Admission FAQ

If you do not have a way to complete an application online, please contact the school at 413-529-7178 to request assistance in submitting an application.

If you need translation to a language other than English or Spanish, please email info@hilltowncharter.org and specify which language you would like.

Students must reside in Massachusetts at the time of application, admissions lottery, acceptance of admissions offer, enrollment and attendance. Students who do not reside in Massachusetts are not eligible to apply, enroll, or attend.

Students residing in any MA school district may apply. Student’s residing in the following school districts will receive priority in the admissions lottery: Amherst-Pelham, Belchertown, Central Berkshire Regional, Easthampton, Gateway Regional, Granby, Hadley, Hampshire Regional, Hatfield, Mohawk Regional, Northampton, South Hadley, Ware, Erving, Frontier Regional, Gill Montague Regional, Greenfield, Hawlemont Regional, Leverett, Mohawk Regional, New Salem-Wendell, Orange (Mahar Regional), Pioneer Valley Regional

Hilltown may request proof of residency at the time of application, offer of admission, and/or enrollment, as applicable. Please see our Enrollment Policy for details.

Kindergarten applicants must turn five years old by September 1 in the year you are applying for. For grades 1-8, students should apply for their next consecutive grade (the next grade above their current grade). If you are applying during the school year you are seeking admission for, you should apply for the grade your child is in. If you are applying during the prior school year, you should apply for the next grade up.

If you are interested in retaining your child in their current grade, please contact Kate Saccento, Director of Administration, at ksaccento@hilltowncharter.org before submitting your application.

Hilltown may request proof of age and/or completion at the time of application, offer of admission, and/or enrollment, as applicable. Please see our Enrollment Policy for details.

The school does not provide transportation. However, residents of Easthampton who meet the busing requirements of the Easthampton Public Schools are eligible for bus service. There may be fees associated with this service.

PVTA has a route that picks students up from the school at 3:05 PM and drops them off at the Academy of Music in Northampton. Normal PVTA fees apply.

See our Enrollment Policy for details about transportation services for students with special needs.

The lottery is open to the public and is normally held at the school on 1 Industrial Parkway in Easthampton MA. On the lottery day in February, every applicant is randomly assigned a lottery number using random drawing services provided by random.org. Students are then sorted by grade.

Applicants’ relative placement on the waiting list is determined by the following priorities: students who are siblings of students currently enrolled in the school; residents of the following school districts: [Amherst-Pelham, Belchertown, Central Berkshire Regional, Easthampton, Gateway Regional, Granby, Hadley, Hampshire Regional, Hatfield, Mohawk Regional, Northampton, South Hadley, Ware, Erving, Frontier Regional, Gill Montague Regional, Greenfield, Hawlemont Regional, Leverett, Mohawk Regional, New Salem-Wendell, Orange (Mahar Regional), Pioneer Valley Regional], then by lottery number.

We run a fresh lottery for each school year. If you are not offered a spot, you must submit a new application to enter the lottery for each year. 

Once a student is enrolled, they do not need to apply again.

Applicants are responsible for notifying the school of any changes of address or contact information, or grade status as those changes might affect your child’s relative placement on the waiting list. If we are unable to reach you with an offer of admission, failure to respond will be considered a withdrawal from the waiting list for that year.

If you need help updating your contact information, please email Administrative Assistant Monique Bourgeois: mbourgeois@hilltowncharter.org or call 413-529-7178 ext. 110.

Families may order lunches through the school. Eligible students may receive free or reduced price lunch. Lunches must be ordered at least 1 school day in advance because they are supplied by an outside vendor and delivered to the school each day.

We do not currently have a breakfast program.

Hilltown shares applicant information with the MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, as per their requirements. Hilltown may, if requested, share applicant information with a third party mailing house. If you do not want your application information to be shared with a third party mailing house, please notify the school.

Within one week of the lottery date, we will email families to inform them of their lottery results and tell them whether their child has been offered a spot or placed on the waitlist. If a spot becomes available later, we will reach out to the parents or guardians listed on the application form by email and/or phone to offer the spot to the next applicant on the waitlist. If we do not receive a timely response we will move to the next applicant on the waitlist. Please see our Enrollment Policy for details.