FAQ

Community School is located on a 7-plus acre campus at 7815 Williamson Road in Roanoke County across from Hollins University and convenient to exit 146 off I-81.

Yes. Community School offers before and after school care that is available to families on an as-needed basis. Before School Care is available from 7:00-8:15 a.m. After School Care is available from 3:45 p.m.-6:00 p.m. Families are billed at the end of the month for each block of time that a student stays in After or Before School.

 

Our students benefit from Spanish, music, drama, mindfulness, art and technology classes. Visit the preschool, elementary and middle school pages for more details.

Community School’s maximum enrollment is 160 students from ages 3 through middle school.

Our schoolwide teacher/student ratio is 1:7.

Teachers use the standards of national organizations such as the National Association for the Education of Young Children, The National Reading Association and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics to guide their curriculum development.  You can visit the curriculum pages for more details.

Tuition costs vary by grade level and program. Complete tuition and fee information, as well as payment plan options, are available on the Tuition and Fees page.

We offer limited need-based tuition assistance. We do not offer merit scholarships. For information on how to apply for financial aid visit the Financial Aid page or contact the Admissions Director.

We do not offer transportation to and from school, but we do encourage and facilitate family carpools throughout the Roanoke Valley. In addition, our Before and After school Care offer options for parents needing additional flexibility around school hours.

Our school was founded in 1971 by a group of local parents who wanted an educational option based on a democratic school model and the tradition of progressive education. Visit the Mission and Philosophy page.

We are a private, secular, independent educational institution. We welcome families of all religious beliefs and backgrounds.

For more than a century, progressive schools have put children at the center of the learning process by giving them a voice. Students are expected to be actively engaged with intellectual pursuits and to be compassionate and responsible members of their community.  As the “21^st century skills” movement becomes more popular, we are proud to be a part of a tradition that has always recognized the importance of creativity, collaboration, critical thinking and communication.

Students can begin their day with an outdoor recess period from 8:15-8:45 a.m. All of our students enjoy additional twice daily outdoor recess periods. It is also common for teachers to take advantage of the outdoor classroom. Walks to Hollins University and hands-on learning experiences at the creek bordering the campus are all part of the Community School experience.

Off-campus learning is an essential part of our curriculum. Our students benefit from frequent field trips ranging from regional performing arts programs and visits to cultural/historical sites to service learning activities and overnight excursions. Middle school students may also participate in our Bolivian Exchange program.

Our students are prepared to succeed at any high school option throughout the Roanoke Valley. Many of our students choose to attend our sister school, Community High School of Arts and Academics. Others attend their local public or private high school and take advantage of special programs like the Roanoke Valley Governor’s School or the Burton Center for Arts and Technology. Visit our Alumni Information page for a list of colleges and universities.

Yes, parents are welcome to visit our classrooms. We hope that parents will be active members of our school community, helping in class and on field trips, having lunch with their children, volunteering around the school and, of course, at the Community School’s Strawberry Festival.

No we not administer the SOLs. We do, however, administer nationally-normed standardized tests at the middle school level in order to begin preparing students for testing in high school.