Admission Guidelines, Payments & Billing

ADMISSION GUIDELINES

Saplings is no longer accepting children during the 2025-2026 “academic” year and currently has a waiting list. To be added to the list, see the form on the "Join Our Tribe" tab. Children should diaper-free upon the start of school.  

If you'd like to see your current number on the wait, click here. 

Your child needs to be enrolled for a minimum of (2) days per week. Attending 8-24 hours per week is considered part-time enrollment; 25-50 hours per week is full-time. You may adjust your child’s schedule if it is within the limits of Saplings’ scheduling capacity. The two-day schedule option is Tuesday and Thursday. The three-day option is Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Monday through Friday is, of course, the five-day option. Enrolled students will get first "dibs" on available openings, siblings of enrolled students who become of age will get second "dibs" on openings; priority is tracked through the same system as our timestamped waiting list. 

RATIOS

Saplings maintains between a 4:1 to 6:1 child-to-teacher ratio for our littlest playschoolers, between a 6:1 to 10:1 ratio for our older playschoolers and between a 6:1 to 12:1 ratio for K+. If higher risk activities are planned, Saplings will reduce the ratio accordingly. 

RATES 2025-2026 YEAR:

Playschool enrollments: 

FULL DAYS:

Monday through Friday: $12,240

Monday, Wednesday & Friday: $7,350

Tuesday & Thursday: $5,180

Kindergarten & Elementary enrollments: $12,240

These prices include snacks and lunches provided by Brave Soul Holistic.

Nominal fees may also be associated with some clubs, special events and activities.

Tuition rates do not include registration fees ($125) or supply fees ($350 split into two semester payments of $175). 

Tuition is paid in 10 monthly payments September thru June unless you'd prefer to make one payment August 15 for the fall semester and one payment Jan 5 for the spring semester. 

ADDITIONAL FEES & CHARGES:

One-Time, Non-Refundable Registration Fee $125.00 for the start of Playschool, as well as kindergarten registration and elementary registration if you are able to stay.

$50.00 Service Charge for students with forms or required documents not submitted by June 15 for camps or August 15 for academic year enrollment.  

Annual Supply Fee $350.00 (Made in two payments of $175.00 on an assigned due date before the first day of each semester.)

EXTENDED DAY 3:30 pm -- 4:30 pm $7.50 per day

4:31 PM and after is $1/minute

After 3 late extended days, it's $5/minute and you no longer have the option of signing up for extended days.

ABSENCES

Absences, including snow days, are paid. Our reasoning behind our policy is due to our preparedness for the program; materials and fresh food are purchased for each day. We schedule teachers based on numbers and Saplings needs to take care of the teachers who take such good care of our children. 

Parents should message teachers through Brightwheel in situations of absences, both due to sickness or upcoming planned (appointments, vacations, etc.)

HOLIDAYS

Holidays are included in tuition rates so that staff are paid on holidays.

PAYMENT AND BILLING

You will be provided with your semester’s invoice at the beginning of the semester. It will be broken down into monthly installments with the amount due noted in the memo. Your monthly payment is due on or before the 1st of each month.

We are committed to maintaining financial integrity and success by carefully monitoring the flow of money and our financial agreements. Our rates are very lean and in order to keep tuition as low as possible with our small ratios and astronomical insurance premiums, we need to be able to count on you. We need your cooperation with the following tuition policy:

• Payments are due up front ON OR BEFORE the 1st of each month. Payments can be made through Brightwheel, with cash or check or via Venmo to @nature-teach. 

• Once a payment plan is agreed upon, it is challenging to make adjustments or accept late payments. A fee of $5/day will be applied for each day a payment is overdue. Payment is recorded the day it is received, not the day it is dated. 

• Should your payment extend 15 days past due, Saplings reserves the right to dis-enroll your child from the program.

• After five minutes late for pickup, parents will be charged for the extended day. Late parents will be charged $1/minute after 4:30. Repeat incidences will increase the rate to $5/minute. 

• In the event Saplings is not the right fit for your child, thirty days notice of removal from the program is required for Saplings to fill the opening. Payment is due for those thirty days as scheduled.