apply for the lottery is April 1, with most students finding out their schools a few days later. Students are randomly selected for admission by the lottery, but there are some weighted factors schools consider. 

The Pauls say the biggest thing for families considering a charter school is doing the research. 

“Know your child and know their needs. Know what environment you want your children growing up in," said Paul.