Admissions Frequently Asked Questions

We understand that school admissions can be a complicated process. We hope this FAQ page can answer any questions you may have. If you read over this page and you still have outstanding questions, please email our Community Manager, who will be happy to field any further questions you may have.

Click on an application status below for specific questions:

My Student was ACCEPTED — now what?

Q: My child was offered admission for the 2025-2026 school year, when do I have to make my decision? 

A: Contracts must be signed and a 10% deposit paid by the end of the day on March 21, 2025 to secure your child’s seat for next year. You will receive an email with instructions for signing your contract and paying the deposit shortly after receiving your acceptance letter. 

Q: What are my tuition payment options?

A: Tuition is $29,400 per year. A non-refundable 10% deposit is due at the time of signing your contract. This amount is deducted from the total tuition cost, not on top of tuition owed. After signing your contract, you will complete a tuition agreement contract due within 7 days of receipt where you can choose to split the remaining tuition balance between 1, 2, or 10 installments .  

• Option 1: remaining tuition balance is due May 1, 2025

• Option 2: remaining balance is split into two installments due May 1, 2025 and December 1, 2025

• Option 3: remaining balance is split into 10 payments, due in monthly installments from May 1, 2025 through February 1, 2026

Q:  Do you offer discounts for siblings when they are ready to apply?

A: An older sibling will receive a 10% discount while enrolled with a younger sibling.

Q: Is tuition insurance required?

A: Tuition insurance is required if you choose to pay your tuition in installments (options 2 or 3). It is optional for those who pay the entire balance up front.

Q: What does tuition insurance cost?

A: The cost of the plan is 2% of your student’s net tuition (total tuition minus the 10% non-refundable deposit). The 10% deposit is not covered under the tuition insurance plan. Your tuition insurance fee is paid alongside the first tuition installment (May 2025).

Q: How does tuition insurance work?

A: After a student has attended school a minimum of 14 days of the insured school year, if they are dismissed or required to withdraw from school for medical or personal reasons, tuition insurance will come into effect to help offset the cost of tuition. The plan will pay 70% of the unused tuition fees if withdrawal is for medical reasons or dismissal from school, or 60% for anything other such as moves, financial hardship, or voluntary withdrawal. Families will be responsible for the remaining 30% or 40% of tuition respectively.

Q: What if I sign the contract and then we have a family emergency, need to move, or choose a different school prior to the start of school? Can I cancel my contract and financial obligations?

A: We have a few options in place to ease the financial burden should something happen that would require withdrawal from your school contract. When you sign your contract, you pay a 10% non-refundable deposit to secure your spot at Cascadia for the following year.

• If you withdraw your student before April 1, 2025 you will only be responsible for the 10% deposit already paid and will not owe any tuition beyond that.

• If you withdraw between April 1 and May 1, 2025 you will be responsible for 50% of the tuition for the year minus the deposit paid.

• If you withdraw anytime after May 1, 2025 you will be responsible for 100% of the yearly tuition minus the deposit paid.

• If you must withdraw during the school year, pending approval from the insurer, the tuition insurance plan will cover from 60%-70% of unused tuition fees.

My Student was added to the wait pool — now what?

Q:  Why was I placed on the wait pool?

A: Applicants that are placed on the wait pool are standout candidates that we would offer a contract to if we had the space. We are a small school with little attrition from year to year, so availability in each class is limited to start with. This year we had a record number of applicants and we simply could not accommodate the numbers that we would like to. While being on the wait pool does not guarantee you a spot, plans do change for families and we typically are able to pull from our wait pool applicants every season.  

Q: Are applicants in the wait pool ranked? 

A: We do not rank our wait pool applicants. Instead, all our wait pool applicants are considered strong candidates and reconsidered as seats open up. When choosing an applicant from the wait pool, we have to look at the overall class makeup and make decisions that build a well-balanced and diverse class. 

Q: When will I know if there will be an opening for my applicant? 

