August 2023: Extremely limited spots in two middle school classrooms ages 10-13 (grades 6-8). Please note inquiries, tours, and observations do not guarantee student enrollment. All admissions are classroom-specific and dependent on multiple factors including age, student academic baselines, level of independence, socio-emotional skills, behaviors, support needs, etc. Due to the volume of our requests, responses to inquiries and scheduling of tours or observations will be prioritized based on Mainspring Academy's current classroom needs.
At our school, we welcome students ages 5-22 with a wide range of learning, emotional, physical, neurological, and developmental disabilities. The admissions process begins with our Online Inquiry Form which requests basic information about your child and allows you the opportunity to upload their recent IEP and/or Psychological Evaluation. Please note that acceptance and classroom placement at Mainspring Academy is dependent on many factors including age, student academic baselines, level of independence, socioemotional skills, behaviors, support needs, etc. Begin the admissions process below. To avoid delays, please input all requested contact information and submit all required documents.
During the tour, you’ll see our school and some of our classrooms in action. We’ll discuss your child’s current academic placement, your goals for their future, and what you’re looking for in a school. We'll also discuss tuition and answer any questions you have. A copy of your child's IEP will be required before the date of your scheduled tour to help us better understand how they perform as a student. If your child does not have an IEP, a copy of their psychological evaluation will be required. Tours typically run for about 30 minutes.
Whenever you're ready, you can complete an Application for Student Observation we'll schedule an observation. This will give us a better idea of your child's skills, academic, behaviors, and support levels. You'll receive a call within 2 business days to schedule an observation. Observations typically run for up to 45 minutes (though on rare occasions, we will suggest a longer time frame). The Enrollment Team will take your child to a prospective classroom and make notes on how they engage with their environment (participation in activities, baseline skills, preferences, level of independence, support needs, socioemotional skills, etc.) In order for staff to see how your child adapts to our classrooms, parents are not permitted to accompany students.
After your observation, the Enrollment Team will complete a thorough review of your child’s psychological and academic history, as well as any other information that will help us understand where your child is educationally and behaviorally. Documents that we review include, but are not limited to:
Once you’ve completed the above steps in the admissions process, administration will make a final enrollment decision within 14 business days. If the decision is a “yes", we’ll forward you a contract that is to be returned with an $1000 registration fee to secure placement. If we feel your child is not an appropriate fit, we’ll recommend alternative placement based on what we’ve learned about your child.
If your child has been accepted for enrollment, visit our Parent's Corner.
To avoid delays or the risk of losing your child's spot, please return the Enrollment Contract with the registration fee as soon as possible before the stated deadline. Once this is complete, the Enrollment Team will reach out to you with directions on how to begin the official registration process!
Please visit our Parent's Corner in the meantime to read our Parent Student Handbook!
We are an independent, educational institution, focusing on developing an individualized academic program where children progress through a curriculum of concepts and skills at their own pace. We believe that individuals with learning differences can be taught effectively, but only when instructional methods and curricula are tailored to each student’s unique learning needs. Consultation between parents, classroom teachers, resource teachers, private therapists, and other specialists is continuous so each child’s program can be modified to meet their specific needs.
Mainspring Academy accepts students between the ages of 5-22. However, considering student progress, there are a few circumstances for which Mainspring Academy will meet with parents to discuss short or long-term transition plans, including:
We welcome students ages 5-22 with a wide range of learning, emotional, physical, neurological, and developmental differences. Every student at our school receives a quality, individualized education in a safe environment. Typical diagnoses include:
In a majority of classes, the student-to-teacher ratio is usually no more than 6:2. The class size depends on the developmental needs of the students. Each classroom has a lead teacher and a teacher’s assistant. Additionally, private therapists are permitted to provide push-in and pull-out interventions to address goals for intensive 1:1 instruction.
Students are placed in classrooms that will best meet their developmental, behavioral, and academic needs, based on the observation stage of their initial admissions process. Teaching and learning styles are taken into consideration, along with student age, present level of performance, and the availability of socially appropriate peers.
Specialized staff
In 2019, Mainspring Academy was rated in the top 20 percent of Florida private schools for the highest percentage of faculty with advanced degrees by Private School Review. 100 percent of teachers have degrees, primarily in special education or psychology. 100 percent of administration have advanced degrees. 75 percent of total staff have bachelor’s degrees. 50 percent of staff hold certifications as Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs). One Board-certified behavior analyst is on staff. 35 percent of staff are family members of children with intellectual or developmental differences.
