What is Forest City Academy?
Forest City Academy is a new school launching in Cleveland Heights in August, 2025 focused on mastery-based education, holistic learning, and reinforcing the values you teach at home. The school’s model is designed to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and values to accomplish great things in a safe, nurturing environment.
What grades does Forest City Academy serve?
Forest City Academy will begin serving learners in grades K-2, adding a grade level each year through 5th grade. Influenced by the Montessori model, learners will be in mixed-age classes, allowing teachers to focus on providing each child with instruction tailored to what they need.
Why is Forest City Academy launching?
There is no one-size-fits-all solution for education for every child. While we are proponents of great public schools, traditional schools don’t work well for every child. We believe that a family who needs something different for their child - whether because of safety, academics, values or any other reason should have options. These alternatives should not be limited just to those with financial means. While every child and family has a unique story, many of our founding families have expressed appreciation for small class-sizes, opportunities to be active, moving, and engaging in hands-on learning throughout the day, and character formation.
Is Forest City Academy a public or private school?
Forest City Academy is a non-religious private school.
How much is tuition?
Total tuition and fees are $12,000. Ohio’s EdChoice Expansion provides families up to $6,166 towards private school tuition. Additional scholarships are available. Most families will pay between $0 and $5,000 out of pocket depending on income and discounts.
Does Forest City Academy offer discounts or scholarships?
Yes. In addition to EdChoice, families who enroll by March 31, 2025 are eligible for a discount. Families who refer others to the school or who have multiple children attend Forest City Academy are eligible for additional discounts. We are committed to doing everything we can to ensure cost is not a barrier to joining our community.
What is the process to enroll my child?
You can begin the application process by completing inquiring here. Someone will follow up to schedule an interview. We require an interview to make sure you understand our model and approach and that we have a chance to understand your child and how to best serve them.
Are there admissions deadlines?
Forest City Academy has a rolling admissions process. Families who commit to the school by March 31, 2025 will be eligible for a founding family discount. Because we want a small, intimate environment, seats are limited.
What are the school hours?
The school day runs from 8:15-3:30PM
How do you measure academic progress?
Student progress is measured through formative assessments, rubrics for values, and growth on the NWEA MAP test. Teachers work with students and parents to align around current performance, ambitious academic growth goals, and the steps needed to achieve them.
What sets Forest City Academy apart from other schools?
Forest City Academy takes a mastery-based approach, has daily signature learning experiences around core values (Growth, Ownership, Agency, Thankfulness), approaches learning from a holistic lens (time for students to learn through play, exploration, and exploring their interests), in an environment relentlessly focused on growth and helping each child unlock their potential.
What schools have inspired Forest City Academy’s model?
Forest City Academy’s model is designed to take the best practices and approaches from innovative schools and adapt them to serve the Greater Cleveland community. Some of the schools that have influenced our model include: The Forest School, Khan Lab School, Urban Community School, Red Bridge, The Oaks, and Weaver Child Development Center.