A: The wait pool can start moving any time after March 14th, when the first round of contracts are sent out, and has the potential to move all the way up until the start of school in the Fall. We understand that this is a long time range and appreciate your understanding. Our goal is to offer seats to as many of our wait pool applicants as possible, so as seats open up we will continue to activate our pool and will reach out as soon as there are openings. 

Q: What if we have already made a tuition deposit to another school and then hear that our applicant has been moved from the wait pool to an offer? 

A: We recognize that being in the wait pool can place your family in a difficult position that may require you to move forward with another school offer and down payment. If we do offer you a seat after you have already made a deposit, let us know and we can work to find a solution that benefits everyone.

GENERAL FAQ

Q: When does school start and end each day? 

A: Individual class start and end times are as follows:

• PreK/Kindergarten: 8:45am-3:00pm

• 1st/2nd Grade: 8:30am-3:00pm

• 3rd-5th Grade: 8:15am-3:15pm

Q: What is the daily schedule for my child’s class?

A: While schedules will vary from time to time, following is a general schedule for each class:

Pre-K / Kindergarten:

1. Morning Work/Meeting

2. Morning Break/Snack

3. Montessori Stations

4. Small Group Work

5. Lunch & Recess

6. Worksheet Practice

7. Afternoon Circle, Projects

• Art: 1x per week

• PE: 2x per week

• Spanish: 1x per week

• Theater: 1x per week

3rd Grade:

1. Morning Work/Meeting

2. Math

3. Morning Break/Snack

4. Reading

5. Writing/Language Arts

6. Lunch & Recess

7. Science/Social Studies

• Art: 1x per week

• PE: 2x per week

• Spanish: 1x per week

• Theater: 1x per week

Q: How many students will be in my child’s class? 

A: We average a 9:1 student to teacher ratio.

Q: Does Cascadia have a lunch program or do families have to pack lunches? 

A: We do not offer lunch at this time. Students will be responsible for a packed lunch every day. We do, however, provide snacks for students during the school day and during aftercare.

Q: What is your absence policy? Can our family take extended trips?

A: The maximum amount of absences should not exceed 10 days in a school year, whether they are approved or unapproved. We understand that absences sometimes occur for necessary reasons, but we ask that families try and plan vacations in parallel with our academic calendar as much as possible.

At Cascadia, our holistic, liberal arts, and project-based learning environment thrives on student collaboration and active participation. When a student is absent, it impacts not only their learning but also their peers who depend on their contributions to group projects and collaborative work.

BEFORE/AFTER SCHOOL CARE FAQ

Q: What are the hours for before and after school care?

A: Parents may drop students off any time after 8:00 AM regardless of their class start time. After-care is available until 6:00 PM daily.

Q: Do I need to register my child or notify the school when I use before or after care?

A: No. There is no need to notify the school if you intend to have your child attend before or after school care. All students are automatically enrolled for before and after school care as part of their school enrollment.

Q: Are there additional costs for before and after school care?

A: No. Before and after school care is included as part of your child’s tuition. There is no additional fee to utilize this service. There are, however, optional enrichment programs provided by outside vendors throughout the year that will have an additional fee based on the individual class. Those details will be provided throughout the year as the classes are available to students.

Q: What happens during aftercare?

A:  Parents may pick their child up ANY TIME between the end of the school day and 6:00pm. Here is an example of the daily after care schedule: 

• 3:00-4:00 pm; Attendance, followed by outside snack and playtime for all grades. 

• 4:00-6:00 pm; Pre-K/K students go to the play/craft room to relax, build friendships, and have fun playing.

• 4:00-4:30 pm; 1st-5th grade students go to the homework room where they are given quiet time to work on homework or read (staff are there to assist with questions).

• 4:30-6:00 pm; 1st-5th grade students switch from homework time to crafts and social time with friends.

• 4:00-5:00 pm; daily: a variety of optional enrichment classes are offered by outside vendors (additional fees apply depending on class).

Q: Is there childcare offered for staff days, and holidays? 

A: We do not offer programming or childcare for staff days, holidays, or in the month of August. We do offer summer camp programs in June and July from 9:00-5:00 daily.