Mountain Sage Community School Opens Lottery Registration for 2026-27 School Year
Mountain Sage Community School is accepting Intent to Enroll submissions for the 2026-27 school year, with families facing a January 14 deadline to be included in the January 16 lottery drawing.
The Fort Collins charter school operates on a different timeline than Poudre School District's school of choice process, which has a December 15 deadline. Mountain Sage sets its own enrollment schedule as an independently authorized charter school within PSD boundaries.
The tuition-free public charter school at 2310 East Prospect Road serves approximately 330 students from kindergarten through eighth grade. Because demand regularly exceeds available classroom space, all prospective students enter through a lottery system when applications outnumber seats.
Mountain Sage caps kindergarten classes at 22 students and grades one through eight at 26 students each, according to the school's enrollment information. When more families apply than seats exist, the school conducts a randomized lottery with priority given to returning students and siblings of current students before considering new applicants.
The school hosted its annual Lantern Walk Festival on November 7.
Founded in 2013, Mountain Sage distinguishes itself from traditional Poudre School District schools through its Waldorf-inspired curriculum emphasizing arts-integrated learning, outdoor education, and hands-on experiences. The school combines creative approaches to literacy with nature-based learning while meeting Colorado state academic standards and standardized testing requirements.
Families throughout Larimer and Weld Counties may apply to Mountain Sage through the lottery system rather than being limited to neighborhood attendance zones that govern traditional public schools. Families can participate in both the Mountain Sage lottery and PSD's school choice process, but must meet each organization's separate deadlines.
Applications submitted after January 14 will be placed in a post-lottery pool for potential waitlist consideration if seats become available during the school year.
The Intent to Enroll form and additional enrollment information are available on the Mountain Sage Community School website.