FAQ's
Q: What is the cost to attend?
A: Due to tuition-free School of Choice funding that is available for both homeschool and Hybrid students, many Renaissance Academy families have a $0 or low self-pay balance for tuition each year.
School of Choice funding is not need dependent and is available to most students who live in Oakland County, Michigan or any county that borders Oakland County.
100% self-pay tuition students are also welcome.
Other out of pocket costs are minimal. Financial details are located here:
Q: Are parents required to teach classes or complete extensive volunteer requirements?
A: No. Renaissance Academy is not a co-op. We are a drop-off program with paid teachers who are experts in their subject area as well as classroom instruction.
There is a $100 per family fee each school year to cover the costs of critical on-site jobs (such as morning set-up, lunch supervision, and afternoon take-down) that must be completed in order for our program to run.
Parents who enroll before June 1st and would prefer to commit to personally completing their family's portion of site jobs (rather than submit the $100 fee for the school year) may request to be scheduled for Site Assistance assignments a few times a semester. When families are approved for the Site Assistance option, we are counting on parents to fulfill their commitment, including finding another Renaissance parent to cover the assigned time slot if something unexpected comes up.
Q: Are you a secular or religious group?
A: Neither! One of our primary reasons for creating Renaissance Academy (in 2013) was to have a blended group of families that is truly welcoming to all. We strive to keep curriculum and content as neutral as possible. If you've ever wondered "Why can't we all just get along?" we're happy to report that we can!
We have always been and continue to be a "no drama" group. In that spirit, we ask that personal beliefs of others (whether religious, political, social, etc.) be respected. Our program is not the venue for personal platforms and no one should be pressuring another regarding differing viewpoints in any direction.
Q: Are there other unique or defining characteristics of your program?
A: We have a significant focus on character, personal responsibility, and being respectful and kind toward others. This is expected of students, parents, teachers, staff, and any others involved with our program.
For students, we have high (age appropriate) expectations for behavior and homework completion. Parents assist students, as needed, to ensure that homework is completed in a timely manner and to the best of the student's ability.
Renaissance is known for being a structured, organized, well-run program, all while having lots of love and compassion for our students and their families. When making decisions, we consider how the decision will impact all families as well as teachers and big picture considerations so that we can serve students well for both the short and long term.
Our incredible teachers and wide variety of high quality classes have a reputation of being among the very best in our area. We encourage you to review our teachers' bios as well as the course descriptions for our classes.
Overall, we've found that having high expectations plus high quality classes has led to happy group where students can learn, have fun, make friends, and thrive!
Q: Do you have field trips and social activities?
A: Pre-COVID we had many field trips and social activities and cannot wait to do them again. Past field trips have often been connected to topics being covered in our classes that semester. Our wonderful parents often organize these events.
Q: How many classes do students take each semester?
A: For our homeschool program, there is a 4 class minimum*, per student, per semester. (Students have at least 4 back-to-back classes on one day before adding classes on a second day.)
We've found that the 4 class minimum is critical in the students making friends and building community. Being together with the same group of students each week for a solid block of time makes a world of difference in the feel of the group as well as the experience for individual students. We strive to go beyond "socialization" and instead focus on connectedness.
For our Hybrid program, all students have a 6 class minimum with Renaissance each semester. Students attend on Tuesday AND Thursday (9am-2:25pm) for their 4 core classes. Students also have at least 2 electives* with us. Kindergarten electives are integrated into the 9am-2:25pm schedule.
- 1st-8th grade Hybrid students typically take their electives on T/Th (2:30-3:25pm).
- Wednesday or Friday electives are possible for students who complete all academic assignments on time and to the best of their ability.
*For families choosing School of Choice funding, homeschoolers have 4 classes funded each semester and Hybrid students have 4 core + 2 electives funded each semester. If additional Renaissance classes are selected, the extra classes are self-pay (at a discounted rate).
Q: How is lunch handled?
A: Students bring a sack lunch from home and have time to eat and play or spend time with friends. Students are outside for lunch and free time whenever possible.
Q: My student is gifted/advanced, can he be placed in a higher grade level?
A: For our homeschool program (RHG) elective classes, many of our students are advanced and find that the multi-age grade groupings and hands on activities provide enough differentiation for advanced learners to go further. In extremely rare cases, if a student is advanced socially, emotionally, and academically and truly does not fit in their grade by age, grade advancement (of one grade level, maximum) can be considered after the student has been with us for at least one semester.
Hybrid students are placed in core classes according to their age/related grade level. If needed for an advanced student, parents are able to provide differentiated curriculum on at home days.
Q: My student is struggling, can he be placed in a lower grade level for all classes?
A: Parent initiated holdbacks of one grade level (maximum) are common for children whose birthdates are within 1-2 months of the State of Michigan cut-off date for their entrance year and are often possible for students whose birthdates are within 3 months of the cut-off date.
For students slightly past the 3 month window, holdbacks of one grade level (maximum) are sometimes possible for self pay classes but are typically not possible for School of Choice funded classes due to state requirements.
Q: What resources do you have for students with special needs?
A: If you have questions after attending a General Info Meeting, please contact us for specific needs of your student.
- We are a small organization and do not have the types of services you would find in a larger public school.
- With our limited time in the classroom (as compared to a 5 days a week school setting), regular one on one personal attention from the instructor is not possible.
- We do modify assignments as needed for students with dyslexia and other learning challenges.
- All students are required to behave appropriately in the classroom, follow instruction, work cooperatively with classmates, and are not permitted to disrupt the learning of others.
