Frequently Asked Questions
Is ILM Tree a good fit for my family?
If you are passionate about your child’s education and upbringing, have time to commit to our co-op, and believe in our mission, ILM Tree may be a good fit for your family. Families who are looking for a traditional school setting usually do not find what they are looking for at ILM Tree.
Do I have to teach classes to be part of the co-op?
Yes. All members teach classes. Members are required to work a minimum of 10 hours/week at the co-op.
Members can teach in Early Childhood through 8th grade. Some members also perform administrative work in addition to teaching. Applicants should note admin jobs are rarely available to new members.
We do not allow “drop-off” families i.e. all families must work at the co-op.
Are all the teachers certified? Do I need to be certified to teach a class?
No, most of our teachers do not have formal teacher training or credentials. We are homeschoolers. Many have experience in the classroom, and ALL of our teachers bring passion and dedication to the subjects they teach and have a strong willingness to learn, which we believe is crucial to successfully imparting knowledge.
What if my child has special learning needs?
As homeschoolers, we are limited in our resources, and when a student’s needs go beyond our ability to meet them, we expect parents to secure the necessary resources to help their child, whether it be private tutors, choosing to do a different curriculum at home, or seeking out specialized professionals.
Fees
Every family pays a base monthly fee - This is based on how many children are enrolled, and it is reduced based on how many hours you work at the co-op. Fees do not change if you opt out of certain classes.
The more hours you work, the less your fees will be. For example:
One child enrolled, working 10 hours/week - $650/month
Two children enrolled, working 10 hours/week - $950/month
Visit ilmtree.org/how-we-work to use our fee calculator. Please note, this does not include consumable and supply fees for each class, and is only meant to provide an estimate of base monthly fees. Fees are subject to change.
Most families apply to a public charter school with a homeschooling option that allocates an annual sum of money per student which can be used to pay for Monday Sienna Ranch classes. Visit siennaranch.net for more details. Note: Charter funds cannot be used to pay ILM Tree fees.
ILM Tree School Calendar and Schedule
Co-op runs from mid-August until the end of May.
Our weekly schedule:
M-Th: 8:15-3:35 for 1st-8th grade
M-Th: 8:15-12:15 for Early Childhood/KG
Holidays:
1 week off for Fall Break (Thanksgiving), 2 weeks off for Winter Break, 2 weeks off for Spring Break, 1-2 days off for Eids (depending on moon sighting/calculation)
Note: We DO NOT take “Monday” holidays - Labor, Memorial, MLK, etc.
Technology and Media Policy
Our members agree to vigilantly supervise the media their children are exposed to in the home and limit the amount of time spent with media entertainment to 3 hours/week or less on weekends only. This includes TV, movies, video games, internet use, etc.
ILM Tree students DO NOT own smart devices (phones, tablets, smart watches, etc). Social media accounts (Tiktok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, etc.) for students are also prohibited. All other internet-enabled screen use is directly supervised.
In the classroom, we believe learning happens best with paper and pencil and a loving teacher. The use of technology is strictly limited in our classes.
Admissions
The tour is the first step in the admissions process. Make sure to fill out the interest form online at ilmtree.org/apply. We send our official application form ONLY to families for whom we have space and who can fill open teaching jobs at the co-op. In addition, we do not consider families who live farther than 30 minutes driving distance to ILM Tree.
NOTE: We do not consider 8th grade applicants for admissions. In addition, families should know we often have no space for middle school applicants so admissions for 5th-7th grade is highly unlikely.
My eldest child is interested in joining preschool, do you accept preschool applicants?
We highly recommend preschool-only families to apply to ILM Tree once their eldest child is entering KG. Our preschool program is designed to support and care for younger siblings. We welcome young families to attend a tour to learn about ILM Tree and decide if it may be a good fit for future educational plans!