Achieve with BA!
Limited Seats Available in 5th and 6th Grades
Applications received for other grade levels will be added to the waitlist for their respective grade levels.
Learn with Us
Open the door to a world of high-quality learning opportunities at our Free Public Charter School Serving Motivated Scholars from Hartsville and the Pee Dee Region.
We will be accepting applications for scholars in grades K-10 who will benefit from:
- Small Class Sizes
- Year-Round Academic Calendar
- Emphasis on Social & Emotional Development
- Growth-Focused Learning Community
- Inspiring a Culture of CAN: I Can. You Can. We Can.
The Lottery for the 2026–27 School Year is Complete!
If you have already applied, please click here to view Lottery Results
and check the status of your application.
If you would like to apply to be added to the waiting list for the current 2026–27 school year, please click here.
Applicants who apply after the March 1 deadline will be added to the waitlist
on a first-come first-serve basis.
All grades are currently filled and have waitlists.
However, you may apply and be added to the waitlist on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Admissions Information
- To apply, Kindergarten students must be 5 years old, and 1st graders must be 6 by September 1.
- BA will admit two new classes of about 20 Kindergarten scholars annually and fill any openings in other grades.
- BA will add a new grade yearly until we are a fully inclusive K–12 school with lower, middle, and upper schools.
- We will honor our commitment to creating small, nurturing learning environments.
- We will not discriminate against any students based on ethnicity, national origin, gender, disability, intellectual ability, measures of achievement or aptitude, race, creed, religion or ancestry, or any grounds that would be unlawful if done by a school.
Admissions/Lottery FAQ
- BA operates on a year-round calendar.
- BA does not provide transportation.
- BA scholars are required to wear uniforms.
- BA kindly expects every family to take part in volunteer activities to support and strengthen our community.
No, it is not. At Butler Academy, we firmly believe that every child deserves an amazing education. Creating a public school that discriminates based on race, ethnicity, gender, religion, or any other characteristic would be in direct opposition to why our school was founded. It would also be illegal.
This misconception may stem from the fact that Butler Academy was created in response to the inequities that have existed in our county for decades. These inequities are easily quantified by the academic disparities that exist between black and white students in our county. For example, for various grade levels throughout the last decade, you’ll find that white students have read at 2 to 3 times the proficiency level of their black counterparts. However, black students are not the only students who have been underrepresented, underserved, or otherwise marginalized by existing school systems. Therefore, creating a segregated learning environment is not the solution!
To the contrary, it is our mission to create an enthusiastic culture of learning that works for everyone. We expect that our academic success stories will be a proud reflection of the diversity of our community. Our goal is to provide families in Darlington County and the surrounding communities with a learning environment in which household income, social status, and the presence (or absence) of adverse childhood experiences are no longer predictors of academic success. Discrimination in education is not acceptable. Not here. Not anywhere.
Butler Academy no longer uses Lotterease for lottery applications. Beginning with the 2026–27 school year, we are using the PowerSchool Charter Enrollment platform.
This new system allows families to complete the lottery application and, if offered a seat, the enrollment process all in one place.
Click here to create an account and apply. You will not need to log in to Lotterease.
BA is open to all students. Anyone can attend BA as long as he or she is a South Carolina resident and there is space available in his or her grade level.
The application window for the 2026-27 school year is now open and closes on March 1. Applications received outside of that window are added to the waiting list on a first-come, first-served basis. You can click here to apply.
No. Currently enrolled BA scholars are invited to return the following year and do not have to go through the initial enrollment proceedings. Current families wishing to re-enroll will have to complete a few forms to confirm intent to return and update contact information.
The application window for the upcoming school year will close at midnight on March 1. A lottery will be held via Google Meet at 5:30 p.m. on March 2 and lottery results will be available via email immediately following the lottery.
Yes, any new students that want to attend BA must submit an application online. In the application, you will have an opportunity to indicate that you have an enrolled scholar at BA and will be asked to provide that scholar’s name for verification.
No. However, siblings of currently enrolled scholars receive higher priority in the lottery, as long as you indicate on the application that the applicant has an enrolled sibling and that sibling is a verified BA student. Due to our commitment to small class sizes, the number of available seats is limited. Sibling priority is honored only as long as seats are available.
On March 2 at 5:30 p.m. virtually via Google Meet. We will make the link available to all applicants on March 2 prior to the lottery.
No. Attending the lottery is not mandatory or necessary.
Yes. Lottery results will be available online shortly following the lottery. Results will be displayed by Application ID on our website.
It’s a unique number that your child is assigned when you submit their online application into the lottery. This number was sent to you in your submission confirmation email from PowerSchool Enrollment. If you don’t see the email, please check your spam/junk folder.
Yes! You will receive an email immediately after the lottery if your child gets offered a seat or is waitlisted.
You will have 3 days to confirm the seat. If you do not accept the seat by the deadline, your child’s application will automatically be withdrawn, and the seat will be offered to the next family on the waitlist. You may reapply and be added to the end of the waitlist, if desired.
You will have 7 days from the date you confirm the seat to submit the registration form. We encourage families to complete these as soon as possible to secure their child’s placement. If the registration form is not submitted within this timeframe, the seat may be offered to the next scholar on the waitlist.
While we are not able to give individual tours, we are hosting two in-person tours/info-sessions in February.
Yes, two in-person info sessions/tours will be held at Tuesday, February 10, 2026 @ 5:30 pm and Saturday, February 28, 2026 @ 9:30 am. Bring your questions as there will be time for Q & A as well!
No. Both info sessions in February will offer the same information. Please choose the date that works best for your schedule.
Yes, for rising 6th -10th grade students only, we are offering two opportunities for prospective scholars to have a first-hand look at our classes as well as our school culture. These Preview Days take place on Wednesday or Thursday, February 18 or 19, from 8:00 to 10:30 am.
It is also a chance for prospective scholars and their parents/guardians to ask questions about the BA experience, academic rigor, etc.
Click here to sign up!
Yes. Waiting lists are created in each grade level when the lottery runs if there are more applications than there are spaces available. Once that list is created, any new applicants will be added to the waiting list on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Once you accept a seat for one child, any sibling applicants are moved to the next available seat or to the highest available position on the waiting list for their respective grade level. While a seat is not guaranteed for siblings, they do receive higher priority on the waiting list.
