Let’s get started!

Thank you for your interest in Trailhead Community Farm School.

We are currently accepting applications for students who are 11-15 years old and in 5th-8th grades. Due to having rolling admissions, we accept students throughout the year, including throughout the summer.

Please review the information below to get started.


Admissions Process

Step 1: Parent/guardian requests information (click here).

Step 2: Parent/guardian completes the application form.

Step 3: Parent/guardian meeting with admissions personnel to gather additional information, discuss application. Parent/guardian and students are invited to participate.

Step 4: Parent/guardian and student will meet the team and tour campus. If school is in session, perspective students will have an opportunity to see our program in action.

Step 5: Parent/guardian attends admissions meeting to complete paperwork (releases, waivers, etc).


Admissions Criteria

  • Age of students (first year):

    • 10-15 years old

    • Current 5th-8th grade

  • Willingness to participate in hands-on learning involving physical activity, interaction with plants, bugs, animals, etc.

  • Click to expand each category below for additional admissions criteria

    • If the student has experimented with substances

      • No use within the past six months

      • Successful completion of a treatment program (documentation required)

    • Minor and non-life threatening medical conditions reviewed on individual basis

    • Continent of bowel and bladder

    • Will accept students who take medication during the school day

  • Students must possess a minimum full scale IQ of 80 or higher on an approved standardized test

  • Verbal communication or have an assistive device for communication- reviewed on an individual basis

  • Students with the following history will not be eligible to apply:

    • Adjudicated youth

    • Students who have demonstrated physical aggression within the past six months

    • Students who have eloped/run away within the past six months

    • Fire setting behavior

    • Incident of harm towards animal

    • Conduct Disorder diagnosis

    • Suicidal ideation and/or attempt within the past six months

    • Homicidal ideation and/or attempt within the past six months

  • When available/appropriate, the following documentation must be provided during the admissions process:

    • Court order regarding custody

    • IEP testing and/or IEP document

    • Psychological testing

    • Referral from home school district

Tuition


  • The total cost of annual tuition is $19,850. This represents a total 12-month therapeutic, academic, and community experience, which includes:

    ● Year round school program, Monday-Friday schedule (with the exception of Federal or State holidays), with drop off as early as 8:00AM and pick up from 4:00PM to 5:00PM (Monday-Friday)

    ● One weekly educational field trip, plus outdoor adventure opportunities on and off campus

    ● Learning environment and schedule designed with sensory needs in mind, and tailored to prepare neurodivergent students for success

    ● Small classroom size (2 academic staff members for every 10 students)

    ● Individualized educational planning

    ● Interdisciplinary team meeting to assess each student’s needs and supports in place at minimum once monthly, plus input from our professional consultants Dr. Matthew Fisher and Deanna Parish, PhD

    ● After school tutoring

    ● Quarterly family seminars

    ● Parent support/education from our clinical and academic teams

    ● Transition services

  • TCFS was developed from the vision of creating a therapeutic academic day school committed to the highest quality of service and the highest ethical standards possible. We are committed to this vision which includes not compromising the quality of our program. We believe the following about fees and quality of service:

    1. TCFS is a private, non-profit organization with a goal to provide community support for neurodiverse middle school and high school students. Coverage of school expenses is supported by a combination of grants, business sponsorships, community fundraisers, individual donations, student insurance coverage, and tuition paid by families.

    2. TCFS has made every effort to explore potential income sources and strives to keep tuition costs as affordable as possible for families.

    3. TCFS believes in charging fair prices for a high quality therapeutic and educational program.

    4. TCFS is committed to hiring, training, and supporting qualified and caring staff, and ensuring an individualized education program for each student. These staff are highly valued, and compensated accordingly.

    5. The TCFS budget includes an estimate of funds received directly to the school via student’s insurance for clinical services provided. Student tuition has already been reduced with insurance income estimates applied, to keep family out-of-pocket payments as affordable as possible.

  • Upon acceptance of your child to our school, the first month's payment of $1,654.16 for the 12-month payment plan or $19,850 for payment in full is due immediately, and no later than 5 business days. The $1,654.16 payment serves as your registration fee and secures your child's spot in our school for the upcoming school year. The funds will be used to prepare for your child’s arrival.

    This $1,654.16 fee is non-refundable.

    We offer two payment plans for tuition:

    ● Payment in full: You may choose to pay the full tuition amount of $19,850 for the school year at the time of enrollment.

    ● 12-Month Payment Plan: After the initial first month’s payment as the registration fee, you may choose to pay the tuition amount in 11 remaining monthly installments of $1,654.16.

    ● An active form of electronic payment must be on file with payments scheduled for the 1st of each month.

    ● The first monthly payment (following the initial registration fee) will be scheduled for September 1, 2023.

    ● The last monthly payment for the 2023-24 academic year will be scheduled for June 30, 2024.

    ● Note: If choosing to continue enrollment at TCFS for the 2024-25 academic year, the first month’s payment as registration fee will be due August 1, 2024 to begin a new payment plan.

    Financial Assistance:

    Please let Courtney Eidson, Executive Director, know if your child is in need of financial assistance.

  • Credit Card Transaction Fees:

    If you choose to make payments using a credit card, a transaction fee of 2.5% of the payment amount will be added to the total balance due. This fee is forwarded directly to the credit card processor.

    Alternatively, you may also choose to make payment by electronic funds transfer (or ACH) from a checking account by providing the routing number and account number. In this case, no transaction fees will be incurred.

    Denied Payments/Failed Transactions:

    If a payment is denied by your bank or credit card company, the parent or guardian will be notified as soon as possible by TCFS personnel. The parent or guardian will have 5 business days to rectify the situation and provide payment. If payment is not received within 5 business days, a late fee of $50 will be added to the outstanding balance. If an unpaid balance remains for more than 15 business days, the student’s enrollment status will be withdrawn.

    Refund Policies:

    If the school excuses the student for any reason, a prorated refund (calculated at $110 per academic day) will be issued for the unused portion of the tuition paid, after deducting a non-refundable administrative fee of $500.

    If the parent or guardian withdraws the student for any reason, there will be no refund of tuition paid.

    Insurance Billing:

    The following Clinical Services may be provided to your student/family: individual, family and group therapy. TCFS personnel will submit claims to Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, and Aetna each week on your behalf, for services provided. If you have another insurance provider, TCFS personnel are happy to provide a Super bill that can be submitted to your insurance company.

    Insurance payments to TCFS will not result in a discount or refund on tuition.

    Additional On-site Services:

    We are planning to have Occupational, Speech, and Physical therapy services available on-site with expenses to be paid by the family. These services are optional but recommended.

    Emergency Costs:

    In the case of a physical health or mental health emergency, TCFS personnel may seek emergency first responder assistance prior to contacting parents, at their discretion, with the students’ safety and well-being as the first priority. Any financial obligations incurred from such instance will be the responsibility of the student’s family.

    Open Communication:

    We understand that sometimes circumstances may arise that prevent timely payments, or that you may have questions about insurance coverage or your payment schedule. Please contact TCFS personnel to discuss any questions or concerns. We’ll be happy to help.

    Thank you for choosing our school for your child's education. If you have any questions or concerns about our tuition, payments, and finance procedures, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Ready to apply?