Yes! Our staff has specialist training in a variety of areas. We are confident with most disabilities.

We are also aware that, for many students, a learning disability means frustration that may present as “behavioral issues” in the classroom. Please don’t be afraid to discuss this with us as many of our learners struggled in a traditional classroom but they’re doing fine here at Linder.

In fact, we’re built for students that struggle with traditional learning methods. Due to our small size and tremendous flexibility, we’re often a great fit for students that vary from the “norm” in their academic and social abilities.

And since we offer the best evidence-based intervention as our core curriculum (not private pull-out), we don’t have to single out students for targeted interventions. All students progress through our Orton-Gilingham program and are placed in skill-based cohorts, not age-based groups for instruction. This means that a group might be composed of 6-9 year olds all working on the same concepts in their literacy progression.

Our Problem-Based Learning model also means that students can shine - and gain confidence - in their abilities without the limitations of a reading-based lecture class. For students with disabilities, this is often liberating and empowering. They get to be “good” at school again and play to their strengths. Even forget their struggles for a while.

For students that are gifted, this means they can tackle components of a problem intellectually that are well above their “age level” norms of instruction, and be a lot less bored!

No. Research is unequivocal that homework does not improve learning. Further, we see mental health concerns in children that are finding themselves in school or interventions for 10+ hours a day. This is not sustainable, productive, or healthy.

Our program is meant to be all-inclusive. Everything a child needs, all during the day.

The Linder Academy builds the goals of “homework” in most schools (repetition of skills to build fluency) into our Cognitive Capacity blocks for elementary. We make that part of the school day, and more explicit and efficient than homework worksheets, so children can be kids after school. By middle school, our students are organizing and executing large projects, as well as working on long term research papers, all of which hone executive functioning skills.

For parents concerned about the development of executive functioning skills that homework might provide, consider our program. At Linder, we build time management, planning, agency, and accountability into our problem-based weekly learning. We make children more independent by building a school around those skills, instead of hoping that homework teaches them broader lessons. We are confident our students are prepared to manage the many components of their learning when they graduate on from Linder — and to do so with the lesson that mental health and being a kid are as important as subject material.

Yes. We have a significant amount of time each week in our problem-based learning and free-inquiry blocks that can serve as individual tutoring or intervention time for students that need extra support.

Our goal is that student receive all the intervention and instruction they need during the school day.

Yes. We prioritize each child getting the services they need, and realize some children have appointments during the day to see specialists or particular supports. We are flexible and happy to work with each family to have our program fit with any needed outside appointments.

We currently partner with Wholesome Foods Services to provide lunch from a variety of local restaurant partners.

Yes! We offer an after-school program from 3:30-5:30pm for grades K-5.

The Linder Academy works on rolling admissions.

We are a unique school with a very specific approach to education. As such, we feel a student is either the right fit for our program or better served in other programs.

We tend to be a “first choice” school for a child if indeed the student aligns with our mission and services.

Our goal is to fill each school year with children that match our mission, so we offer rolling admissions. We are happy to discuss your child and if The Linder Academy is the right fit for your family. If we both agree that The Linder Academy is a place for your child to excel, you can enroll at any time if there is remaining space.

Open enrollment for next year starts on December 15 for new students.

At The Linder Academy, we focus on academics. We allocate our resources in order to offer an affordable option for highly specialized instruction in a small school environment.

This mean no tennis courts or swimming pools, but it also means we can offer a specialized, small-school program for a traditional big-program price.

Tuition & Fees for the 2024-25school year: $34,675 + $285 supply fee ($465 for middle school) + $570 activities fee.

Yes. Linder makes every effort to award financial aid when circumstances require it. The vast majority of resources are dedicated to families with financial need, with a limited allocation based on merit.

Linder Academy staff reviews each application in confidence and makes award decisions based on the information you provide in your application.

All families are strongly encouraged to check their local community agencies for scholarships in addition to those that may be provided by Linder Academy. Many organizations offer scholarships for educational and leadership experiences.

Scholarship applications must be received by our office no later than May 1st.

Please note that all scholarship applications require submission of the first page of the parents’ most recent 1040 US Tax Form, showing Adjusted Gross Income (AGI). Scholarship decisions cannot be made without the required tax information.

No. Preference is always given to current students that decide they would like to remain in our program another year, but our goal is not to secure a student long-term. Our goal is to help your child, and your family, succeed. For some, that might mean a year with us to work on reading intervention and return to a public school. For others, that might mean multiple years with us to capitalize on the flexibility of our program and lead their child into 9th grade advanced track courses.

We look at each child and each family and discuss goals and if, for this year, The Linder Academy makes sense in helping to reach them.

Yes. If a family has a student in our unique program and feels the other child would also thrive, we welcome them into the Linder family.

We work with outside professionals to administer normed and standardized testing to track any areas of concern and intervention.

Quarterly Reports are given that include work samples.

Each May, we offer CogAT testing if requested, and all students take the IOWA Form E for total transparency in their broad academic achievement each December and June.