Phoenix International School of the Arts

About Us

Thank you for your interest in Phoenix International School of the Arts (PISOTA) -- the middle school where students learn to love learning again! At PISOTA, we inspire and prepare the next generation of global artists, scholars, innovators, and changemakers to use their intrinsic gifts and academic skillsets for healing, self-actualization, and community uplift. The first school of its kind in Charles County, PISOTA opens its doors to 6th - 8th graders in La Plata at the start of the 2023-2024 school year. The school provides scholars with an education that features the core academic subjects students in all schools learn, but PISOTA scholars will also select an intensive focus from among dance, music, voice, theatre, visual arts, or museum studies and new media. At PISOTA, we envision a generation of informed and highly capable youth taking equal stake in the global economy and community no matter their background. Like the mythical phoenix rising from the ashes, we believe in youth rising above their circumstances and soaring to their greatest potential.

Public charter schools are often mission-driven, offering families an added option and filing a need within a community’s education-landscape. Since 2019, PISOTA founders — consisting of students, parents, teachers, education researchers, and community leaders — have been consulting and collaborating with the Charles County community-at-large to design the school our young people need.

The pillars of the PISOTA approach to learning include:

• Excellence in A3: Academics, Arts Instruction + Arts Integration

• Global Competence, Leadership and Bilingualism

• Mental Health and Holistic Wellness

• Real-World Experience and Access to Experts

• Community Uplift

If your child will be a 6th, 7th or 8th grader for the 2023 - 2024 school year, we encourage you to apply today!

How To Apply

We welcome you to join our founding group of scholars by applying for enrollment consideration for the 2023 - 2024 school year.

Parents/Guardians can visit our online application portal, http://pisota.schoolmint.net/interest/pisota-x-mapcs, using any smartphone, tablet, or desktop computer to submit an application for the enrollment lottery. If selected for admission, families will need to be enrolled with Charles County Public Schools to enroll into PISOTA.

Questions, ADA, or translation requests, email: enrollment@pisota.org

Please review the information you’ve provided and ensure you input the correct age and grade for your scholar. Our lottery system is a randomized automated system and we are not responsible for incomplete or inaccurate information. Hardcopies may be requested by email, please provide your mailing address in the email, to enrollment@pisota.org.