Frequently Asked Questions

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Tuition: Due to tuition-free School of Choice funding that is available for both homeschool and Hybrid students, many Renaissance Academy (RA) 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 Michigan.
• 100% self-pay tuition students are also welcome to enroll with RA.

Other Costs: Other out of pocket costs are minimal and vary depending on the family's enrollment type, number of classes per student, etc.

Click here for additional financial details.

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 RA parent to cover the assigned time slot if something unexpected comes up. 

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.

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 Academy 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!

Homeschool Students:

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.
• For families choosing School of Choice funding, homeschoolers may have 4 classes funded each semester. If additional RHG classes are selected by the family, the extra classes are self-pay (at a discounted rate).

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.

Hybrid Students:

For our Hybrid program, all students have a 6 class minimum with Renaissance Academy (RA) each semester. Students attend on Tuesday AND Thursday (9am-1:25pm) for their 4 core classes. Students also have at least 2 electives* with us. 

• All Kindergarten students have their electives on T/Th (1:30-2:25pm).
• 1st-8th grade Hybrid students typically take their electives on T/Th (1:30-2:25pm).
• Monday or Friday electives (or Renaissance Players enrollment) are possible for Hybrid students who complete all academic assignments on time and to the best of their ability and whose parents complete enrollment during Priority Registration.
• For families choosing School of Choice funding, Hybrid students have 4 core + 2 electives funded each semester. If additional electives are selected by the family, the extra classes are self-pay (at a discounted rate).

Yes, we do! Our wonderful parents often organize these events.

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 (RHA) 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. If you have an advanced student and are interested in Hybrid, we're happy to connect with you regarding your child after you have attended a general info meeting.

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.

If you have questions after attending a General Info Meeting, please contact us regarding the 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.