Democracy Prep is a public charter school, and students are admitted through a lottery. Application is free and all are welcome. To apply, please submit your application through SchoolMint. You can sign in to your SchoolMint account at any time to review your status or make updates to your application.

As a public charter school of New York City, any family whose child is going to Pre-K through 12th grade and lives in New York can apply and attend our schools for free.

We are now accepting applications for the 2026–2027 school year. The application deadline is April 1, 2026. Applications submitted after that date will be added to the waitlist, and families may receive an offer if a seat becomes available.

Families who apply are entered into a blind lottery for available seats. Because admission is lottery-based, submitting an application does not guarantee a seat. Some applicants may receive priority, including families with a child already enrolled at Democracy Prep or those living in the same district as the school. Applications submitted after April 1 will be added to the waitlist and considered as seats become available. Families will receive updates by email, phone call, and text, and can also check their Student Dashboard in SchoolMint. Please be sure your contact information is up to date.

Democracy Prep has multiple campuses, all of which offer a rigorous academic program and a wide range of opportunities for students, including service learning, arts, athletics, field trips, and strong school community support. For many families, the best campus is the one that is most convenient and accessible for you!

Yes. Applying to more than one Democracy Prep school will not affect your chances of receiving an offer from any of them.

Yes. Uniforms help build community and promote equity, and they can be purchased through our uniform vendor, Flynn O’Hara. We work with all families to ensure students can meet uniform standards.

You can tour our campuses to meet leadership, staff, current children, and see what Democracy Prep has to offer by clicking this link.

Transportation options vary by grade level. In elementary school, many students receive bus service, with routes determined by the Office of Pupil Transportation. In middle and high school, students who live more than 0.5 miles from school receive OMNY cards. Students at any grade level who have transportation included in their IEP may also receive bus service.

You can connect with the Enrollment Team via email at enrollny@democracyprep.org if you have any questions or need support with completing an application or registration.

We welcome all students! Democracy Prep offers a range of supports for students with IEPs and special learning needs, including integrated co-teaching in ELA, Math, and World Studies, as well as counseling, speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and paraprofessional support. Some services are provided through DOE partner agencies. Please see all special education services offered at our Democracy Prep schools here.

Our Multilingual Learner (MLL) services help students build English proficiency while continuing to access grade-level learning. We offer Sheltered English Instruction, which provides language support within the classroom, and at select schools, ENL intervention through targeted push-in and/or pull-out support. We do not offer bilingual programming; All instruction is delivered in English, ensuring that language learners are fully immersed while receiving the support they need to succeed.