ADMISSION POLICY AND PROCEDURES

As a parish school, Incarnation must give priority to children of  the Our Lady of Light Parish Family (Incarnation / St. Francis of Assisi 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.  While it is our goal to accommodate all interested families, please be aware that registration does not guarantee entry into Incarnation School’s program.  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 bottom of this page for more detailed information.

The Incarnation School admission process begins with submission of the following: 

  • Application for Admission form
  • Recommendation form (for students applying for grades 1-8)
  • Original County birth certificate
  • Social Security Card 
  • Copies of Baptismal, Reconciliation, and First Communion certificates (when applicable)
  • Payment of the registration fee.   

All students applying for Early Fives or Kindergarten will particpate in Kindergarten screening.  Students applying for Grades 1-8 will be tested for placement purposes before admission approval.  All students are expected to meet Incarnation School’s standards for academics for placement in the requested grade level.  Acceptance will also be dependent on the student’s behavioral record and work ethic. 

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. 

ENROLLMENT PRIORITIES FOR NEW STUDENTS

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 Incarnation School Kindergarten Program.   See Section 5 of the Admission Policy Guidelines for financial assistance information. 

New students whose Catholic parents are registered participating parishioners of the Our Lady of Light Parish Family (Incarnation / St. Francis of Assisi Parishes)* will have second priority – admitted in order by parents’ parish registration date.  See Section 5 of the Admission Policy Guidelines for financial assistance information.

* See section 4 of Admission Policy Guidelines for definition of “parishioner”.

New students whose Catholic parents are members of another Catholic parish will have third priority – admitted in order by school registration date.  While space may be limited, we welcome families from outside the Our Lady of Light Parish Family (Incarnation / St. Francis of Assisi).  Financial assistance may be available from parents’ home parish.   Please check with your parish office for details on assistance.

New students who are not Catholic parishioners will have fourth priority – admitted in order by school registration date.  While space may be limited, we welcome families from outside the Our Lady of Light Parish Family (Incarnation / St. Francis of Assisi).  Financial assistance is not available to non-parishioners.

Enrollment priority will follow the guidelines above.  Half day P4 and E5 students are assigned to AM or PM session based on available space, admission priority, age range considerations and extended day enrollment. 

ADMISSION POLICY GUIDELINES

We accept all students regardless of race, religion, sex, ancestry or national origin (Archdiocesan Admission Policies, 502.02).  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 registered participating parishioners of Our Lady of Light Parish Family (Incarnation / St. Francis of Assisi) as defined in section 4 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 Incarnation School program.  Students are expected to meet academic, behavioral and work ethic standards.

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.  The order of admission from the waitlist will be:

  • Students registered during the previous year who re-register during our open registration period
  • Students registered during or after open registration, according to their enrollment priority.
  • Students registered after open registration are admitted in order by school registration date until classes are filled.

A student will be dropped from the waitlist and lose his/her priority if an opportunity for enrollment is refused OR families do not submit an updated admission application by March 1.

Incarnation School’s Kindergarten program prepares students for our first grade program, and as such it is preferred that students attend Incarnation’s Kindergarten.   Children admitted into Kindergarten or Early Fives must be 5 years of age on or before September 30 for Kindergarten and October 31 for Early Fives.   Children admitted into the Preschool 4’s program must be 4 years of age on or before September 30.  Admission for these programs is determined on an individual basis.  All Kindergarten and Early Fives students are tested for placement purposes prior to admission approval.  Current Preschool 4’s and Early Fives students are evaluated for placement into Incarnation School’s Kindergarten program. 

SPECIAL NOTE:  All students are expected to be completely potty-trained.  No diapers or pull-ups are permitted.

To be considered a parishioner of Our Lady of Light Parish Family, parents must be baptized, practicing Catholics who are registered with the Parish Office of Incarnation or St. Francis of Assisi and must not be registered members of another Catholic parish.  It is expected that parish members will actively participate in our weekly Mass celebration, provide talents that enhance the loving community of our church, and contribute in accordance with prayerful consideration (at least $50 per month as an average when possible.)  When space is available, we welcome families from outside the Incarnation Parish community.

To receive admission prioirty and parishioner tuition rate, families must be registered with the Parish office of either Incarnation or St. Francis of Assisi Parish no later than March 15 of the school registration year.  Parishioner status for all applicants will be confirmed at that time.  Any change in parishioner status for new or current families must be communicated to the school registrar by the parents by May 1 at the latest to receive tuition discount.  No retroactive discounts will be given.

Timely tuition payments and support of the school community are expectations for continued enrollment at Incarnation School. Tuition is paid through the FACTS payment program.  All families must have an active FACTS tuition management account by June 1 of each year to be considered registered for Incarnation School.  Please review the Tuition and Fee Schedule for information about required tuition and fee payments.  A limited financial assistance fund is provided through the generosity of Incarnation Parish for families who have been registered active parishioners of Incarnation Parish for at least one year.  St. Francis of Assisi Parish will provide financial aid to families who are registered parishioners there.  All applications for assistance must be completed online through the FACTS payment program.  Our Pastor will make final determination of tuition aid. 

Incarnation School, through state funding, offers the following programs for students with special needs:  School Counselor, Intervention Specialists, Speech/Language Pathologist, Reading Specialists, and School Nurse.  A School Psychologist is also available through the Centerville City School District.  While the goal at Incarnation 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) or 504 Plan, any special needs must be indicated on the Admission Application and a copy of your child’s IEP / ISP and ETR (Evaluation Team Report) or 504 Plan must also be submitted at registration to determine if Incarnation School can provide the least restrictive environment for your child and for auxiliary service planning purposes.

Refusing to provide requested information to the school, or providing false, incomplete, or inaccurate information to the school, may result in the denial or revocation of admission and/or disciplinary action, up to and including suspension and expulsion.