FAQs

A charter school is an independently run public school granted greater flexibility in its operations, in return for greater accountability for performance. The “charter” establishing each school is a performance contract with the state detailing the school’s mission, program, students served, performance goals, and methods of assessment. Charter schools are public schools of choice, meaning that families choose them for their children. They operate with freedom from some of the regulations that are imposed upon district schools. Charter schools are accountable for academic results and for upholding the promises made in their charters. They must demonstrate performance in the areas of academic achievement, financial management, and organizational stability. Every five years, charter schools undergo a charter renewal process. If a charter school does not meet performance goals, it may be closed. Charters serve all students, including those with special needs and English language learners.

Yes. As public schools, charter schools are tuition-free. They are funded according to enrollment levels and receive public funds from the state on a per pupil basis. Charter schools are entitled to federal funding for which their students are eligible, such as Title I and Special Education monies.

Benjamin Banneker Charter Public School has been serving students in Cambridge and the Greater Boston area since 1996. With nearly 30 years of educational service, Banneker has built a strong legacy of academic excellence and a commitment to supporting students and families in the community.

What makes Benjamin Banneker Charter Public School unique is its strong commitment to STEM education, technology, and well-rounded learning. Students benefit from a 1:1 laptop program in grades 3–6, with students able to keep their laptops after completing 6th grade. Banneker also provides dedicated specialists in Music, Art, Physical Education, Library, and Technology from Kindergarten through 6th grade, along with a full-time reading tutor. As a tuition-free public charter school, Banneker combines rigorous academics, technology, and enrichment opportunities to provide students with a distinctive and comprehensive educational experience.

Application periods starts in November through March. We can take applications all year. Applications must be in the day before the lottery is held. Our next lottery will be held on Friday, March 5, 2027 for the 27-28 school year. Any application received after March 5, 2027, will go into a second lottery pending any seat vacancies.

Every year there is a lottery. Children are added to the waitlist by number after siblings and Cambridge children have been pulled in. If your child is asked in and does not accept the offered seat, your child will be taken off the list.

If there are more eligible applicants in any of the categories (“Siblings”, “Residents” or “Non-Residents”) than there are spaces available, the Banneker must hold a lottery to determine which applicants will receive an offer of admission. 603 CMR 1.05(6)(a) and (c). The school must give reasonable public notice of the lottery at least one week before the lottery date. Charter schools must have a neutral party randomly draw the names of all students who submitted applications before the deadline. After the available slots are filled, while taking into consideration the Growth Plan for Boston Residents, the individual shall keep drawing the names of the remaining applicants in each category and place them on a waiting list in the order they are drawn. If a parent requests that their child’s name not be publicly announced, we can assign your child a number. The parent will be informed of the number at the lottery. At the time of the lottery, we will know the number of K students that will be invited in, other grades are as seats become available.

1. The first step in enrolling is to fill out an application. You can fill out our easy application on the website. Filling it out only takes 5 to 10 minutes. You need information about your student, their guardians and the grades you are applying for.
2. If we receives more applicants than we have available seats for, the school will conduct a lottery which will be held at the Banneker. The school will publicizing the date and time with reasonable notice of at least one week before the lottery date. 603 CMR 1.09(9).
3. Offer letters are mailed to those applicants that have valid applications that are are accepted at the lottery.
4. The school will set a final date for students to accept offers of enrollment.
5. Any applications submitted after the lottery date will be accepted for a secondary lottery enrollment period between April 1 and August 30, if needed. We generally have one lottery per year however. If there is no secondary lottery, applications received after the 1st lottery will be placed in the pool for applications for the following year.
6. The Banneker will publicize all lottery enrollment deadlines with reasonable public notice of at least one month (603 CMR 1.05(8). After the application deadline passes, the Banneker will divide all applications into three categories: siblings, residents, and non residents.

The best chance to get in is applying for pre-K, kindergarten or first grade. But you can apply for all of our grades up to 5th in case we get openings. We generally get a few each year.

Yes. Applications need to be submitted on an annual basis, and families seeking a charter school for their student will need to reapply each year by the stated deadline to be entered into a school’s lottery process.

