Interested in attending Helix? Here’s how to apply

By Jennifer Osborn

As the new year approaches, families are considering the 2016-2017 school year and enrollment at Helix Charter High School. Helix enrollment is open to any student in grades nine through 12. The boundaries set by the Grossmont Union High School District do not apply to Helix, as we have our own attendance area, which may overlap some GUHSD schools’ attendance areas. Regardless of what school is your “neighborhood school” as determined by the local school districts, families can choose to attend Helix. The following is a brief overview of the enrollment process. Please access the school website at helixcharter.net for important details.

• Ÿ Students living within Helix’s traditional attendance area, or students with siblings currently attending Helix in ninth, 10th, or 11th grade, are eligible for priority enrollment.

The incoming ninth grade student and at least one parent/guardian must attend one Information Night Meeting at their current school. Students that live in the Helix attendance boundary, but do not attend one of the major feeder schools, must still attend an information night. Information meetings are currently scheduled for the following schools:

Lemon Grove Academy-Thursday Jan. 14 at 5:30 p.m.

La Mesa Arts Academy-Tuesday, Jan. 19 at 6:20 p.m.

Mt. Vernon-Thursday, Jan. 21 at 6 p.m.

Vista La Mesa Academy-Wednesday, Jan. 27 at 6 p.m.

Parkway Middle School-Thursday, Feb. 4 at 6 p.m.

Next, the incoming ninth grade student and at least one parent/guardian must attend one of four Family Orientation Nights in April, for which an appointment is required. Dates and times, and information regarding appointments can be found on the school website.

At the orientation meeting, if you decide Helix is the school for your student(s), then you will fill out an Intent to Enroll Form and you will be allowed to make a summer registration appointment.

Ÿ For students who do not legally live within Helix’s boundaries, Helix’s lottery system is the only method for entrance to Helix.

Students interested in entering Helix through the lottery must attend one of the Lottery Information Nights. Lottery Information Night meetings will all be held in the Helix Performing Arts on Tuesday, March 8 at 6:20 p.m. and Wednesday, March 9 at 6:20 p.m.

At the meeting, interested families will submit a Lottery Card. After both lottery meetings, the lottery cards from all of the meetings will be separated by grade level. If there are enough open seats for prospective students at a given grade level, all students at that grade level will be granted enrollment. If there are more prospective students than openings at a given grade level, the cards will be entered in to a random lottery drawing. We will randomly select cards and assign them a number of one through however many cards we have at each grade level. Lottery wait lists will be created for each grade level that has more prospective students requesting enrollment then we have openings. Lottery wait lists for each grade level will be posted on our website on March 11. 

ŸExcellence in Education Tours are one-hour programs and tours designed for anyone interested in finding out more about Helix. Tours in January will be held on Friday, Jan. 8, from 9:30 – 10:30 a.m., and on Thursday, Jan. 21, from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. Reservations for each tour can be made via helixcharter.net.

––Jennifer Osborn writes on behalf of Helix Charter High School. Reach her at [email protected].