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A total 150 sixth, seventh and eighth grade students have been selected by lottery from among 503 applicants as charter members of the new Preuss School on the University of California, San Diego campus.

They will begin their studies Sept. 7 at the innovative school, the only public charter school in the state to be established on a university campus.

The lottery was conducted by computer May 12, and all 150 students whose names were drawn have accepted for the fall term. The charter class includes 50 sixth grade students, 50 seventh graders and 50 eighth grade pupils.

"All the students in our charter class meet the criteria for admission," said Doris Alvarez, Preuss School principal. "They come from low income families, with no parent who holds a university degree, and they show the potential to succeed academically. The mission of the Preuss School is to prepare these students to win admission to, and succeed at, top level universities. I am tremendously excited about starting out toward our goal with this group of youngsters."

The majority of students come from areas within the San Diego city schools boundaries, but other communities also are represented.

The students and their parents will attend orientation events Aug. 21-22 at UCSD, sleeping overnight in residence halls on the Warren and Thurgood Marshall college campuses and participating in tours, talks and a dinner dance.

Classes will begin Sept. 7 in temporary quarters on the Marshall campus while the Preuss School complex of buildings is under construction on UCSD’s East Campus. Completion of the new facility is expected in the fall of 2000. At steady state, in the year 2003, the school will accommodate 700 sixth through 12^th graders.

Alvarez said completion of the initial seven member faculty is underway. UCSD students will serve as tutors, interns and mentors.

Classes will range from 20-27 students; the school day and academic year will begin earlier and end later than in the San Diego School District, and class periods will be longer than is traditional. All students will take four years of mathematics, laboratory sciences and English, three years of a foreign language and fine arts, and two years of history. Community service in the students’ home communities also will be required.

The Preuss School is named in recognition of a $5 million gift to the facility made by University of California Regent Peter Preuss, his wife, Peggy, their son, Peter, and the Preuss Family Foundation.