FernLeaf has an Open Application period where applications are accepted for the FOLLOWING school year. The Open Application period is from January 1st through March 15th. When you apply during this window does NOT affect your chances of winning the lottery. FernLeaf's lottery is then held within 2 weeks of the Open Application period closing. The lottery then determines enrollment as well as the order of the waitlist.

Once the Open Application period is closed, all further applications are added to the waitlist for that student's specific grade level in the order that they are received.

Families new to FernLeaf must apply through the FernLeaf website. The application process is minimal and takes no more than a couple of minutes to complete!

Head to our application here.

All applications received between January 1st and March 15th (this time period is referred to as Open Enrollment OR Open Application Period) will be entered into our annual school lottery and will be for the NEXT school year. The lottery is held shortly after this period closes and will create our waitlist as well as class rosters.

If you are filling out an application on or after March 16th, your application will be accepted and added to our waitlist in the order that they are received.

No, all applications received in the open application period are entered into the lottery, which determines both the order that students that are offered enrollment and the order of the initial waitlist. Applications received after the open application period are placed at the bottom of the waitlist in the order they are received.

A child must be five years old on or before August 31st of the year for which they are applying for a Kindergarten slot at FernLeaf.

Basic personal information including the student's name, grade level for the school year you are applying for and phone number are all that are required to apply.

It takes about 1 minute and 30 seconds to complete the requested application information.

No, any student residing in North Carolina may apply.

If you’re exploring FernLeaf and have questions about your child’s learning needs, available EC services, or an existing IEP, our EC Team is here to help. Please reach out by completing this form.

You will receive a confirmation email from FernLeaf stating your application was submitted successfully.

This is a difficult question to answer as "the odds" change every year based on how many slots are available in each grade level AND how many applications we receive for that grade level. Enrollment trends also change from year to year, so it is difficult to determine probability. Applying is fast and easy though so you have nothing to lose!

All applications received on or after March 16th are added to the waitlist in the order they are received.

Immediately following the lottery, a student's individual result will be emailed to the email address used when the application was submitted. Families will be notified either that they received a slot for the following school year OR their place on the waitlist.

Families may also contact the school directly, via phone or email, at any time.

Immediately following the lottery, a student's individual result will be emailed to the email address used when the application was submitted. Families will be notified either that they received a slot for the following school year OR their place on the waitlist.

Families may also contact the school directly, via phone or email, at any time.

FernLeaf's open application period is between January 1st - March 15th for the following school year and any applications we receive during that time frame are placed into the lottery.

It does not matter if you applied first or you applied last within this time frame as all valid applications are randomized and selected blindly.

Essentially we take all the names, place them in a hat, and draw them out one by one to create the order of both enrollment as well as the waitlist for each grade level. We of course do not use this "hat" method, but utilize a computer program that essentially performs the same function.

Multiple birth siblings will be entered as one number into any grade level lottery. If this number is drawn all multiple birth siblings will be offered enrollment.

Yes, you will need to reapply during the Open Application period of January 1st through March 15th of the following year. The waitlist does not carry over from one year to the next.

Please note: While FernLeaf is a K-12th grade school, applications are only accepted for grades K through 9th grades as we do not enroll new students past 9th grade.

There are a few different options available to you.

1. Sign up for an in-person tour, see our school in action AND get all of your questions answered by someone on our staff.

2. Sign up for our email list and we'll send you 4-6 emails over a 4 week period that go more into depth on what makes FernLeaf truly unique! We'll also email you about events and reminders about when Open Enrollment begins & ends!

3. Call or email our AMAZING enrollment coordinator at:

info@fernleafccs.org OR 828.630.1150

We can't wait to meet you!

FernLeaf is public charter school in NC and is, therefore, tuition free. There is no tuition type cost to attend FernLeaf.

We are located in Fletcher, NC about 20 minutes south of Asheville and 20 minutes north of Hendersonville.

Check out our campuses page here to see virtual tours and addresses of both of our campuses: https://www.fernleafccs.org/campuses

Our Creek Campus, located off of Howard Gap Road, houses our K - 4th grades classes.

Our Wilderness Campus, located 2 miles from the Creek Campus on Old Hendersonville Road, houses 5th grade through 12th grades classes.

We are a cellphone free campus. We ask all K-8th grade students to keep their cell phones at home during the school day. If a student needs to be reached during the school day we ask parents to call the office and teachers will convey the message. Students are always able to call home using phones in the classrooms.

FernLeaf High School students are permitted to bring cellphones to school (for use after school and when off campus) but are not permitted to use them at any time while on campus or while engaged in school sponsored activities.