Churchill School and Center

One word at a time

Yididiya can spell turbulence now. In the student account the school publishes, the word marks a change: spelling was once a weak point, and Yididiya points to a decoding class, spelling practice, and teachers who stay calm when something goes wrong and allow another try.

It is one student's telling, but it shows what a parent can ask about: a named class aimed at one skill, not a general promise of care.

Learning to say what helps

The lower school runs from kindergarten through sixth grade. Students learn in small groups and are encouraged from the start to recognize what they need, so that they can speak up for themselves.

School psychologists, social workers, speech and language therapists and occupational therapists work closely with classroom teachers, and a dedicated curriculum covers executive functioning and social skills.

Lucie describes the physical side of support: fidgets, and furniture that lets students move around the classroom, which Lucie says helps with ADHD.

The upper school covers grades seven through twelve. Its teachers are described as specialists in their subjects who also understand language-based learning disabilities.

James describes a History Honors teacher who noticed strong work in class but trouble with homework, and invited James to stay after class to work on it.

Guidance carries the thread toward graduation. College counseling begins at the start of ninth grade, weekly transition classes run through eleventh and twelfth grades, and students get help requesting test accommodations and preparing for standardized tests.

Lucas describes the everyday version of accommodations: a reader for tests, and teachers who record test questions as audio.

Does the expertise match your child?

Churchill serves students with a language-based learning disability and cognitive potential in the average or above-average range. Dyslexia, dysgraphia and dyscalculia are examples of primary diagnoses the school describes; ADHD and school-related anxiety are examples of secondary ones.

The program is not designed for students whose primary challenges involve autism. It is also not suitable for students whose primary challenges stem from behavioral or mood disorders.

A student with both autism and a language-based learning disability may not fit; the school weighs individual alignment with its program.

The school reviews uploaded evaluations before deciding whether to move forward.

Applying: grades and paperwork

Applications are open for all grades for 2026–27 and 2027–28, reviewed on a rolling basis. Interviews are scheduled only when a space is anticipated; otherwise an appropriate student can join a waitlist.

Entry into eleventh or twelfth grade is exceptional and depends on available space.

The application asks for a $125 non-refundable fee, a neuropsychological or psychoeducational evaluation completed within two years, a teacher questionnaire, and the IEP when one exists.

The school's screenings are not diagnostic evaluations, so the required evaluation comes from an outside professional.

What a family would really owe

Churchill's financial assistance comes as Connors funding, which is not an ordinary scholarship. The school expects families to work with an educational attorney or advocate and to pursue full reimbursement of tuition from the Department of Education.

The enrollment contract then shows an upfront amount the family owes, set by the school's assistance committee, and a balance the school will accept as direct payment from the DOE when the student's case concludes. That balance depends on the case; it is not an automatic payment.

On the live financial assistance page, returning families have priority if they apply by November 20, 2026, and new families are asked to apply by January 4, 2027. Funds are limited, and the page does not say which enrollment year those dates serve.

Aid decisions are separate from admission decisions and follow acceptance.

The policy PDF linked from that page is the 2026–27 edition, with earlier deadlines, so it shows how the school has structured these contracts, not what governs a later year.

It says scheduled upfront family payments stay due while a case is unresolved, and that if reimbursement or direct payment does not succeed, the contract will either be voided or an amended schedule considered, at the committee's sole discretion.

Ask for a written tuition quote for the entry year you intend, along with the contract terms that apply to it, and have your attorney or advocate review that contract for your case. Treat all of this as school policy, not a statement of law.

After school, summer and getting there

After-school clubs are for grades one through eight, in hour-long sessions Monday through Thursday between 3 and 5:30, and Homework Club runs from 3 to 4 for grades four through eight, depending on the term. These programs are open only to enrolled students; ask what exists for kindergarten and for grades nine through twelve.

The school year runs ten months, and the school says it cannot accommodate students who need year-round schooling, so summer is a separate question. Buses come only through the Department of Education, and only when specialized transportation is approved on the IEP; the school offers no private bus.

Specialists and assistance terms at Churchill

Churchill reviews evaluations first, so ask who would work with your child and which assistance terms apply before you pay an application fee.