The Charter School will be nonsectarian in its programs, admission policies, and all other operations, and will not charge tuition or discriminate against any student based upon any of the characteristics listed in Education Code Section 220.

The Charter School shall admit all pupils who wish to attend the Charter School. No test or assessment shall be administered to students prior to acceptance and enrollment into the Charter School. The Charter School will comply with all laws establishing minimum and maximum age for public school attendance in charter schools. Admission, except in the case of a public random drawing, shall not be determined by the place of residence of the pupil or his or her parent or legal guardian within the state. In accordance with Education Code Sections 49011 and 47605(d)(2)(B)(iv), admission preferences shall not require mandatory parental volunteer hours as a criterion for admission or continued enrollment.

Admission to Odyssey will be open to any resident of the State of California. Kindergarten students must be at least five years old on or before September 1 of the year for which admission is sought. Odyssey will enroll all students who wish to attend (Education Code Section 47605(d)(2)(A)), subject to capacity. Should a parent or guardian wishes his or her child to repeat a grade level already completed in a public or private school, such a request shall only be granted if accompanied by documentation of retention from the previous school. If the number of students applying for admission exceeds capacity, admission shall be determined by public random drawing in accordance with Education Code Section 47605(d)(2) and any applicable federal requirements.

As a first step in the application process is to complete the online Application Form by the established open enrollment deadline. Families may also complete and submit an online application form via the Charter School’s website. The application process requires submission of a student application form that collects basic information (e.g. name, date of birth, grade level applying for, and eligibility for admissions preference(s)) and contact information on the student/family (e.g. parent/guardian name and contact information) to be used after the lottery. A paper application may be submitted in person to the Main Office of the campus.

Below are the legal Admissions preferences offered in the following order:

1. Children of current Odyssey employees
2. Siblings of students admitted to or attending Odyssey
3. Students who are eligible to receive free or reduced price meals
4. Students who are currently enrolled in or reside in the attendance area of Altadena Elementary School (Grades TK-5) or Eliott Middle School (Grades 6-8)
5. Students who reside in the South Pasadena Unified School District
6. All other students

If the number of students applying for admission exceeds the capacity of the Charter School, admission to Odyssey will be determined by a lottery. The lottery is a public event which will be held each spring for enrollment in the fall term of the given year; the lottery will be held on campus at Odyssey and will be conducted by a neutral and impartial school administrator.

Public random drawing rules, deadlines, dates and times will be communicated in the application form and on the Charter School’s website. Public notice for the date and time of the public random drawing will also be posted timely prior to the lottery. The Charter School will also inform all applicants and interested parties of the rules to be followed during the public random drawing process via mail or email prior to the lottery date.

If new openings occur during the school year, children will be enrolled, in order, from the waiting list. It is the responsibility of the families on the waiting list to inform the Charter School of any changes in contact information.

All admitted students will receive an Enrollment Form, which includes a list of required documents. At this time, families will be required to submit verification documentation for all admission preferences indicated on their application. The Enrollment Form must be returned to the Charter School by the specified date or the child(ren) will forfeit enrollment for that school year. All required documents must be received by the established deadline(s) or the student will no longer be enrolled for the school year and the Charter School will admit and enroll the next student(s) on the waiting list.

Unless the Charter School’s office has been notified in advance, students who are not in attendance on the third day of school will forfeit their enrollment and the next student on the waiting list will be notified.

Given that enrollment in Odyssey is a parent choice, transportation to and from school will be the sole responsibility of the parent and will not be provided by Odyssey, except in specific cases where transportation may be mandated by law.

Odyssey Charter School is a free public charter school choice in the surrounding Altadena/Pasadena area, with a unique whole child approach to implementing our educational program.

School tours are an opportunity for families to familiarize themselves with the Odyssey Charter School educational experience. Tours are NOT required to apply for admission.