The Willie Jeffries School of Excellence team is thrilled to announce that we are still open for enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year. This page contains information and relevant documents for enrollment. Questions pertaining to enrollment can be sent to [email protected]. We are excited to welcome our students to the WJSE Family!
For your convenience we have provided multiple ways to complete the enrollment application process- see below! Only one method of application is required per student.
*For applicants applying to Kindergarten, if you do not have the above documents, you have the option to submit a letter detailing prior educational experiences such as participation in a HeadStart program, daycare, preschool, etc. This letter can be composed by either the parent or the program director. If the applicant was not enrolled in an educational program, please provide a letter confirming this.
Applications are continuously accepted throughout the year*. Don’t delay-Apply Today! If you face internet access challenges or require assistance, please reach out to Alethea Bryant-Dixon at [email protected] or visit our office at the address mentioned above for support.
*Please note that acceptance is subject to availability.
*If your device is experiencing technical difficulties using the embedded online application above, try using the link below and the online application will open in a separate tab.
Applications are available for download or as hard copies located in our office. There are three easy ways to submit hard-copy applications – see below! Only one method of application is required per student.
Submit hard copies to our office – bring them by in person or mail to:
Willie Jeffries School of Excellence
Attn: Enrollment Office
3105 Five Chop Rd
Orangeburg, SC 29115
Submit the application and relevant documents via email to [email protected].
Submit the application and relevant documents via this upload portal:
Open Enrollment for the 2023-2024 school year is set to commence on October 4th, 2023, and will conclude on February 2nd, 2024. During this period, applications will be accepted for grades K-6 for the 2024-2025 school year. In the event that the number of applications received within this timeframe exceeds the available seats for any grade level, we will conduct a random selection lottery process via a third-party to determine seat allocations. All applications submitted within the Open Enrollment period will be treated equally, regardless of whether they are submitted on the first or last day.
The Lottery for the 2024-2025 school year is scheduled for the week of February 5-9, 2023. Parents will receive notification of their child’s acceptance via email.
It is important to note that completing an interest survey does not constitute an application. To be considered for a seat in the 2024-2025 school year, an official application must be submitted during the Open Enrollment period.
Please be aware that we continue to accept applications until the last day of the school year for which you are applying; however, a student’s application must be received in office by the last day of the Open Enrollment period to participate in the Lottery. Any application received after the last day of Open Enrollment will be placed on the Waiting List based on date and time stamp.
For comprehensive information regarding lottery preferences, enrollment procedures, and registration details, please consult our Lottery Rules and Procedures.
We encourage interested families to join us for an enrollment information session. These sessions offer valuable insights into our school’s programs and offerings. In addition, they provide the convenience of in-person student enrollment and serve as an excellent opportunity to interact with our dedicated faculty and staff, giving you the chance to ask any questions you may have about our school.
Applications received during the “Open Enrollment” window will be eligible for the lottery. In the event that the number of applications exceeds the number of available spaces for any grade level, a lottery will be held to determine who is offered a seat and establish the waitlist for that grade. An official offer will be extended to the applicants selected in the lottery process via email. They will have five (5) business days, starting from their offer date, to either accept or decline the extended offer.
Should an applicant not get selected in the lottery process, they will automatically be placed on the Waiting List. As seats become available, applicants on the Waiting List will receive offers. Therefore, an applicant that is not selected in the lottery will not receive any formal communication from the school until they are extended an offer via email.
Once an applicant has been offered a seat at our school after the lottery in February of 2024, you will need to accept the offer within 7 calendar days. After acceptance you will be provided with your child’s login credentials for their Student Information System account to complete the two-step registration process:
Required documents to finalize registration:
We encourage our interested families to attend an enrollment information session to find out more about our school’s programs and offerings as this is the perfect platform to ask your questions to faculty and staff. For more information please contact Alethea Bryant-Dixon at (803) 378-4107 or email Alethea Bryant-Dixon at [email protected]. You can also follow us on social media @WJSchool.
Attendance is mandatory and compulsory for five-year-olds. State law states “students may enter Kindergarten in the public schools of this State if they will attain the age of five on or before September 1st of the applicable school year or have substantially initiated a public school Kindergarten program in another state that has a different attendance age requirement from South Carolina”.
Each child’s application becomes part of their registration in our student information system where grades, schedules, and attendance are stored. Please complete a separate application for each one of your children and list the siblings within each application to receive sibling preference.
No, your child automatically has a space in the appropriate grade for the next school year, if the “Intent to Return” document year is completed by the assigned deadline. WJSE does require students to complete the Intent to Return form each year.
During Open Enrollment, it is essential to complete a separate application for each child. Please ensure that you include all siblings related to the student in the designated siblings’ section of each application to qualify for sibling preference in the lottery. It’s important to note that there is a maximum 20% allocation for preference options. If you have additional siblings beyond this 20% cap, they will be included in the lottery for enrollment.
We continuously accept applications through the last day of the school year that you are applying for. If there is a seat available in the grade level that you are applying for, an offer will be made through email. If there are no openings in the grade level you are applying for, your child’s application will be placed on the waitlist in the date order the application was received.
Applications are year specific. Applications submitted for the current school year will not be valid, roll over, or be processed in the next school year. If your child is currently on the waitlist, please submit a new application during the next school year’s Open Enrollment period.
No, you do not need to call. Throughout the process, parents will be notified where they are on the waiting list.
You will be contacted by email if your child is offered a seat or placed on the waitlist. Once your student receives an offer, you will need to confirm your offer within (5) business days or the offer will be automatically declined. After accepting the offer, you will have (10) business days to complete the online registration process in the Student Information System and provide all the required documents. Please see the Enrolling with our Online Registration section above for the specific documents required.
No, we are a public school of choice and there is no cost to attend. There is however, a $25 non-refundable commitment fee for each student when your student confirms their seat. This fee will be applied to applicable student fees during registration. The remaining balance for student fees will be due by the first day of school.
Yes, students will be required to wear uniforms. Students must follow the dress code every day. Further information regarding uniforms will be provided once the student has been accepted.