ADMISSIONS >
Applying to PUCS
When to Apply
Applications for new student enrollment opens November 1 for the next school year. Current students will receive re-enrollment information in February.
Applications are accepted no more than one school year in advance. Parents wishing to apply for Kindergarten are encouraged to tour the school and apply in the fall preceding their child’s Kindergarten year. A child applying for preschool must be 4 years old by August 31st. A child applying for kindergarten must be 5 years old by August 31st of the year for which he/she is seeking enrollment. First graders should be six years old by August 31st.
We are always excited to expand our community here at PUCS! We have a policy of maintaining small classes across all grade levels. We cap our preschool (PreK 4) class at 15 students and our K-8 classes at 18 students. When we have classes that are not full, we are open to admitting PreK-7th grade students mid-year.
In order for your child to be considered for mid-year admissions, please contact our office administrator at 412-244-1779 ex 201 to express interest and discuss any financial aid needs you may have. After speaking with our main office, you will be instructed to send current academic, disciplinary and attendance records to our school. If your student is in good standing at their current school in these three areas, we will invite your student to join us for an academic assessment here at PUCS.
How to Apply
Applying is easy using our Online Application. (If you are a new family, please select the “Create an Account” option.) A non-refundable, one-time fee of $50 must be submitted to PUCS via Paypal, cash, or check with each application; a separate invoice will be sent to your email via Paypal. Our financial aid online application portal (FACTS) charges an additional $40 management fee once you are accepted and begin the enrollment process. This $40 is an annual fee.
Our Admissions Coordinator will reach out to schedule an Educational Assessment for your child. We would encourage you to bring a copy of your child’s records with you the day of the assessment. Acceptance decisions will be e-mailed and/or mailed to your home. Your family will have seven (7) days to respond by submitting a $100 non-refundable deposit. By making this deposit you’re making a good faith commitment for your child to attend Pittsburgh Urban Christian School. This deposit will be required each year that your student re-enrolls.
For the 2024-25 school year, we will begin accepting applications in November. Families applying for Kindergarten will be invited to a Kindergarten Preview Day here at PUCS on January 26, 2024. Students will be assessed for Kindergarten readiness during that day, and will be informed regarding acceptance shortly after the Preview Day. If we have openings in the Kindergarten class after Preview Day, we will continue taking applications. We will assess these students individually. Assessments will begin for applicants to first through eighth grades in early February. Students applying for PreK 4 are not assessed.
The Admissions Process
Students of any background or belief are welcome to apply to Pittsburgh Urban Christian School. However, as stated in the Foundation and Curriculum portions of this handbook, students and parents must realize that our school is based on Christian principles, which are woven into the fabric of the school, and be willing to support their children in this type of education.
The office administrators keep a list of applicants and when the applications are received. When facilities or staff limits space, new students will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. The admission of new students during the school year is subject to available space within the given classroom. If a student is transferring from another school to Pittsburgh Urban Christian School, all records must be received and reviewed before admission is complete.
All new students are on a nine-week probationary period. If a student is not able to meet PUCS’ academic requirements or behavioral expectations, the Education Director will meet with the parent(s) to discuss what actions need to be taken.
Assessment and Acceptance
Every student receives an educational assessment by our Education Director and/or Middle School Lead Teacher. The goal for our assessment of potential students is to determine their readiness for a particular grade level work at PUCS.
For admission to kindergarten, we use games, puzzles, and conversation to determine a child’s grasp of one-to one correspondence, the thread of a story, level of letter and number recognition, pattern recognition, and general maturity level. We do not require children to know all letters and numbers.
For each of the other grade levels we use a standard reading inventory (for fluency and comprehension) to determine a child’s reading level. We use middle-of-the-year and end-of-the-year assessments from our math text, Everyday Math 4, to determine basic math level. There’s also a short grade-level word recognition and vocabulary component. We engage the child in conversation and ask for them to write a short piece in response to a prompt. We request student records from a student’s previous school prior to enrolling.
Non-Discrimination Policy
The Pittsburgh Urban Christian School admits persons of any race, color, nationality and ethnic origin to all the rights and privileges, programs and activities generally accorded to school personnel and students. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship programs or other school-administered programs.