Frequently Asked Questions

Parent involvement is really important to us. The school is here because parents built it. We've made up in energy and commitment at any given time what we have lacked in resources. We have built a much stronger school than we had the resources for, one that is much more connected to its community of families. Paideia is a better school because of parent involvement. Parent involvement attracts people; parents want the opportunity to be involved, and the school needs that involvement.

Apart from assessing the individual children who are applying, there are a number of other factors that we have to take into consideration. In no particular order, they are gender and age balance, parent involvement, diversity, and maintaining a variety of student talents and learning styles. We also have to consider siblings of students already here, as well as children of faculty and alumni. Of course, it's important to us to accept children who will use this school unusually well and strengthen the entire Paideia community, but we think most people who apply would get a good deal out of the school, probably in some ways we have no way of predicting, and also add to the community.

When a school is very popular, it would be easy to fall into the trap of looking only for "superstars", or creating the sense that the school is only for the best and the brightest. We could fill the school with any one of several categories of students – those who are strong in math and science, those who are skilled in languages or the arts, those who are gifted athletically. We believe it creates a healthier school if admissions decisions reflect the variety of backgrounds and interests and talents that we want represented in the community. We don't just look for children who have already demonstrated unusual talents; some kids' traits are not particularly unusual, but they bring to the school and bring to life strong character and great promise. There are many ways people can make a difference: sometimes by their achievements and sometimes by their presence.

We actively seek racial, ethnic and socioeconomic diversity. Respect for diversity is a core tenant of Paideia’s Framework of Values. Every aspect of our admission effort includes attention and sustained work to build a school community that is as diverse as the area we serve.

The information we gather in consideration of a student is in the context of admissions decisions for the school, not a comprehensive evaluation of a child – his or her past, present, or future work. When we don't make an offer of admission, it's more than likely because of space limitations, not because we have found the applicant wanting or because we feel the child would not do well here. It’s human nature to read more into an admissions decision than exists. Space is the single greatest determinant. Most students who apply are eminently admissible and are no different from students already here. We simply don't have space to admit every student who applies.

This is not an easy issue. Some preference is given to siblings, but we are not able – and never have been able – to take all the siblings who apply. If we took every sibling in a particular age group there would be no room for new families. Bringing in new families makes for a healthier institution. Still, it is true that siblings are accepted at a higher percentage than any other category of student.

All financial aid is need-based. Although families apply for financial aid at the same time they apply for admission, those are separate decisions made by separate groups. We do not make financial awards based on particular talents or skills – athletic, artistic, or academic (see Financial Aid FAQ).

Admission decisions for those who submit early applications to our half-day program (deadline: Monday. Dec. 2, 2019) will be posted online to Ravenna accounts on Friday, Jan 31, 2020 after 4:00 p.m. The early reply date is Friday, Feb. 7, 2020.

Admission decisions for those who submit regular applications to our half-day program (deadline: Tuesday. Jan. 21, 2020) will be posted online to Ravenna accounts on Saturday, April 4, 2020 after 8:00 a.m. The reply date is Thursday, April 16, 2020.

Admission decisions for all full-day kindergarten through high school applicants (deadline: Saturday, Feb. 1, 2020) will be posted online to Ravenna accounts on Saturday, April 4, 2020 after 8:00 a.m. The reply date is Thursday, April 16, 2020.

We will offer a variety of experiences to provide information about Paideia’s academic programs and extracurricular opportunities. Stay tuned for details as we develop our virtual programming for prospective students and families. Please create a Ravenna hub account so you may be aprised of new programming and have access to event registration.

From the moment we had to close our physical doors and open a new way of teaching our students, Paideia has retained our commitment to close teacher/student relationships and vigorous, engaging academic work. The school administration has provided strong support for our teachers to continue their important work. Paideia’s teachers and administrative staff have done substantial planning and work to sustain students’ engagement and success in learning virtually. See examples of our virtual community at work.