Extended school year
We believe consistency is a major key to learning. That’s why our school program runs from August to June. Our summers are shorter than other schools, but we spread three additional week-long breaks throughout the school year in Fall, Winter, and Spring. During those breaks, parents have the option of keeping students in school by enrolling them in Intersession and Summer Camps, where they have extra opportunities for fun, creativity, and adventure in a structured learning environment.
Collaborative environment
Our children’s futures are a team effort. We believe that teamwork promotes consistency and maximizes student success. Mainspring Academy welcomes third-party credentialed applied behavior analysts, and occupational, physical, speech, and feeding therapists. Staff, parents, and providers work together to develop our student’s goals throughout the school year and during our annual Individualized Learning Plan review meetings. We also believe in supporting our students’ successes, even when they’re ready for a new environment, so we have partnered with several impactful special education schools in the area. While those schools refer students to our specialized program so that we can help them work on foundational skills, we also meet with families to come up with a transition plan when we feel our currently-enrolled students have developed the skills to move on to the least restrictive environment. An average of 10% of students at Mainspring Academy are transitioned into least restrictive environments for best success every year
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Parents have many opportunities to be involved. Each year, all Mainspring Academy families are required to complete 10 parent participation hours. Our administrative team and Parent Action Committee recruit community, corporate, and parent volunteers to assist them in carrying out major fundraising events and campaigns. We organize many school activities and always appreciate new volunteers.
We believe that communication is an integral part of a successful school experience. In addition to parent collaboration and ILP meetings, we encourage parents to communicate with teachers via phone or email. Parents are also always welcome to request a meeting with their child’s team members. We truly believe that parent involvement is fundamental to student success.
Mainspring does not accept insurance to cover tuition fees. However, most of our students benefit from the Step Up For Students Family Empowerment Scholarship for Unique Abilities (FES-UA) to cover a portion of their tuition.
Most of our students benefit from the Step Up For Students Family Empowerment Scholarship for Unique Abilities (FES-UA) to cover a portion of their tuition.
We offer a limited number of internal Tuition Hardship Scholarships to qualifying families, based on financial need. We prioritize eligible currently-enrolled families for Tuition Hardship Scholarships, who must submit a new application with proof-of-income documents each year. Applications for new families are based on the remaining availability of Tuition Hardship funds.
Most of our students benefit from the Step Up For Students Family Empowerment Scholarship for Unique Abilities (FES-UA) to cover a portion of their tuition. FES-UA has different criteria for the amount of scholarship funding each child may receive. Funding amounts can be based on IEP matrix reviews, diagnostic evaluations, income, age, and county. Most Mainspring families pay different ranges of out-of-pocket expenses for tuition, depending on the remaining amount after their scholarship is applied.
Please note that an FES eligibility letter stating your child will receive 100% scholarship indicates that you qualify for the max amount of funding for your child’s matrix. It does not necessarily indicate it will cover 100% of Mainspring Academy tuition.
Mainspring Academy does not provide clinical therapy services. However, we welcome providers that parents arrange for their child with their private insurance. Providers are not required, but they are welcome as long as they are able to submit a Level II Background Check and sign a Provider Code of Conduct. Below is a list of agencies that have served students at our school.
Our campus has three private testing rooms that can be utilized for 1:1 assessments and therapy sessions. We have other spaces available for 1:1 work, too.
Please complete the student tour form to receive an intake phone call.
Yes! Mainspring Academy has rolling admissions based on availability of open spots. We suggest that you set up a tour, then set up a subsequent student observation as soon as possible. Even if we do not have open spots, your child, if accepted as an appropriate fit for our school, will be placed in our waitlist and we will contact you as soon as a spot is available. As soon as you sign an enrollment contract and pay the enrollment fee, your child’s spot is secured.
Once you’ve completed a tour and student observation, administration will review observation notes and complete a document review. You should receive an enrollment decision within two weeks. If the decision is a “yes,” we’ll forward you a contract that is to be returned with an $1000 registration fee to secure placement. If we feel your child is not an appropriate fit, we’ll recommend alternative placements based on what we’ve learned about your child.
New parents, please visit our Parents Corner. All forms, requests, due dates, resources, and most of the information you may need for the school year can be found here.
