Enroll with Us!
We welcome students of all abilities in grades TK - 12 to enroll in our free, charter public schools!
Applications are open for the 24-25 school year!
Apply to enroll in our free, public, supportive, and joyful schools today.
At Bright Star Schools, we provide holistic, inclusive support for all students to achieve academic excellence and grow their unique talents so that they find joy and fulfillment in higher education, career, and life.
We support our students for nearly 20 years, from their first day in kindergarten to their graduation from higher education.
Bright Star Community
At Bright Star Schools, we believe that every child is capable of great things. We create safe and joyful school environments so our students thrive.
In our elementary schools, we prioritize positive relationships, a supportive and relevant academic program, and social-emotional learning. We accept all students of all abilities, and we provide individualized support (including English language support) so all students succeed.
Our teachers, counselors, and staff see the whole child, and together with families, we embrace and celebrate different cultures, experiences, and interests so that our students feel supported in every aspect of their lives.
At Bright Star Schools, we grow our students to become leaders who act with integrity and champion equity to enrich our communities and the world.
Our middle schools have a culture that values safety, inclusion, diversity, kindness, thoughtfulness, and hard work. We introduce students to college early so that they dream big and can access, belong, and succeed in higher education, career, and life.
We emphasize positive social-emotional development and support, have a counselor per grade level, and a small student to staff ratio to help students manage the experience of becoming teenagers.
At Bright Star Schools, through hard work, perseverance, and collaboration, our students graduate prepared to find joy and fulfillment in higher education, career, and life.
In our high schools, we support our students' academic, social-emotional needs, and growth holistically and prioritize strong, positive relationships.
Our high schools offer AP courses, dual enrollment college classes, performing arts, competitive CIF sports teams, mentorship opportunities with local partners, enriching after-school programs, and opportunities to travel across the city, state, and country so that students can experience the world beyond our classrooms.
At Bright Star Schools, we welcome students of all abilities, families, and community members. Approximately 13% of our students receive Inclusive Education support (Special Education services).
At Bright Star Schools, we refer to Special Education as Inclusive Education. All Bright Star students, regardless of background or any learning needs they may have, experience rigorous academics, inclusive education, social-emotional support, and rich life opportunities beyond the classroom.
Bright Star's Inclusive Education Department ensures that students cultivate strategic ways to improve their academic, social, language, and environmental challenges through self-advocacy, community awareness, and involvement to propel them to higher education and career opportunities of their choosing.
At Bright Star Schools, we believe that every student belongs in and is capable of succeeding in higher education.
Through Bright Star's Alumni Support and College Success Program, we provide up to 6 years of personalized support to our high school graduates to ensure they succeed in higher education.
Together with their families, we help our students identify a personally meaningful and financially viable higher education pathway. As our alumni progress through higher education, we provide counseling, coaching, intensive transfer support, financial aid application and budgeting assistance, career counseling, and more to ensure nothing stands in the way of them receiving their diploma!
Our Schools
West Adams/Baldwin Village Schools
1. Stella Elementary Charter Academy (Grades TK-4)
2. Stella Middle Charter Academy (Grades 5-8)
3. Stella High Charter Academy (Grades 9-12)
Koreatown Schools
4. Rise Kohyang Elementary School (Grades TK-5 at scale)
5. Rise Kohyang Middle School (Grades 6-8)
6. Rise Kohyang High School (Grades 9-12)
San Fernando Valley Schools
7. Valor Academy Elementary School (Grades TK-4)
8. Valor Academy Middle School (Grades 5-8)
9. Valor Academy High School (Grades 9-12)
Enrollment Process
In 9 schools across Los Angeles, we provide students and families with a seamless, high-quality education from transitional kindergarten through 12th grade. We welcome students of all abilities and backgrounds to apply to our tuition-free, joyful, and supportive schools.
We’re thrilled you’d like your student to join the Bright Star family!
