Student Admissions
Valley Inquiry Charter School is a free public charter school sponsored by the Salem-Keizer Public Schools District (24J). Opened in 2005, Valley Inquiry was the first accredited International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Program (PYP) World School in the Pacific Northwest. Our school is open to any K-7 student within the SKPS boundaries.
Admission to our school is granted through a public lottery and waitlist system. Each January 24th - March 14th, applications are accepted from families interested in having their student join our Kindergarten class for the upcoming school year. If there are more applications for the next year's Kindergarten class than there are spots available, a public lottery is being held on March 22nd via Zoom. During the public lottery, spots are given first to families that already have a sibling enrolled in Valley Inquiry. Lottery numbers are then assigned to all remaining applications, and all remaining spots for the Kindergarten class are given to the families who lottery numbers are selected during the lottery. Once all open spots have been filled, the lottery continues to assign waitlist numbers in the order that numbers are drawn. The waitlist generated during this lottery carries over each year.
2023-24 Kindergarten:
Applications and the updated Admissions Packet are now available for the 2023-24 school year.
Important Dates:
-
January 24th, 2023 - Applications Available
-
February 8th, 2023 - Prospective Kindergarten Information Open House 5:30-6:30pm at the school
-
March 14th, 2023 - Applications due by 12:00pm. Any applications received after this date will be added to the end of our Kindergarten waitlist after the lottery.
-
March 22nd, 2023 - Kindergarten Lottery via Zoom at 4:00pm. Link will be posted around 3:30pm, attendance not required.
Current Kindergarten through 5th Grade:
If you have an interest in having your student attend Valley Inquiry Charter School, please ensure you complete the digital application (link below) to secure your placement on our waitlist. Our waitlists rollover each year, which means it is critical to secure your spot early.
Please note: It is impossible to predict whether or not your student's position on the waitlist may translate into an open spot in one of our classrooms as this depends on factors outside of our control. Some years see little to no movement on the waitlist. Other years have seen a grade level deplete the waitlist entirely. Your best chance of admission is to complete the application as soon as you can.
Before You Apply:
Before submitting an application to Valley Inquiry Charter School, it is important you download our Admissions Packet and read through it in its entirety.
By submitting an application, you are agreeing that you have read the Admissions Packet in its entirety and have an understanding of the IB program at Valley Inquiry Charter School. You understand the attributes of the IB Learner Profile and understand the expectations for students and for families while at our school. You understand the school's focus on international mindedness, student agency, and taking action as mechanisms to create a safer and better world. You also recognize that Valley Inquiry embraces and celebrates the role that diversity, equity, and inclusion brings to a thriving IB World School environment. In submitting an application, you are also indicating support of these principles and our school's mission and focus.
Kindergarten Admissions
2023-2024
Please read through the 23-24 Application Packet before applying.
Families seeking admission for current
Kinder-7th graders should complete the digital application below to be added to the appropriate grade's waitlist.