Thank you for considering the best online school in Pennsylvania, PALCS!
Enrollment for 2024-2025 has opened!
We encourage all families to read the information below on how to enroll in our online school in PA. Some key pieces to the enrollment process include starting an application, documents you need to submit and our orientation calendar. Also, we encourage you to learn more about PALCS here.
Enrolling at PALCS: Eligibility
In order to enroll in PALCS, students must…
Be in Grades K-12
PALCS accepts Kindergarten students based on the age requirements of their local district. This is usually 5 years old by a certain date in the Fall of the current school year; therefore check with your local district.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education:
School age is the period of a child’s life from the earliest admission age to a school district’s kindergarten program until graduation
from high school or the end of the school term in which a student reaches the age of 21 years, whichever occurs first.
Allowed to Enroll
Students can not be expelled from their current district.
However, if a student has dropped out of school for a short period of time, the student may return to public school with PALCS. The student must be under 21 years of age and able to graduate before the end of their 21st year.
Be a Pennsylvania Resident
Students must have a permanent home in Pennsylvania. Though, students are welcome to travel, they must spend most of the school year in PA.
PA Leadership works with families and students who have been displaced from their homes or who are living in a place that is not fixed, regular, or adequate. Information for Homeless Students (.pdf) | (.rtf) (either will open in a new window)
Move onto the “Application” section to learn about the application process. If you have any questions at any time, please contact us.
Application
Create an Account & Complete Information
You will create a personal account with an email address and password. Once you begin, you’ll be able to save your application and return later. You will also need to submit supporting documents. See below for what documents you provide.
We will ask for info about:
- Your student. Such as current or former school, special ed programs, medical info and data we can use to group your student (e.g., sex, age).
- Your parent or guardian info. For example, your emergency contact data and languages spoken at home.
Additionally, we will also ask both the student and parent why you chose PALCS.
Required Documentation
As part of applying, you need to submit some documents. Therefore, having your documents ready will help you enroll quickly and easily.
We must receive your required documents before we schedule your orientation (see the “Enrollment Calendar” and “Orientation” sections below). Use this checklist to help you get ready.
Required Documents
Proof of Age
ONE of the following for the student:
- birth certificate
- baptismal certificate
- record of baptism – notarized or duly certified and showing the date of birth
- notarized statement from the parents or another relative indicating the date of birth
- valid passport
Immunization Record
Please provide one copy of the child’s list of vaccines.
You may provide other medical and dental forms. However, we do not require them before you enroll. We only require the record of vaccines for enrollment.
Proof of Residency
Provide TWO of the these for the parent/guardian with whom the child lives:
- current utility bill
- deed
- full copy of lease
- property tax bill
- vehicle registration
Documents must be in the name of the homeowner or payee. Also, they must reflect the current address. Finally, they must be within the past 30 days.
These items are not valid: credit card statement, bank statement, envelope, checks, etc.
Information for homeless students is located on our Homeless Youth information page.
Requested Academic Documents
Report Card/Transcripts
- Grades K – 9: copy of the most recent report card.
- Grades 10 – 12: copy of the unofficial high school transcript and the most recent report card.
If you enroll in the middle of the year, include grades/progress reports for each finished quarter of the current school year.
For homeschooled students, send homeschool report card/transcripts as available and include signed evaluations from the previous year and for each year of high school too.
Special Education Records
If it applies, you must include a copy of your student’s most recent:
- Individualized Educational Program, IEP
- Notice of Recommended Educational Placement, NOREP
- Evaluation/Re-Evaluation Report, ER/RR
- Invitation to Participate
- Permission to Evaluate and/or Waiver forms
- Also, any other psychological or related service evaluations pertaining to Special Education.
Requested Additional Documents
Proof of Home Internet Access
Copy of current bill or statement of service is acceptable.
