How to Apply
nOur target student population is anyone in the Durham area who desires a rigorous, college-preparatory education in a classical, liberal arts setting.
Excelsior Classical Academy is committed to enrolling a diverse student population and will abide by the provisions in NC G.S. § 115C-238.29F(g)(5) that forbid discrimination on the basis of of intellectual ability, measures of achievement or aptitude, athletic ability, disability, race, creed, gender, national origin, religion, or ancestry. Excelsior Classical Academy is a public school that does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, national origin, disability, religion, creed, gender, gender expression, or sexual orientation.
By law, students must live in North Carolina to attend. The school will enroll any eligible student who submits a timely application through Lotterease or at the school unless the number of applications exceeds the capacity of the school. In that case, all applicants for any grade for which a lottery is necessary shall be admitted through a random selection process.
The school will endeavor to achieve racial/ethnic balance through a comprehensive marketing plan, in accordance with NC G.S. § 115-238.29F(g)(5). It is the goal of the school to reflect the racial, ethnic, and special population demographics that compose the general population of the area. The school will focus its efforts on recruiting students in a manner consistent with the racial/ethnic balance of the community it serves. This effort will include marketing specifically to underrepresented populations.
Application Process
Prospective students must apply each year, even if they are already on a waitlist. Waitlists, by law, cannot carry over from year to year.
The lottery application period, called Open Enrollment, begins December 1 and runs through February 10. The Lotterease program will notify parents of the results of the Lottery by email and/or by text on or before February 15.
To submit an application for the upcoming year, parents/legal guardians or custodians must have a valid email address or phone number. Parents/legal guardians or custodians can go to the Lotterease website for Excelsior, create an account, and add the children for whom you wish to submit applications. When the Open Enrollment starts, you can select the appropriate lottery for each child. To apply, click on the Lotterease button below:
Only applications that are entered by 5:00 pm on February 10 will be included in the Lottery that takes place on February 12, 2025. Any duplicate applications or applications that claimed preference groups to which the applicant is not entitled will be removed before the Lottery takes place. Below are the groups that may be selected by parents. Please read the descriptions of preference categories carefully and only select any preference group that applies to your child.
| Application Preference Group | Description |
| Child of Excelsior Board Member | Applicant whose parent/grandparent is on the Board of Directors of Excelsior. |
| Child of School Employee | Applicant whose parent/grandparent is employed full-time by Excelsior. |
| Enrolled Sibling | Applicant who is a sibling* of student who already attends Excelsior. |
| Attended a preschool with articulation agreement | Applicant who was enrolled for at least 75 consecutive days in the prior semester in a preschool program operated by an entity other than the charter school and the charter school has a written enrollment articulation agreement with the program operator to give the program’s students enrollment priority. |
| Child with parent on active military duty | Applicant whose parent or legal guardian is on active military duty. |
| Enrolled in another charter in the previous year | Applicant who was enrolled in another charter school in the State in the previous school year. |
*For the purposes of a charter school lottery, North Carolina’s definition of a sibling is as follows: The term “siblings” includes any of the following who reside in the same household: siblings by birth, half siblings, stepsiblings, and children residing in a family foster home. Cousins, friends of the family, multiple families living in the same house, and other such examples do not qualify for sibling preference. (Please see § 115C-218.45.f.)
Students may still apply once the lottery has run, and applications received after the lottery will be placed at the end of the waitlist for the appropriate grade. Students will move from the waitlist to the accepted list as space becomes available. Enrollment for the waitlist is ongoing, and families are encouraged to apply.
Learning About Our School
Information Sessions and Tours
December:
Kindergarten/Grammar School Tour Thursday, December 12 at 9:30 am
Upper School Tour Thursday, December 12 at 10:30 am
High School Information Session Tuesday, December 10 at 6:30 pm
January:
Kindergarten/Grammar School Tour Thursday, January 9 at 10:00 am
Upper School Tour Thursday, January 9 at 11:00 am
Why choose Excelsior Classical Academy? We are glad you asked!
ECA offers:
- A rigorous college-preparatory Classical Curriculum
- Accreditation by Cognia, a non-profit, non-governmental organization that accredits primary and secondary schools throughout the United States and internationally
- A diverse Board of Directors, Faculty, Staff, and Student Body
- Bus transportation
- Lunch and Uniform Assistance for those who qualify financially
- Athletics for Middle and High School Students
- Student Council in Middle and High School
- A small, safe environment
- A dedicated, caring, and knowledgeable Faculty and Staff
- A close-knit Community
- An active Parent Teacher Student Organization (PTSO)
- A strong Arts Program
- High school credits earned during middle school
- Honors and Advanced Placement level classes available
- Dual Enrollment for earning high school and college credit simultaneously from Durham Tech
- The potential to earn, along with a high school diploma, an Associate Degree in Arts, Science, Engineering, Nursing, Fine Arts in Visual Arts, and Arts or Science in Teacher Preparation
