Unschool Drop In

Our Unschool Drop-in Program allows Hudson Valley homeschool students to experience the benefits of participating in our vibrant community as full members of a democratic micro-society.

The program is either three or four days a week for five to seven hours per day. Program participants are School Meeting Members (they have all the rights and responsibilities of enrolled students). Parents of participants are 100% responsible for ensuring their own compliance with homeschooling requirements.

The 2026-27 School Year Unschool Tuition is:

4 Day Unschool Drop-in Program: $12,000 for the first child in a family, $9,600 for the second child, and $9,000 for subsequent.

3 Day Unschool Drop-in Program: $11,200 for the first child in a family, $9,000 for the second child, and $8,500 for subsequent.

The tuition increase schedule can be found on the Tuition page.

Parents’ experience of the school is a crucial factor in determining their childrens’ experience of the school. Children of parents who work hard to understand our philosophy, communicate with staff, attend events, and connect with the community usually get the most out of our program.

Students may receive a diploma if they elect to undergo our internal diploma process.

Every student and staff at Zena Democratic School is assigned a cleaning job by the Physical Plant Clerk.

At Zena Democratic School, the jobs of administration and maintenance are divided into roles called Clerkships;

At Zena Democratic School, a Cooperative (coop) is a group of like-minded students and staff who organize around a common interest, like music, art, or sports.

Screens are allowed at school, with restrictions.

Each student aged 13+ is automatically enrolled in our High School Advisor Program;

Age-mixing is one of the most potent developmental experiences at Zena Democratic School.

At Zena Democratic School, rule infractions and interpersonal conflicts are resolved using sophisticated restorative justice tools.

Zena Democratic School is located on a parcel of 67 wooded acres in the foothills of the Catskill Mountains in the Hudson Valley region of New York State.

Zena Democratic School is a direct democracy; each student and member of the staff has an equal vote in managing all aspects of the school’s operation.