Woodinville School FAQ

When will the school open?

Construction of the school will be complete by May 2025. Once construction is complete, we can apply for our child care license from the WA State Dept of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF). That license will allow us to operate a child care on a full time basis and while we wait, we will open for part time care (more on that below). Our expectation is that part time care will start in May and full time care in June or July and at the latest, August.

It took approximately two months for our license to come through at our Canyon Park school, which is the longest duration we have seen. We are taking steps with the Woodinville school to cut the duration so that we can open for full time care earlier. As soon as we have more accurate dates, we will communicate those.

What is part time care?

After the school opens, but before we receive our WA State DCYF operating permit, we are permitted to run a partial day program. During this time, we will be open from 8:30 - 12:30 with children being served breakfast and lunch before they are picked up. Based on experience with our existing schools, we believe this will be available for two to four weeks (though technically, the state could take 90 days) before we are open for full time care. As of right now, we expect this program to begin the second week of May and we will keep you updated as soon as we have new information.

The cost for this will be $1200 (5 days/week), $960 (4 days/week) or $720 (3 days/week). It will be billed on a monthly basis and prorated for any time less than a full month. Start and end dates will be based on when the half-day program starts and ends (when full-day care begins). We wont be able to offer customized start and end dates for individuals.

This is a great option if you think your child may need a longer time to adjust to care, especially if this will be your child's first time in care outside the home. There will be far fewer children present than in a typical program, so the teachers should be able to provide extra attention to help with your child's transition.

What will the tuition be?

If you have signed up to enroll in the Woodinville school, tuition pricing for the 2024-2025 year will be sent to you along with the invitation to enroll. Please note that each year, we revaluate tuition in early summer and adjust it for the start of school in September.

Who will be the director?

Stephanie Wiley will be the director of the school. Stephanie has been at Birch Tree Academy since 2015 and we are so grateful for her! She was previously the director of our school in North Bellevue after having been a kindergarten teacher for many years. She is beloved by her students and teachers (and the rest of us) for her sense of humor, compassion and calm demeanor no matter the situation. In addition to Stephanie, we will be bringing a number of highly experienced teachers from our existing schools over to Woodinville. They will help to train new teachers and ensure that our culture of fun and warmth is present from day one.

Will this school be just like other Birch Tree Academies? How do I get a tour?

Tours of the Woodinville school will begin once the building is complete and it is safe to bring families through. If you have already toured a Birch Tree Academy, much of the experience will be similar. It will have its own kitchen making fresh meals, the education will be our own customized STEM based curriculum and all of the extracurriculars and amenities will be the same.

While we wait for construction to finish, Stephanie will be giving tours of the Canyon Park school to families interested in the Woodinville school. This will allow you to meet her and get an idea of what Birch Tree Academy offers. You can book one of those tours on our self-service tour reservation page.

How will the enrollment process work?

Below is an overview of how the process will work. You will receive emails at each stage with detailed instructions so pay close attention to those.

• You receive an invitation to enroll. These emails will begin sending in March and continue until everyone who signed up receives one, likely in April. We will send one group of invites each week so that you have time to make a decision before the next group of families is invited.

• Click the link in the email and fill out the short form in Brightwheel, our student management platform. Once submitted, you will receive a confirmation email which lets you know that you have been added to the ‘Interest List’

• Our staff will try and find a spot for your child in the appropriate age group. This can take up to a week but is typically just a few days.
  If a Spot is Available

• You will receive an email letting you know that a spot has been found, asking you to complete the full enrollment application and Parent Handbook acknowledgment form. An invoice will be sent in the next few days.

• You will receive an invoice for deposit of a month’s tuition and non-refundable enrollment fee. Your spot will be held for 10 days while we wait for payment. If you decline the spot or you don’t pay the invoice and we don’t hear from you, your spot will be released and you will revert to the interest list.

• Pay the invoice

• Our staff processes your payment (it can take a couple of days for the payment to go through).

• You receive notification that your spot is confirmed and held for your first day of school. Woo hoo!!!
  If We Cannot Find a Spot

• You will receive an email letting you know that we were not able to find a spot. You can choose to remain on the interest list for a spot to open.

How much space will the school have?

The breakdown of the number of children we can accept by their age is shown below. This subject to change but it should be pretty close to the final numbers.

• Age 0-1: 12

• Age 1-2: 20

• Age 2-3: 36

• Age 3-4: 32

• Age 4-5: 36

If there is a spot for my child, what happens if I don’t pay the invoice right away?

We’re parents too and we understand that life with jobs and small kids is hectic. For 10 days after you receive the invoice, we will hold your spot for you. This allows time to get any questions answered or solve any problems that may arise. However, after 10 days, your spot will be opened back up for others and you will revert to the wait list. This ensures that we dont turn away families that need care only for the spot to be opened up later on.

What happens if there is no space by the time I get my invitation to enroll?

By default, you will be added to the wait list and contacted should a spot open up. However, we totally understand if you need to have care and can remove you from the list if that is your preference.

What happens if my plans change between now and when the school opens? Can I get my money back?

Generally, we require 60 days notice prior to your child’s start date. Specifics of our policies are in our Parent Handbook which is sent out for review prior to enrollment.