Documents may be submitted by one of three ways:
Scan
Scan and email to:
admissions@palcs.org
PALCS Main Office
Attn: Admissions
1332 Enterprise Drive
West Chester, PA, 19380-5996
PALCS Western Regional Center
Attn: Admissions
The Landings
55 Alpha Drive West Pittsburgh, PA 15238-1401
Orientation
First, you send us your application and required documents. Then, an admissions representative will contact you to make sure we have all of your application documents before scheduling an orientation with you and your student. Your orientation will help prepare you for success at PALCS. We will discuss school policies, help you and your student navigate PALCSchool and Canvas (our Learning Management System), and answer any questions you might have.
Ready to sign-up? Click Apply Now below!
Enrollment Calendar
Once you have submitted your application and supporting documents, we will call to schedule your orientation. Your student must remain in their current school until a start date has been established.
We must receive your registration packet and all supporting documents before we can schedule your orientation. Please allow time for our admissions group to receive and process your packet.
During the school year we will schedule orientations based on an enrollment calendar.
For school terms and holidays, please see the PALCS Academic Calendar.
Shout Outs
Mr. Packer – 5th Grade Teacher
Mr. Packer has been enthusiastic, interested and fun teacher for our daughter from day 1. He makes the kids feel welcome and connects with them using real-world ideas and concepts. His way of teaching makes the kids want to remain engaged and participate. I was worried when I signed up for our 3 middle kids for PALCS, not know what their teachers would be like, but I can honestly say Mr. Packer exceeds all of my expectations. My daughter will be sad when she says her goodbyes to him and her classmates at the end of the school year. Major props and thanks to Mr. Packer for his mad teaching skills!
Ms. Leidner – 3rd Grade Teacher
Ms. Leidner is worthy of a shout-out because she has been super great with my son. He’s not the easiest kid to deal with or the easiest to understand. Ms. Leidner has kept great contact with me and she knows what my son’s full potential is. She has given him chances to repair his grades and do what he needs to do. She is patient and kind and I couldn’t ask for more in a teacher for him. Thank you so much for all you do and put up with from him.
Mrs. Crisafio – High School French Teacher
From a Parent: Madame Crisafio makes my 6th Grader Love French even more! You are such an awesome teacher! You make learning French easy. You Make the course interesting as you engage your students!
From a student: She always helps me when I need it and if I message her with a problem she will try her hardest to either sum it up in an email or lesson help. The subject may not be my favorite but Madame is definitely one of the best teachers I’ve had this year and last year.
Mrs. Cruz – High School English Teacher
Mrs. Cruz has been a light for my son as he navigates his English class at PALCS. Her encouragement, positivity, and personal attention she has offered our family has made us feel seen and heard in her class. She views students in such a holistic way, and offers understanding, constant help, and uplifting motivation. That is no small feat, as we know how busy PALCS teachers and staff are on a daily basis! We will never be able to express in words our gratitude for all that she has done for us. PALCS is so fortunate to have such a skilled teacher and special person on staff. We will always remember you with thankfulness, Mrs. Cruz!
Ms. Frieko – Middle School Music Teacher
Ms. Frieko is the most amazing music teacher at PALCS. She is very fun and creative. We sincerely appreciate her well thought for making the innovative lessons that encouraged Noah to understand more about the fundamentals of music. She never rushed through any lesson, especially if she knew the topic was challenged for Noah. Ms. Frieko always goes above and beyond her duty to be sure at the end of each class, Noah has a good grasp from the lesson. Ms. Frieko made learning music so much fun and enjoyable for Noah. Noah is always very excited and looks forward to each music class with Ms. Frieko. Thank you for your words of encouragement and most of all, believing in Noah’s capabilities.
Ms. Boyce – Resource Teacher
Noah is very delighted to have SO MANY amazing teachers at PALCS. This week I would like to give a big shout-out to Ms. Boyce.
