Families have until April 1 to apply for Rochester charter schools

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Parents or guardians who are interested in sending their children to charter schools in Rochester have until Tuesday, April 1 to apply.

That’s the deadline for the Rochester Charter School lottery for the 2025-2026 school year. Families can apply to 27 different charter school locations through the website GoodSchoolsRoc.org.

If you apply after the April 1 deadline, you’ll be placed on a waitlist and be considered as spots become available. Families can apply to multiple schools at once. The application is free, takes only minutes to complete, and is also available in Spanish.

More than 9,000 students, about 30% of K-12 students in the city, are currently enrolled in charter schools. Here is the list of charter schools in the city, with some schools having more than one location:

• Academy of Health Sciences Charter School, grades 5-8
• Citizenship & Science Academy of Rochester Charter School, grades K-5 (expanding to grade 12)
• Discovery Charter School, grades K-6
• Eugenio María de Hostos Charter School, grades K-12
• Exploration Elementary Charter School for Science & Technology, grades K-5
• Genesee Community Charter Schools, grades K-6
• Innova Girls Academy Charter School, grades K-4 (expanding to grade 6)
• Renaissance Academy Charter School of the Arts, grades K-6
• Rochester Academy Charter School, grades K-12
• Rochester Academy of Science Charter School, grades K-4 & 9-11 (expanding to grade 12)
• Rochester Prep Charter School, grades K-12
• University Preparatory Charter School for Young Men, grades 6-12
• Vertus High School, grades 9-12
• Young Women’s College Prep Charter School, grades 7-12

Charter schools are free public schools. There are no tests or entrance fees and the schools welcome students who need extra help or are English language learners.