Affordable progressive/alternative schools (Raleigh, Durham: chapel, magnet schools, live)

[schoolinfoplease]

I've searched this forum and read many posts but I haven't been able to find anything similar to this. I'm hoping you can help me out.

I'm looking for a progressive elementary school in the triangle area that emphasizes free play, child-directed learning, mixed-age groups, and spending time in nature. Ideally, I'd like a place that also has project based or theme based learning for a limited part of the school day (for example, materials on hand for STEM projects, time spent reading with the kids and reflecting on the reading, etc). I want a place where kids can cultivate their natural creativity, and where homework and testing are not part of the school. And the school has to be affordable--no more than $5,000 per year per child.

There are schools that fit this description perfectly in other parts of the country, for example, River Farm Cooperative (The River Farm Cooperative School) in Alexandria, Virginia, and Wilmington Cooperative School in Wilmington, NC. (WCS - Home). Both of these schools run on a cooperative model, relying heavily on parents to volunteer in the classroom and manage the school's overhead functions (fundraising, accounting, facilities, etc). The cooperative model seems to be the key to keeping things affordable, but of course I'd be open to any school that meets the description.

Does anything like this exist in the triangel area? I've seen plenty of cooperative preschools, there is a forest kindergarten near Chapel Hill, and there are very expensive private schools (Montessori, Waldorf, Carolina Friends School, etc) but I haven't found quite what I'm looking for. Help would be much appreciated.

[poppydog]

The Forest Kindergarten in Chapel Hill actually has after school and summer programs for upper grades, too. It's called Learning Outside. Learning Outside - Welcome to Learning Outside

Many of the charter schools might be what you're looking for. Central Park School for Children in Durham is one, Willow Oak Montessori is another.

Many of the private schools in the area like Carolina Friends do offer tuition assistance to make it more affordable.

[schoolinfoplease]

Thank you for the information. I will be sure to tour these schools and learn more about them.

Do you have any experience with the Durham charter school lottery system? How difficult is it to get into your first choice school?

[Samira123]

Cost wise not exactly what you are looking for and no mixed age groups but some of your other criteria totally match The Raleigh School.

[poppydog]

Charters are independent of any school system in North Carolina. Magnet schools are part of specific area school systems and you have to reside in that district to apply to a magnet for the most part. For charters you can live anywhere in the state as long as you can get yourself to the school. That said the lottery system is entirely dependent on how many applicants there are for any one specific school. Some schools are very popular and have lots of applicants and others not as much. I think Central Park is pretty popular, but I'm not sure what the general odds are and if you get lucky you get lucky. Most of the charters have a separate sibling lottery so all the kids in one family can go to the same school. That can work in your favor or against you.

For more about charter schools check this: Charter Schools

[lamishra]

depends where you are. I'd look into exploris, the raleigh school, abd heartwood Montessori too.

[mskb]

There is a group of parents working on an application for approval for a Waldorf based K - 8 charter school. This will be their second year going through the application process and they seem pretty conveyer will be approved this year. Not sure if it would be a 2017 or 2018 start but since it's a charter, it would be free. Will be in Raleigh. I think this sounds like the one:

https://www.gofundme.com/acorn2oak

[LeftCoastEnvy]

This sounds a lot like Emerson Waldorf school outside of Chapel Hill. I think that it is more expensive than you would like.

Emerson Waldorf School