North Bridge Academy : Tuition, Admissions and Reviews

Ch. 1

The Story

We empower and equip students with dyslexia to embrace their strengths, realize their potential and fulfill their aspirations. Our vision is to be a center of educational excellence and advocacy for dyslexic students, empowering them to achieve their intellectual and creative capabilities.

Karen Rosenquist founded North Bridge Academy in 2015 because she saw the need for a school in Marin dedicated to teaching dyslexic learners the way they learn best in an environment that celebrates their strengths as well as remediates their differences.

Our Head of School, Annie Crowder, writes, “Daily, I am in awe of the perseverance, resilience, and work ethic of our students. They are kind, empathic, bright, and creative children, who are happy to be a part of a school community where they feel understood, supported, and included.”

Our Lower & Middle School Director Claire Koshland’s passion for supporting unique and complex learners stems from her experience parenting a child with autism and ADHD.

Ch. 2

Who We Serve

Our school believes that not only should students' challenges be remediated but their strengths identified.

i.

Serves

Dyslexia and reading differences, ADHD, Other learning differences, Speech and language, Executive function

ii.

Is this the right fit?

Our applicants may have average and above cognitive potential (as demonstrated on the WISC-V, psycho-educational assessment; or another comparable cognitive index) and motivation to participate in our programs and awareness of their learning difficulties.

Ch. 3

Programs

Our program's goal is to help students integrate crucial skills in order to reach mastery of academic benchmarks. At North Bridge Academy, we explicitly teach students the logic and structure of language as well as empirically-based methodologies to help our students build automaticity in their learning. Consistent assessment of each child informs every child’s learning plan. In the course of our instruction, students move from letters to words, then to phrases, sentences and paragraphs. Our students participate in up to two hours a day of ELA instruction.

Lower School

Our Lower School addresses SEL throughout the day with continued grounding exercises before transitions, teacher-led circles, and continuous examples of expectation in behavior.

HoursClass begins at 8:30.

Track or focusTwo morning academic blocks, with core academics all completed by lunch.

Middle School

Our middle school students receive both daily Slingerland instruction as well as a core class that teaches traditional literary analysis and composition writing.

HoursAdvisory begins at 8:30.

Track or focusAdvisory with announcements and executive function reminders; the whole middle school meets weekly in Wednesday Circle.

Ch. 4

A School Day

Each day in our Lower School begins with a Morning Meeting, where students are prepared for the academic and emotional tasks of the day. Our P.E. classes are led by staff and are forty-five minutes each.

8:30

Classes begin

Slingerland and English Language Arts or Math happen first thing each morning and conclude at 10:45 for snack break.

12:00-12:45

Lunch

Lunch and recess, then afternoon classes that change each day: social studies, art, theater, PE, STEM, science and music.

3:00

After school

Students are released at 3:00 each day, except Wednesdays, when early release is at 2:15.

Ch. 5

Therapies & Support

Our School Counselor, Dr. Lauren Ogren, has over a decade of experience as a licensed clinician working with youth in the public and private educational setting. We believe that a foundational step in successful academic learning is building strong rapport and trusting relationships with our students. Our teachers and staff use strategies from Responsive Classroom, Social Thinking, CASEL and Restorative Justice.

i.

Integrated therapies

Our counselor and trained staff run lunch groups and teach lessons on perspective taking, size of the problem, anxiety management and communication. One-on-one support is provided by our counselor if needed, and all staff are trained in supporting students’ emotional and academic needs.

Ch. 6

Life Skills & Transition

20% of our students transition to other academic settings each year. Typically, after about 3 years, students' challenges are remediated and they are prepared for success in mainstream schools. Our inaugural class has gone on to colleges including Cal Poly, Colorado College, and Boston University.

Ch. 7

The Campus

In 2019 we secured a new location in the bucolic, charming community of Mill Valley. Our STEM room hosts the after-school FabLab.

Ch. 8

Enrichment

We provide gifted visual-spatial thinkers with an art teacher, guest artists and a supportive environment to explore their artistic inclinations, to encourage risk taking and to discover alternative ways of knowing the world and relating to those in it. The art program will be offered twice a week.

ArtMaker/STEAMExpressive ArtsSTEMFab LabNatureBridge HeadlandsNatureBridge YosemiteTheaterMusicDigital DesignMartial arts (after school)

Ch. 9

Families

Parents help chaperone our annual multi-day campouts, which are led by naturalist instructors. Chaperoning is a unique way to contribute to our community.

i.

Parent support

Our parent resources include Support for Families of Children with Disabilities, a San Francisco-based organization offering information, education, and parent-to-parent support. With Decoding Dyslexia CA, it runs a Zoom support group for families of children with dyslexia on the first Monday of each month.

ii.

School community

Spirit days, community and classroom celebrations, art, theatre, Maker classes, team sports, school assemblies, clubs and outdoor education all contribute to a robust school community.

Ch. 10

Funding & Tuition

Families may pay tuition in one (1), four (4), or ten (10) installments. All plans require that 10% of the tuition be paid as a non-refundable deposit with the return of the enrollment agreement. We will work with families who experience unexpected challenges meeting their chosen plan.

Tuition 2026-27

Grade 2$39,530

Grades 3 - 4$41,500

Grades 5 - 8$44,515

Fees

Lunch fee (mandatory)$2,175

Application fee$100 once

2026–27 summer onboarding (incoming families, mandatory)$1,500

2026–27 outdoor education (grade 4)$250

2026–27 outdoor education (grade 5)$600

2026–27 outdoor education (grades 6–8)$1,200

i.

Financial aid

We disbursed $350,000 in grants in 2025/26. Awards have ranged from $5,000 to $25,000. All grants are based on demonstrated financial need. We encourage families facing unexpected financial difficulties after January to reach out to us if the need arises.

ii.

Transportation

Our school van service includes San Rafael, San Francisco and communities in between. Van rates for 2026-27 are still to be announced.

Ch. 11

Admissions

We encourage all families, regardless of ability to pay, to apply. Families seeking financial assistance register with Clarity, and 2025 tax returns are required.

i.

Tours

Tours are for parents, guardians and educators only. Tours will be held from 10-11:30am on the following dates: October 7, November 4, December 2, January 6.

ii.

Application

After a school tour, apply through OpenApply with a $100 fee. Submit a neuro-psych assessment or school district psycho-educational evaluation with composite and subtest scores. Prospective students join a two-day shadow visit. Applications are due January 15 at 10 p.m.

Apply online

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