Student Admissions
Valley Inquiry Charter School is a free public charter school sponsored by the Salem-Keizer Public Schools District (24J). Opened in 2005, Valley Inquiry was the first accredited International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Program (PYP) World School in the Pacific Northwest. Our school is open to any K-5 student within the SKPS boundaries.
Admission to our school is granted through a public lottery and waitlist system. Each January applications are accepted from families interested in having their student join our Kindergarten class for the upcoming school year. If there are more applications for next year's Kindergarten class than there are spots available, a public lottery will be held in March via Zoom. During the public lottery, spots are given first to families with siblings enrolled in Valley Inquiry. Lottery numbers are then assigned to all remaining applications, and all remaining spots for the Kindergarten class are given to the families who lottery numbers are selected during the lottery. Once all open spots have been filled, the lottery continues to assign waitlist numbers in the order that numbers are drawn. The waitlist generated during this lottery carries over each year.
2025-26 Kindergarten:
Important Upcoming Dates: Coming Soon!
Current Kindergarten through 5th Grade:
If you have an interest in having your student attend Valley Inquiry Charter School, please ensure you complete the digital application (link below) to secure your placement on our waitlist. Our waitlists roll over each year, so securing your spot early is critical.
Please note: It is impossible to predict whether or not your student's position on the waitlist may translate into an open spot in one of our classrooms, as this depends on factors outside of our control. Some years see little to no movement on the waitlist. Other years have seen a grade level deplete the waitlist entirely. Your best chance of admission is to complete the application as soon as you can.
Before You Apply:
Before submitting an application to Valley Inquiry Charter School, it is important you download our Admissions Packet and read through it in its entirety.
By submitting an application, you are agreeing that you have read the Admissions Packet in its entirety and have an understanding of the IB program at Valley Inquiry Charter School. You understand the attributes of the IB Learner Profile and understand the expectations for students and for families while at our school. You understand the school's focus on international mindedness, student agency, and taking action as mechanisms to create a safer and better world. You also recognize that Valley Inquiry embraces and celebrates the role that diversity, equity, and inclusion brings to a thriving IB World School environment. In submitting an application, you are also indicating support of these principles and our school's mission and focus.
Kindergarten Admissions
2025-2026
Kindergarten applications will be
posted in January 2025!
Families seeking admission for current
Kinder-5th graders should complete the digital application below to be added to the appropriate grade's waitlist.