Admissions for 2024-2025

If your school district reaches out to us regarding placement for your child, we will contact you about scheduling a visit. We value our ongoing partnership with our districts and families as we begin this process together to help our students experience growth and success.

How is a referral made to Lighthouse School?

Lighthouse School has a strong commitment to communication and consistency as important criteria for quality service to your child. All referrals to Lighthouse School come from the school district responsible for the IEP of the student, with the funding district also involved if necessary. Authorization from the sending district is required prior to visiting Lighthouse School. This authorization is necessary even if a referral is not being made by the school district. This is to ensure that all persons involved with the responsibility of educating each student are included in the process from start to finish.

After you sign a release of information form, the school district will send a packet of information to the Supervisor for Enrollment that includes the current IEP, recent evaluations and assessments, and any other pertinent information. This packet is reviewed by members of the Enrollment Team and if the student looks like a good match for the services we provide, a referral visit for you and your child is arranged.

What happens when a referral is made to Lighthouse School?

The Enrollment Team always reviews the referral packet to determine if the student would be able to benefit from the services available at Lighthouse School. Close communication with your school district is maintained and you will get a call to set up a visit to Lighthouse. Prior to this, if you would like information about Lighthouse School, you are always free to call or email.

How do I prepare for my visit?

Once a visit is scheduled, you will receive an email confirmation with specific details about the visit. You will also receive the Pre-Enrollment Application as an attachment to the confirmation email. Please gather any evaluations or other documents about your child that might not be in a school district referral packet, including a current physical exam and an up-to-date immunization list.

What is a visit to Lighthouse School like?

Visits are scheduled for two hours. This gives us the opportunity to get to know you and your child and for you to begin to get to know us. We hope you will have lots of questions because choosing a new school for your child is a big decision.

Some parents and guardians like to do the visit without the student first. More often, the visit is done with all parties at once. You will meet with a member of the Referral Team who will ask you to describe your child and the services you are looking for in a school. The many services of Lighthouse School will be described to you, and you will be given a tour of the facility. This tour is designed to help provide you with a more in-depth look at our Comprehensive Biodevelopmental Services Model.

Meanwhile, an informal assessment is being made about the needs of your child and whether Lighthouse School has the programs and services to meet those needs. 

The goal for the visit is for us to get to know your child and for you and your child to experience what it would be like for your child to become part of Lighthouse School's unique culture. We want your child and you to feel welcomed and respected and to end your visit with knowledge about Lighthouse School and a feeling that you have been heard.

What happens after the visit?

We encourage you to communicate your feelings about Lighthouse School with your district. If you have submitted an application and the medical information requested, the Enrollment Team meets to consider all of the applications received. Sometimes, we may request additional information to be provided. Once the Enrollment Team has made a decision, the school district contact is notified and a discussion about placement and the IEP takes place. If acceptance is the decision, the district will contact you and you will receive an Acceptance packet from Lighthouse School.

My child is accepted to Lighthouse. What is the plan for the transition to your program?

The IEP may need to be adapted for our setting and there may be a formal team meeting scheduled prior to a start date. A placement page provided by the school district must be signed. We will schedule a time for at least one parent or guardian to complete consent forms and medical paperwork with a member of the Family Services Division. A start date will be agreed upon and when all IEP, Intake, and medication-related forms have been completed, your child will begin their education at Lighthouse School.

Click here for more information about the new student integration process.