The cofounder of the recently approved New Heights Charter School in Brockton said more than 600 students already have submitted applications for 315 slots available for the 2016-2017 school year — and more are pouring in daily.

“We had 40 applications over the last 24 hours,’’ Omari Walker said on Wednesday, a day after the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voted to approve the school. “We’re just really excited about this opportunity and ready to start working with the families.’’

Brockton school officials, who have fought the charter school coming to the community, expressed their disappointment with the state’s decision, saying there was no need or public demand for it.

Brockton Superintendent Kathleen A. Smith said in an e-mail that she would be watching the new school “closely to be sure it is not only accountable to its mission, but true to promises made to the residents of Brockton, Randolph, and Taunton. We will also be watching the flow of public dollars to the charter to be sure it goes to educating children, not padding the coffers of educational speculators.’’

Brockton officials have said they worry that the charter school would siphon off state education funds from the existing public schools.

Walker said the state provides about $12,000 per student, and will reimburse districts that lose students to the charter by 100 percent the first year and 25 percent for the next five years.

New Heights Charter School will start with sixth, seventh, and eighth grades and ultimately expand to the 12th grade — ending with 735 students from Brockton, Randolph, and Taunton. The school’s mission is to prepare students for college, and students will take classes for free at Massasoit Community College, earning up to 60 college credits.

New Heights originally was proposed for Fall River, a plan the state rejected in 2014. Walker said the focus shifted to Brockton, which has an urban population and no existing choices other than the public school system for poor families.

New Heights partnered with Massasoit and also brought in EDWorks, a national education reform group based in Ohio, to help with the plan, he said.

New Heights has a building near Massasoit that it plans to lease and renovate, Walker said.

He said he could not disclose the location until the lease is signed.

The charter school will hold a lottery for prospective students on March 11 in the fine arts building at Massasoit.

Johanna Seltz can be reached at seltzjohanna@gmail.com