Yes preference for admission is as follows:

1. Siblings – Students who share a common parent, either biologically or legally through adoption. Whether the children reside in the same household has no bearing on determining if the children are siblings for purposes of a sibling preference. Children who live in separate households may be siblings and those that live in the same household may not be. If siblings are placed in foster homes and one of them enrolls in the charter school, then the siblings of that student are entitled to admission preference. Foster children are not considered siblings of other children in the foster home unless they share a common parent. Sibling Status does not include: children who live in the same household but do not share a common biological or legal parent; siblings and children of aluni/ae; siblings of applicants who have been accepted for admission but are not yet attending. Must show a birth certificate to prove common parent.
2. Residents – Students who live in the city, or town in which the charter school is located at the time of the lottery. Residents enrolled in district, charter, private, or parochial schools get equal preference for Commonwealth charter schools. Residency is determined by where the child actually lives, irrespective of guardianship custody and domicile.
3. Non-Residents – Are students who live in Massachusetts but outside the city of Cambridge. For regional charter schools, non-resident students are those students who live outside of the school districts specified in the school’s charter. All applicants must be residents of Massachusetts to apply, to enroll, and to attend, our charter school.
4. Local Caps – Some cities and towns have restrictions on the number of students that can apply and be accepted to charter schools. If there is a restriction you may not be allowed to enroll.

Families will be notified via email of their admission status (accepted or placement on waiting list). All families, that are accepted into the school, will receive notification and must reply by the three-week timeline. If a student is selected off of the waiting list and if the family is notified after June 15th, or before August 15th, the family has fifteen days to confirm enrollment. If the family is notified after August 15th, the family will have three days to confirm enrollment. Students do not take exams before being admitted to the school and we offer no financial incentives to recruit students.

Yes, we have an active waitlist. Our waitlist is good for one year. At the end of any given year, the waitlist for that year is discarded and a new one will start the next year. If your child did not get in during our last lottery, you would need to reapply.

Children from surrounding towns need to have been in a lottery to get on the waitlist. We have a lottery once a year in March.

At the end of each school year, the waitlist will be eliminated and the new waitlist will consist of students that have gone into the lottery for an upcoming school year. At the end of each school year students that did not get in would need to apply for the next school year if interested. Siblings are the first to be admitted; then “Resident” students; then “Non-residents” students. There is one exception, if a space became available and the enrollment of a student from the waiting list would cause his or her sending district to exceed the net school spending cap, the charter school should skip over that student but keep them on the waiting list. If that student on the waiting list is a sibling of a student currently enrolled at the charter school, the school may enroll that student and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts will pay the tuition to the charter school, subject to state appropriations. If a student declines an offer of admission, that student is taken off the wait list and the next child on the waiting list for that grade will be called, keeping in mind the current status of enrollment preferences and the Growth Plan for Boston Residents, until the vacant seat is filled. No student may be admitted ahead of other eligible students who were previously placed on a waiting list during a prior enrollment process, except in cases where enrollment preference change of as described in 603 CMR 1.05(10)(b). Accurate records containing students’ names (first, middle, last), dates of birth, cities or towns of residence, and grade levels are kept for those students remaining on the waitlist.

We accept siblings of current Banneker students first. Secondly, we accept Cambridge students. Thirdly, we accept students from other towns.

To become a two-year K student, your child would need to be 4. To become a one-year K student, your child would need to be 5. Therefore, a child must be 6 to become a first grader and so on.

Yes, we have a full staff of special education teachers and a special education coordinator. We also have a counselor, an OT, ELL, as well as a speech and language therapist on staff.

Yes, we have an afterschool program on site. The Banneker Extended Enrichment Program.  Runs from 3-6pm. all information can directed to Bbrothers@banneker.org

Yes, we offer bussing for Cambridge students who are not within walking distance. We also offer busing for Boston resident students and our North Shore resident students starting in Chelsea. Although There is no charge for busing, only a late fee when applicable.

We serve breakfast and lunch free to all students.

Yes, all students wear khaki bottoms and maroon tops which can be purchased anywhere and through the partnered vendor below. 

1. Give preferences to children of staff members or Board members;
2. Give preference to siblings of students accepted to the school but not yet attending; or
3. Make statements in meetings intended to discourage, or that have the effect of discouraging, parents/guardians of students with disabilities, students with limited English proficiency, or any other protected group of students from submitting an application to the school.