It is free to apply and to attend our schools. Here are the ways to apply:
In Person
Stop by one of our campuses' main offices to pick up an application form. (Due to COVID-19, please contact the school first for an appointment before visiting if at all possible).
Phone & Email
Contact our enrollment team at (323) 954-9957 extension 1030 or via email at enrollment@brightstarschools.org to start an application or for help with your application.
Application
If you submit an application before the application deadline for the school you are applying for, you will be included in an enrollment lottery if the number of applications received is greater than seats available at your chosen school. To have the best chance of being accepted and to be eligible for the lottery, we strongly encourage you to submit your application prior to the school’s application deadline.
Prior to the lottery dates, you will also be invited via phone and/or email to an information session for your chosen school. These sessions offer an opportunity for you to meet school staff, learn more about our program and ask any questions you may have about our schools.
Lottery
A public lottery will be held for grade levels for which we received more applications than seats available. On each school’s lottery day, names are drawn through a random, automated lottery process. You will be notified in person on the day of the lottery, or if not present, within three days following, whether or not your child was selected for a seat in the lottery.
During the lottery, after the grade level is full, additional student names will be added to a waitlist in order of the lottery number they received.
Waitlist
All applications received after the application deadline will either be placed on the waitlist if the grade level is full, or offered seats on a first-come, first-served basis until the grade is full.
Seat Offerings
If you are offered a seat, you will be invited to enroll online or set up an appointment to enroll over the phone to fill out additional paperwork and turn in documents required to enroll your student.
These enrollment documents include:
- Student's birth certificate or passport,
- Complete immunization records (proof of Tdap vaccine for grades 7 and above),
- Most recent report card (transcript required for grades 10 and above), and
- IEP or 504 plan (if the student has one).
We have information sessions scheduled for each of our schools throughout the year, and we also offer parents and students opportunities to visit our campuses at their convenience.
During your school visit, a school representative will meet with you and give you more information about the school and our enrollment process.
If you are unable to visit a school, you are also welcome to attend an information session.
To find out about an upcoming information session or school tour, please contact our enrollment team at enrollment@brightstarschools.org or call 323-954-9957 extension 1030.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is a charter school?
Charter public schools are tuition-free public schools and enrollment is open to all students. Charter public schools are independently operated schools that run with more flexibility than traditional public schools in exchange for increased accountability.
Like all public schools, charter schools are:
- Tuition-free and part of the free public school system
- For all students, and students of all abilities and backgrounds are welcome
- Funded primarily through federal, state and local tax dollars
- Held to state and federal academic standards
Download more information about charter public schools here.
Are Bright Star’s charter schools public schools? Do they cost money to attend?
All of Bright Star’s schools are public schools. They are 100% tuition free and open to all students.
Are there admissions requirements to attend a Bright Star School?
No. There are no admissions requirements. All students of all abilities in grades TK - 12 are eligible to attend.
Which grades does Bright Star Schools serve?
We serve students from transitional kindergarten through 12th grade.
Do students with disabilities qualify to enroll at Bright Star Schools?
Yes. All students of all abilities are welcome to attend our schools, and we accept students regardless of learning ability. Approximately 13% of our students receive Inclusive (Special) Education services, and all of our students and families receive support from our counselors.
How does Bright Star support its high school graduates?
All of our high school graduates become part of our Alumni Support and College Success program and receive up to 6 years of personalized support along their individual higher education pathway.
How do I enroll in a Bright Star School?
To apply to enroll, you may either submit an online application here, stop by one our campuses’ main offices to pick up an application form, or contact our enrollment team by phone at (323) 954-9957 extension 1030, or via email at enrollment@brightstarschools.org to start an application or for help with your application.
Does Bright Star Schools offer online school?
Bright Star Schools offers in-person instruction on our campuses. We do not offer online charter school options. However, we do have a limited Independent Study Program and families can receive more information by connecting with a school administrator.