Quick Facts
ages: 5-18
tuition: $5,625. for first child
interview fee: $20
visiting week fee: $30
school day: M - F 8:15-5:45
attendance: 5 hrs/day
enrolling: year round
Tuition
Tuition for the current 2013-2014 school year is $5,625. for the first student in a family, $4,220. for the second, and $3,165. for each additional student. Tuition for the 2013/2014 school year has been set by majority vote of the Arts & Ideas Assembly - composed of students and parents enrolled at least two months and staff - in its Spring 2012 meeting.
There is a limited Financial Aid program for eligible enrolled families.
Payment policy
Students may enroll at any time during the school year, subject to availability. In order to build a stable environment at the school and a successful experience for each student, it is important that each family trust the process of self-initiated learning and commit to the long-term process of community building. Accordingly, we emphasize the importance that all students and parents must be willing to commit to the school for the duration of the academic year. Students often need time to adjust to a new environment and different expectations.
While we encourage families to remit payment for the full year’s tuition upon enrollment, we understand the preference for some families to participate in one of our two monthly installment payment plans. Since A&I is a small school, continued operations rely heavily upon timely payment of tuition by all attending families. Accordingly, a late fee will be charged for all late payments. As we truly enjoy seeing our students every day, we request that families keep their account current so that the student’s do not need to disrupt their attendance.
Enrollment
In order to enroll, each family must take part in an enrollment interview. This interview is not a test or a means of selecting certain kinds of students. It is a frank discussion during which all parties can make sure that Arts & Ideas is a good fit for the enrollee and his or her family. Both parents or guardians are requested to attend the enrollment interview. Interviews generally last about an hour and must be booked in advance. There is a non-refundable $20 Interview Fee.
Once an interview has taken place and all parties agree that enrollment is a good idea, the next step is for the child to come for a Visiting Week. There is a $30. Visiting Week fee. At the end of the week, we all meet again and either confirm enrollment, extend the visiting time or decide Arts & Ideas is not the right place for the student.
We enjoy having visitors but generally we do not encourage interested parents to see the school in action without going through the interview process. Our setting is intimate and strangers passing through have an impact on the school environment. We ask that if parents would like to observe a portion of a school day, they complete the interview process and make a request through the Admissions Clerk to School Meeting for approval. Once enrolled, parents can enjoy a full day of visiting with their child once a year, and each student can have up to 3 guests a year without School Meeting approval. Additional visiting times must get School Meeting approval.
Attendance Requirements
Students at Arts & Ideas are required to attend the school regularly, for a minimum of five hours per day. The intent of the minimum attendance requirement is to insure the development of a strong school community. Our educational approach works best when parents and students see the school as the center point of their educational experience.
Our Admissions Policy
Arts & Ideas has an open admissions policy and does not require any transcripts from previous schools or base admission on academic performance in traditional school settings. It is essential that each prospective family develop a good understanding of our educational approach and be willing to support their child in pursuing his or her own interests. It is also important to determine that students are able to be fairly independent and fully responsible for themselves at school.
School enrollment limits are set by School Meeting; if enrollment levels reach the set limit, a waiting list is instituted.
Arts & Ideas Sudbury School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.