Ms. Boyce is the greatest Special Education teacher at all time. This is the first year Noah has Ms. Boyce, and Noah enjoys being in her class. Ms. Boyce is a top-notch teacher that any student would love to have. Not only Ms. Boyce has a vast knowledge of everything to teach her students, she has a unique way to present her lesson and makes the topic very interesting and clear for Noah to understand. She is always fun, very energetic and enthusiastic. Noah adores Ms. Boyce and always look forward to come to class and learn new things from her. Ms. Boyce always goes above and beyond her duty to be sure at the end of each class, her student has a good grasp from the lesson. We sincerely appreciate everything you bring to Noah’s learning at PALCS.
Ms. Boyce, there aren’t too many dedicated and young teachers that truly love to teach the way you do, and that is why it makes you a top-notch teacher at all times. Noah is very delighted to be under your roof. He will make you proud!
Ms. Stefanski – Guidance Counselor
Ms. Stefanski is a huge asset to USP! Her dedication and relentless efforts to support youth is beyond imaginable. As you walk the halls of USP, you witness her interacting with the students and giving them the time and attention they need. We know she wears many hats in her role as Guidance Counselor, but I cannot thank her enough for guiding me, as a parent, to investigate and identify underlying issues for my youth’s success. Thank you!!
Mrs. Miller – 7th Grade Math Teacher
I am not that great at math and am still working on it, but Mrs. Miller helped me so much with little things that made a big deal. She went above and beyond to ensure that I got what I needed to know and she made sure I understood what was being taught. Overall, she helped me and even made me like math(a little) anyways, Mrs. Miller has definitely made my experience at PALCS really special.
Rose Owens – 5th Grade Teacher
In two short weeks, after returning from her leave, Mrs. Owens has already connected so incredibly to my student through daily announcements, assignment feedback, and lots of sharing and asking in virtual lessons. Her positivity is a breath of fresh air and is inspiring me to model how I assist my student with lessons in the same upbeat manner. She’s honest and frank, but encouraging and really makes the students think about not just their answer, but how and why they are using that thought process. Feeling very blessed right now to have her not only teaching my child, but influencing her as well.
Brianne Patterson- High School English
Mrs. Patterson is one teacher in a long line of inspiring English teachers, but she still stands out. She challenges us especially in an honors course, but still makes everything fun and relevant without losing the depth of the class. She is passionate about what she teaches and gets really excited in almost every virtual lesson. Also, she understands that much of the material is boring to the average person, so she tries her best to get us invested by prompting us to discuss and talk about what we are reading and discussing. She is always encouraging us to do our bests and treats our achievements like something to be celebrated. I am never afraid to ask her for help or advice and I have loved her course so far.
Mrs. Todd and Ms. Duerr – Special Education and Resource
Mrs. Todd and Ms. Duerr traveled in this freezing weather to provide support for my 2 sons in our home this morning. They sat down with my sons to discuss their post high school graduate/college/career goals and inspirations, and develop “game plans” to be successful in attaining success. They offered study tips and showed little tricks on canvas. We were able to review the past semester, as well as prepare for the remaining of the year. My sons have a clearer vision of what they need to do and how to do it. The visit helped them feel more comfortable reaching out for help with questions that may arise. While very professional, Mrs. Todd and Ms. Duerr have a niche in relating to their students with a positive rapport. I threw several questions at them throughout the visit. Without hesitation they provided clear, understandable answers. Not only did my sons have a “to do” list, but the teachers left with one too. Their willingness to go above and beyond is quite evident. I could see confidence in my sons which got lost while in the public school system. It was such a refreshing, but yet productive visit! My sons talk about going to them sometimes in West Chester!
Mr. Paffas – U.S. Government History
I am continually impressed with Mr. Paffas and his work. He managed to turn a class that I would not have wanted to take and turned it into the virtual class I look forward to the most. Speaking from personal experience, a lot of students’ favorite class is either the one they have the highest grade in or one they are especially gifted in. Neither of these being the case for me in Mr Paffas’ class, I can still say that his is my favorite! Good job.
Ms. Martin – Language Arts Teacher
Ms. Martin makes learning so much fun and she is always teaching us in a way that makes the lesson really easy to understand. She also relates to us in a way, and adds games like Kahoot and Quizlet to make the lessons even more fun.