Our multi-age program serves students grade one through eight. Students interact with peers across this spectrum and learn and explore together. Math groups are assigned according to development level and are flexible throughout the year. 'Study' work centers around our 'Youngers' teacher-led study and our 'Olders' independent research studies.

Yes. Applications are accepted yearly at all grade levels; Openings at each level vary by year. Students entering as an Older (Grade 5+) must demonstrate the developed research abilities, independence, and self-management skills that are fostered and developed at Heritage School starting in the first grade. We acknowledge that this can be challenging for some children who are transferring from other school programs and systems. Our goal is to enroll students who we believe will find success and joy in our unique programming.

For the 2024-2025 school year, tuition is $11,025 per student enrolled, plus a $500 registration fee per child. Unfortunately, we do not yet offer scholarships to Heritage. We are hopeful that this may be possible in the future. In the event Heritage is able to award scholarships/financial assistance, it will be done in a nondiscriminatory method (all qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, religion, color, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, or any other status or condition protected by law).

Yes, we always have at least five first grade spots and several other open spots in other grades. Current Heritage families sign contracts in early March if their children will re-enroll for the coming school year. We usually fill openings before the end of the current school year, but we occasionally have openings in the summer, as well as mid-year. Please fill out theInquiry Form to find out about our openings at this time.

The number of new students entering Heritage School varies from year to year. We usually have a total enrollment between thirty and forty students. We accept students in grades one through eight. We do not admit kindergartners. Please fill out the Inquiry Form to find out about our openings at this time.

No. We do not require standardized testing before we accept students at Heritage School. However, we do ask that parents observe the school in action, during the school day, and we then ask that those interested in pursuing enrollment bring their children to spend time as guest students on a separate visit. This allows us to get to know prospective students in the context of a day at Heritage, and it allows the children to experience learning in this kind of environment. At this visit we will spend some time with your child one-on-one assessing their interests and strengths. If a student enrolls, we do further assessment just before school starts in September so we can best determine where they are ready to learn and work.

We take many factors into account when we consider whom to enroll, but it is important that children who enroll are kind to others and respond to direction from teachers. We do not require standardized testing as a condition of enrollment. We do find that students entering first grade at Heritage will transition best if they can recognize all the letters of the alphabet and know most of the initial consonant sounds as well as some of the vowel sounds. Some students enter already reading; others acquire reading skills during their initial year at Heritage. Not all students enter Heritage School at the first grade; many children have been accepted at older grade levels. Heritage School includes students with a variety of strengths, needs, and learning styles. We welcome those of all racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds.

School doors open each day at 8:15am and children are dismissed at 2:45pm. There is no on-site before or after school care available. Parents are encouraged to collaborate together, as needed, to create carpooling groups and organize babysitting co-op systems. Some of the children participate in off-site after-school programs that include transportation from Heritage.

Heritage School does not promote any specific religion. Our founders drew their spiritual direction from Christianity. The values of cooperation, self-discipline, compassion, and reverence for life are basic foundations of their Christian faith. They recognized that Christianity is by no means the only great religion espousing these values, but their faith inspired them to build Heritage School. In accord with our intention to foster moral development, we want our students to respect people of diverse beliefs as well as those who are not affiliated with any religion. Our school community welcomes and includes people of many faiths, as well as people who follow no particular religious tradition. We teach children to love others. We believe children's moral development will be enhanced in an atmosphere that includes opportunities for informal discussions of faith if relevant to the subject. For example, studies of Gandhi, Albert Schweitzer, or Janusz Korczak include discussions of how their religious beliefs influenced their lives. The spiritual values that anchor our school are those that promote reverence for life and the development of ethical values in an inclusive, nurturing environment. We model these principles in our daily relationships with one another.

Although tuition is the main source of income at Heritage School, we do have some limited fundraising traditions. For example, each September we have a Back to School Social with a Silent Auction; January brings a traditional restaurant fundraiser; On-going Oregon BottleDrop collection and Amazon Smile/Office Depot Give Back Programs occur. Participation in all fundraising programs is voluntary, and children are never asked to "sell" items for the school's benefit. More details can be found on our Fundraising page.

Yes! Please submit an inquiry form for the initial contact, and a teacher will contact you by phone to answer questions.

A parent visit is part of our Admissions process. As part of this process, parents will schedule a morning visit (8:30-11:30am). Parents will tour the building and observe Morning Meeting, math groups, break, and part of study. As children write in journals during Morning Meeting, parents meet with teachers privately, so faculty can learn about the child and answer questions. Most visits take place on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday in February, March, April, and even as late as May. (We rarely schedule visits for the fall, since our highest priority time is to help our newest students transition into our program.) By springtime, even our youngest are usually fairly independent, resourceful learners, allowing us to accommodate more visitors to the classroom. If your child is not yet old enough for first grade, it is best to wait until the spring of your child's kindergarten year to schedule your child's visit.

Once we have met our enrollment capacity, we keep a file of those who have inquired on an “inquiry waitlist.” If a student un-enrolls, we contact folks on this list. The process of enrollment at Heritage is relational and requires families to dedicate a lot of time. We do not want a family to invest time in the admissions process unless there is a spot for their child.