Admissions

Dogwood Charter School is now preparing to open in Fall 2026.

To ensure the strongest foundation for success, the Dogwood school board has updated our opening timeline. This extra time allows us to secure the best possible location, finalize approvals, and create an exceptional learning experience for our future students. We remain fully committed to bringing Dogwood to local families and are actively working toward final approvals. Stay connected for updates and upcoming informational sessions!

We respect your privacy. Your email address will only be used for school-related communications.

“Since coming to Dogwood, I have been amazed and relieved. This is what my children have been craving with their whole being. They are getting the outside time, they are getting the freedom and the flexibility. Which is all well and good, but the truly impressive piece to me is that they are getting all this and an immensely rich education.”

— Parent of Dogwood Charter School Student

 Enrollment FAQs

  • Dogwood Charter School is a public charter school that serves all K-8 students in Pennsylvania.

    DCS is a public charter school located in Bethel Park and is open to all students regardless of race, ethnic background, gender, religion, and/or ability. 

  • Open enrollment is a period of time when applications can be submitted and eligible for a public lottery.

    Our open enrollment period typically opens in January and closes in February.

  • Yes! We continue to accept applications post-enrollment on a rolling basis.

    If there are no seats available, the student will be added to our post-lottery waitlist.

  • After open enrollment closes, if applications exceed available seats, a public lottery is held for all applicable grades to determine which students will fill our available seats and our waitlist order. If there are fewer applications than seats, all students will be accepted.

  • Yes, Dogwood Charter School gives preference to the following groups of students:

    1. Residents of Bethel Park School District

    2. Current DCS Students

    3. Children of Founding Coalition Members, Board of Trustees, and DCS Employees

    4. Siblings of Current DCS Students

    5. Residents of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

    This preference applies to open and post enrollment applications as well as our waitlist.

  • After the open enrollment lottery, selected families will have a seven-day window to confirm their child's enrollment.

    For post-enrollment applications, families will have a three-day window to confirm.

    If you do not claim your seat, your offer will expire and be offered to the next student on the waitlist. You may have a chance to reclaim your seat if a spot remains available.

  • To apply for a seat, you need to complete an online application for each student.

    Once you receive an offer for a seat and accept it, you must fill out our enrollment form, which includes a home language survey and a parental registration statement. Additionally, you will need to provide one proof of your child’s age, one proof of residency, and immunization records to finalize the enrollment process.

    If you need assistance or prefer to complete a paper form, please contact our enrollment department at enrollment@dogwoodcharterschool.org.

  • Transportation to and from Dogwood Charter School is provided by your home school district. The type of transportation (bus, van, etc.) and eligibility for transportation are determined by your home school district. Please note that districts may choose not to provide transportation for students who live more than 10 miles from the school.

  • Dogwood Charter School plans to add a grade level each year.