Process

Thank you for your interest in Zena Democratic School!

Before you begin the enrollment process, we encourage you to learn as much as possible about our unique educational philosophy. This website offers many excellent videos, blogs, articles, and testimonials for you to explore. At a minimum, please read the site FAQ document in its entirety. You might also like to attend one of the Open Houses we host every few months – a valuable opportunity to see the school and speak with staff, students, alumni, and parents.

Zena Democratic School admits students of any race, color, national or ethnic origin to all the privileges, programs, and activities generally according or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin, or any other general demographic attribute in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.

Enrollment Process:

Step 1. Interview

Schedule an interview by submitting an Interview Request Form and the $50 fee. Once we receive your form and payment, we will contact you to schedule the interview. The interview is an opportunity for you to ask questions and for us to provide an in-depth description of the educational philosophy and practices of the school. We ask all parents or guardians to attend the interview along with the prospective student/s.

Step 2. Visiting Week

Once the interview is complete, your family may choose to proceed with the enrollment process by scheduling a Visiting Week. You may schedule a Visiting Week by submitting enrolling the Visiting Week Packet via our parent portal and the $200 fee. The Visiting Week offers the prospective student a chance to experience the school first hand, and allows School Meeting to assess the student’s readiness to enroll.

Step 3. Enroll

At the conclusion of the Visiting Week, families wishing to enroll will complete the Enrollment Packet via our parent portal and must contact our Admissions Officer. If an enrollment slot is available, the student may begin attending the school (on an agreed upon date) as soon as the tuition payment is received. If enrollment slots are not available, the family will be directed to review the Waiting List Policy.

Criteria for Enrollment

Zena Democratic School prioritizes accessibility to its unique program. We admit all students who can:

Consistently refrain from violent or threatening behavior.
Care for their own basic functions, including toilet use.
Consistently respond to dialogue and verbal questions.
Engage our democratic processes when necessary.
Commit to abiding by our Community Agreements and Boundaries.
Engage the school community in a positive way.

Please also note that while we welcome neurodiverse students, we are not qualified to provide specialized mental health support. We encourage prospective families to investigate our program thoroughly by attending an Open House, reading the FAQ, and discussing questions and concerns at length with our Admissions Director and at home before deciding to enroll. Our students’ experience is often highly dependent on their parents’ experience of the school, so we insist that all guardians are committed to the decision to enroll. We also recommend that once the decision to enroll is made, that the family commit (to themselves) to attend for a minimum of two years in order to allow enough time for the program to work.

Thank you for your interest in Zena Democratic School!

Enrollment Process:

Step 1. Interview

Step 2. Visiting Week

Step 3. Enroll

Criteria for Enrollment

Feel free to contact us with questions — we are happy to provide any information we can to assist you in the admissions process.

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.

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

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

Each student aged 14+ is automatically enrolled in our High School Advisor Program;

Screens are allowed at school, with restrictions.

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.

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

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

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

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.