Mountain Laurel Sudbury School (MLSS) has an open admission policy and does not require any transcripts from previous schools nor base admission on performance or labels assigned in traditional school settings. In addition, as all our literature declares, Mountain Laurel Sudbury School welcomes racial and ethnic diversity and families of every composition.  

Tuition
Tuition is set by majority vote of the School Assembly at its annual meeting. Our standard tuition, for the 2007-2008 school year, is $6000 for full-time students and $3500 for part-time students. Tuition is payable in advance or in installments. Families with more than one child attending full-time may take a 25% reduction in tuition for the second student, 50% off for the third student, 75% off for the fourth student, and any subsequent students are $1800. Except under extenuating circumstances, tuition is non-refundable. The school cannot refund prepaid tuition if a student does not attend.

If you cannot afford the tuition, a Tuition Assistance Program is available.

For students enrolling after the beginning of the school year, tuition rates will be pro-rated to reflect your enrollment date. Contact the Enrollment Committee for exact pro-rated tuition.

Families using payment plans are liable for the full tuition, whether or not the student attends for any part of the school year.  Any new student enrolling at MLSS gets a trial period of 60 calendar days from the date of enrollment.  The student may withdraw at any time during this period without further financial obligation beyond payment for the 60 days.

Full-Time or Part-Time

Full-time students are required to attend school 25 hours per week.  Part-time students are required to attend school for 12-15 hours per week. 

Interview
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 MLSS is a good fit for the student and his or her family. Parent(s) or legal guardian(s) (of a student age 15 or younger) should attend the enrollment interview.

It is essential that each family have 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. For this reason, prospective students will be interviewed individually, as well as simultaneously with their family.

Enrollment Packet and Fee
Contact the Enrollment Committee to schedule an interview for enrollment. An enrollment packet must be completed and a copy of Free at Last must be purchased for $20. We ask that all families read Free at Last in order to familiarize themselves with the Sudbury model.

The School Meeting sets annual enrollment limits. In the event that enrollment levels are at the set limit, a waiting list is instituted for enrollees. Interview applications and enrollment forms are accepted on a first come, first serve basis.

Newly enrolled students get a trial period of 60 days.  The student may withdraw at any time during this period.  After the trial period is over, students and parents must be willing to commit to the school for the rest of the school year. Because students often need time to transition to a new environment and different expectations, a year's commitment to trusting the process of self-initiated learning, and the work of community building, is essential to creating a stable community at the school and a successful experience for each student. Any exceptions to this policy must be brought before the School Meeting.

Enrollment Policies Subject to Change
The School Assembly, composed of staff, students enrolled at least two months and their parents, and Board of Trustees members, set enrollment policies, tuition rates, financial aid programs, and tuition payment schedules at the Annual Meeting each Spring. Therefore, the above policies are subject to change by a majority vote of the Assembly.

Non-Discrimination Policy
Mountain Laurel Sudbury School admits students of any race, color, religion, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, gender or disability 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 age, race, color, religion, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, gender or disability in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletic and other school administered programs, employment policies, election of officers, membership to assembly and election to board of trustees.

Mountain Laurel Sudbury School