TEP currently serves 1080 students in Kindergarten through 8th grade in the Washington Heights and Inwood neighborhoods of New York City.

As a public charter school, TEP is open to all New York City students and will not limit the admission of any student on the basis of disability, race, creed, gender, national origin, religion, ancestry, athletic ability, or intellectual aptitude or achievement.

TEP holds an admissions lottery for its Kindergarten cohort.

For each lottery: each prospective student is assigned a random number using a random number generator (www.random.org). The numbers are then used to sort the applicants from the lowest number to the highest number.

TEP will use the ordered lottery list to admit students using the following process:

1. All students with siblings of current TEP students that live in District 6 are admitted.
2. All students with siblings of current TEP students that live out of District 6 are admitted.
3. Students who receive Special Education services are admitted in order (by lottery number), starting with those students who live in District 6 and continuing, if necessary, with students who live out of District 6. Note that some Special Education students might already have been admitted under a previous category. This step ends when the set aside percentage for Special Education students (In District + Out of District) has been reached.
4. Students who reside in District 6 are admitted in order (by lottery number) until all of TEP’s open seats have been filled.
5. If there remain open seats after the previous step, then students who reside out of District 6 are admitted in order (by lottery number) until all of TEP’s open seats have been filled.

Once a student has been admitted to TEP, he or she is automatically guaranteed a seat at TEP for all subsequent grade-levels, unless that student withdraws from TEP.

TEP’s 2025 Admissions Lottery to fill its 120 student Kindergarten cohort will be held on Thursday, April 3, 2025 in-person at 6:00pm at TEP’s Early Childhood Campus located at 4280 Broadway, NY, NY 10033.

TEP is committed to serving a high-need, at-risk student population – this is a key part of TEP’s mission. To support this commitment, each year, TEP may determine set-aside percentages for the following 3 target populations: (a) English Language Learners (ELLs), (b) Special Education students, and (c) FRL students (those who qualify for the federal free or reduced lunch program). The set-asides are designed to ensure TEP’s compliance with New York State charter law by ensuring that TEP’s student body includes percentages of these special student populations that are comparable to the percentages of these students enrolled in traditional public schools in the Community School District (CSD 6) where TEP is located.

(1) Returning students are automatically granted admission for the subsequent academic year.

(2) Any sibling(s) of a student already enrolled at TEP who applies to TEP by the application deadline will, provided that space is available, be automatically assigned a seat in the school and will not need to enter into the admissions lottery. A ‘sibling’ is defined as a student who shares a biological parent or a legal guardian with a current TEP student.

(3) All students residing in NYC Community School District 6 will also be given an admissions preference in TEP’s admissions lottery. A student is considered an In-District student if the student’s primary residence, as indicated in the student’s application, is located in NYC Community School District 6. If there is conflicting information as to a student’s primary residence, TEP makes a final determination using its best judgment.

After the TEP Kindergarten cohort has been filled through the process described above, there may be instances when new seats open up in a particular cohort (such as when a student declines an enrollment offer or withdraws from TEP after enrollment). TEP utilizes a waiting-list process to fill these openings. All students NOT admitted to TEP through the lottery process above are put on the waiting list for their particular cohort. The waiting list includes (a) the student’s name, (b) the student’s lottery preference categories, and (c) the student’s lottery number. If the student submitted an application after the lottery deadline for his/her cohort, then the student is given the next unassigned number. Each cohort’s waiting list is maintained until the students in that cohort graduate from TEP.  For additional information about our waiting list process, please contact the school.

Transportation options for students are based on NYC DOE guidelines, which are outlined here: https://www.schools.nyc.gov/school-life/transportation/bus-eligibility.  If your child lives in Manhattan, 1/2 mile or more from TEP, then he/she may receive YELLOW BUS service.  You may also opt to receive a full-fare metrocard for your child instead.

Yes, all TEP students will be required to wear uniforms. TEP will provide an initial set of uniforms free of charge to students.

Students at the Early Childhood (Kindergarten – 1st Grade) and Elementary School (Grades 2-4) will receive the following uniform components:

• 1 button-down blue shirt
• 1 long sleeve orange TEP shirt
• 1 short sleeve orange TEP shirt
• 1  orange tie (bowtie or crosstie)
• 1 TEP Sweater

Students at the Middle School (Grades 5-8) will receive the following uniform components:

• 2 TEP short sleeve polo shirts (Navy for grades 5-7,  light blue for grade 8)
• 1 TEP long sleeve polo shirt (Navy for grades 5-7,  light blue for grade 8)
• 1 TEP navy pullover sweater (Grade 5 and 7)

Parents have the option of purchasing additional sets and are responsible for purchasing navy blue pants, skirt, or shorts.