Enrollment Policy

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     As a parish school, Ascension must give first priority to children of Ascension parishioners, using the priorities detailed below and presupposing available space. Students currently enrolled in the school will be admitted before any new admissions, provided they are officially registered during the re-enrollment period. New students registered and not admitted due to lack of space are placed on a wait list. Please review the Admission Policy Guidelines on the following page for more detailed information.

The Ascension School admission process begins with submission of the following: Application for Enrollment form; original birth certificate and copies of Baptismal, Reconciliation, and First Communion certificates (when applicable); and payment of the registration fee. All students Kindergarten or Grade 1 will be tested for placement purposes before admission approval. Students in other grade levels are tested for placement purposes at the discretion of the appropriate teachers and/or administration. After review by the appropriate grade level teachers, all applications are reviewed by the Principal for final approval. All accepted students are admitted in accordance with this Admission Policy. Official acceptance letters and related documents are mailed upon admission approval.

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Enrollment Priorities

 

First Priority Enrollment

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     Students currently enrolled at Ascension who have met school requirements may re-register between Feb. 1st and March 1st. Siblings of students currently enrolled in the school will have first priority – admitted in order by parents’ parish or school registration date, whichever is earlier. To be considered First Priority entering First Grade, siblings must have been registered for the Ascension School Kindergarten Program.

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Second Priority Enrollment

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     New students whose Catholic parents are registered parishioners* of Ascension Parish will have second priority - admitted in order by parents’ parish or school registration date, whichever is earlier.

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Third Priority Enrollment

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     Transfer students from other Catholic schools moving into Ascension Parish from outside the Dayton, Beavercreek, and Kettering areas.

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Fourth Priority Enrollment

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     New students whose parents are members of another local Catholic parish that does not have a school will have fourth priority – admitted in order by school registration date.

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Fifth Priority Enrollment

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     Transfer students from other area Catholic schools. Enrollment is open from March 2nd-April 2nd for families transferring from another Catholic School who must have transferred parish membership by Ascension by January 1st of the calendar year of enrollment.

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Sixth Priority Enrollment

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     New students who are not Catholic parishioners but have siblings already enrolled in Ascension will have sixth priority – admitted in order by school registration date. While space may be limited, we welcome families from outside the Ascension Parish community. Financial assistance is not available to non-parishioners.

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Seventh Priority Enrollment

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     New students who are non-parishioners transferring from public schools within parish boundaries. Enrollment is open from March 2nd-April 2nd. Children of Catholic families who have previously attended a Catholic School elsewhere and are moving to the Kettering area from out of town and plan to join Ascension Parish may enroll at any time through the school year providing space is available. It is suggested such students enroll during a natural break in the school or academic calendar.

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*See Section 5 of Admission Policy Guidelines for definition of “Parishioner”.

 ADMISSION POLICY GUIDELINES

 1. NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATION POLICY

Ascension School accepts all students regardless of race, religion, sex, ethnic or national origin (Archdiocesan Admission Policies, 502.02) to all rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally afforded or made available to students of at the parish school. Notwithstanding our open admission policy, it must be noted that the purpose of this parish school is to provide the opportunity to attend a Catholic school to Catholic children whose parents are parishioners of Ascension Parish as defined in Section 5 below. Specific priorities and guidelines help to provide a fair acceptance. All families will be subject to an orientation process before final acceptance into the Ascension School program.

 2. PRIORITIES

In the event that all children registered within a given priority cannot be accepted due to class size limits, a wait list will be formed and the order of admission within each priority will be:

v  Students registered during the previous year but not admitted due to lack of space or professional recommendations. Families must re-register during registration week.

v  Students registered during open registration. Families vying for the same placement will be admitted in order by their parish or school registration date, whichever is earlier.

v  Students registered after open registration are admitted in order by school registration date until classes are filled.

 3. WAIT LIST

A wait list for each grade level will be maintained for those children registered but not admitted due to space limitations. Students on the wait list must re-register for the next school year (during open registration) if they are not called during the wait list period of one year. A student will be dropped from the wait list and lose his or her priority if:

v  An opportunity for enrollment is refused, or

v  Families do not re-register during open registration. (Notice will be placed in the Ascension Church Bulletin regarding exact dates for open registration each year.)

 4. KINDERGARTEN

Ascension School’s Kindergarten program prepares students for our first grade program, and as such it is preferred that students attend Ascension’s Kindergarten. Children admitted into the Ascension School Kindergarten program must be 5 or 6 years of age on or before September 30th of the year of admittance.  Admission for this program is determined on an individual basis. All potential kindergarten students will be tested for health and readiness prior to admission.

 5. PARISH MEMBERS

To be considered a parishioner of Ascension Parish, Catholics must not be registered members of another Catholic parish. (Exceptions are made for churches without parish schools.) In order to receive the most benefits from parish membership, Catholics must register with the Ascension Parish Office. It is suggested that new parishioners participate in our weekly Mass celebration and share talents that enhance the loving community of our church.

 6. TUITION PAYMENTS / FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

Timely tuition payments and support of the school community are expectations for continued enrollment at Ascension School. Tuition is paid through the FACTS Tuition Management Program. All families must have an active FACTS tuition payment account before school begins to be considered registered for Ascension School. Families have the option to pay in full by July 15th or choose the 10 month payment plan, August through May. A limited financial assistance fund is provided through the generosity of Ascension Parish through the Education Ascension Fund. Families who have been active registered parishioners for at least one year are eligible to apply for financial assistance if needed. These forms are on the parish and school website.

 7. SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS

Ascension School offers the following programs for students with special needs: Clinical School Counselor, Intervention Specialist, Speech/Language Pathologist, a Reading Specialist and school nurse. A School Psychologist is provided by the Kettering City Schools District. While the goal at Ascension School is to provide the best Catholic education for all of our students, restrictions may arise due to federal and state regulations as well as limited funding and personnel. If your child has a special need or has been placed on an IEP/ISP (Individualized Education/Service Program), any special needs must be indicated on the Admission Application and a copy of your child’s IEP/ISP and ETR (Evaluation Team Report) must also be submitted at registration to determine if Ascension School can provide the least restrictive environment for your child and for auxiliary service planning purposes.

 8. JON PETERSON SCHOLARSHIP

Students with special needs may also be served by the Ohio Jon Peterson Scholarship. Students must have a current IEP (Individual Education Plan) from the school district in which they reside. The scholarship supports the costs of regular tuition and special needs services provided by Ascension School. This could include physical therapy, occupational therapy, or other therapies determined by the IEP that can be provided at Ascension School. There is an application for this scholarship and parents seeking more information should meet with the school administrator.

 9. TITLE 1 SUPPLEMENTAL INSTRUCTION

Ascension students with academic needs who reside in qualifying public school districts and attendance areas who are not already served with an Individual Service Plan may be offered Federal Title 1 programming which provides supplemental math or reading instruction. Parents will be notified if their student meets the multi-criterion used for the Title 1 program. Written permission from the parent or guardian is needed for a student to participate in this program. The Title 1 teachers will offer an annual meeting to explain the requirements and rights of the parents to be involved.

FINAL DECISIONS FOR STUDENT ADMISSION WILL BE MADE BY THE PRINCIPAL