The emotions were extreme as the numbers were turned, picked and announced. The anxiety and tension of the process could be seen on the faces of the family members.
Foundation Academy Charter School in Trenton held its annual lottery for students trying to get into the high performing school.
There are only 80 spots available for more than 300 students who applied like Timothy Stroye.
"I'm going to make the best of it, that's it," said Timothy Stroye.
He and his mother waited to see if his number would be drawn for one of the 20 seats on the 9th grade list.
"In Trenton public schools there's a short chance the kids will move on," said Falicia Stroye.
One by one, the numbers rolled out and names were called. Timothy did not get one of those coveted spots, but he is on the waiting list.
"What's going through my mind is that he still has a chance because God can do anything," said Falicia.
From the 5th to the 12th grade, there were tears, but there were also plenty of cheers from those whose children made it.
Kamiyah Miller doesn't want to leave her public middle school, but with only four available spots for the Academy's 8th grade, she got one of them.
"Sometimes they don't know what they need until we show them," said Tikiba Miller, Kamiyah's mother. "So we're definitely about to show her and hopefully she can take this experience and run with it."
300 students and 80 seats; that would mean only 26% of the school's applicants will be accepted.
The founder of Foundation Academy says the future of these students shouldn't be determined by a little wooden ball.
"It should not be the case at this moment in time in our history that families should have to fight for a public education, it should be a right ," says Ronald Brady.
And the school has a message for parents with children who did not get in; don't leave it to chance, fight for a better education.
