FAQ

WHAT ARE THE SCHOOL HOURS?

Classes begin each day at 8:15am, and students are expected to be in the building no later than 8:10am. Students may arrive as early as 7:45am. Students are dismissed each day on a staggered schedule starting at 3:00pm for Grades K-5. Grades 6-12 are dismissed at 3:15pm. After Care is available for an additional cost, Mon-Fri until 5pm. Clark Preschool is 7:30am-5:15pm daily.

DO YOU FOLLOW THE PUBLIC SCHOOL VACATION CALENDAR?

Clark School is similar to the public school calendar through the New Year. However, instead of a week-long break each in February and April, Clark has one two-week break in March.

WHAT IS THE STUDENT TO TEACHER RATIO?

Class sizes do not exceed 15 students per class, with one teacher and one learning center support staff member per group. On average a 7.5 to 1 student teacher ratio.

DO YOU HAVE A CAFETERIA?

Clark School does not have a cafeteria. Students must bring their own lunch everyday and eat in their classrooms with friends. High School Seniors may earn the privilege to go off campus for lunch.

HOW LONG Does RECESS last?

Students in Kindergarten through Grade 8 enjoy up to 30 minutes of recess everyday. High School students do not have a formal “recess” period, but instead have 45 minutes to an hour for their lunch/break period.

DO YOU DO MCAS TESTING?

Clark School is an independent school and does not teach to or administer the MCAS test.

WHAT DOES A “SHADOW DAY” ENTAIL?

A Shadow Day is meant to give prospective students a look into a “typical” school day. Your child will “shadow” or be partnered with someone already enrolled at Clark who may have similar interests. Teachers will invite your child to participate in the classroom as if they were enrolled. This day will give the Admissions team and parents a good sense of whether Clark is the right fit for their student.

WHAT COMMUNITIES DO YOUR FAMILIES COME FROM?

Clark School families primarily live on the North Shore and in the Merrimack Valley (Amesbury, Ipswich, Andover, Boxford, Georgetown, Groveland, Haverhill, Lawrence, Merrimack, Methuen, Newbury, Newburyport, North Andover, Rowley, Salisbury, and West Newbury). Some come as far as New Hampshire and suburban Boston. If Clark is the right fight for the student, parents make the commitment to travel or arrange carpools.

DO YOU OFFER TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM SCHOOL?

Clark School offers three transportation routes: from North Andover, Beverly/Salem/Swampscott, Danvers/Lynnfield/Burlington and Methuen/Amesbury/Haverhill. Our van stops at one central location per town on each of the four routes. Check out more information on our Parent Portal page.

DO YOU OFFER TUTORING?

Clark School teachers are available for hire for extra tutoring during the school year or over the summer. We also offer Extended Academics, for no additional fee, where students are invited to complete their homework after school with a teacher’s guidance.

Do you offer Financial Aid?

Yes, Clark School offers financial aid to families that qualify through the FAST application form. Tuition, financial aid and financing information can be found here.

WHO ARE OUR TEACHERS?

All of our teachers hold Bachelor’s Degrees or higher. At Clark, we look for teachers who are flexible, patient and able to switch gears to accommodate the many learning styles of students.

HOW MUCH PARENT INVOLVEMENT IS REQUIRED?

Parent involvement is not required, but we offer many opportunities to get involved in the school as much or as little as your schedule allows. We have a Parent Advisory Committee (Parents@Clark, aka P@C) that is always looking for new parents to join and help with social and fundraising efforts.

WHO SHOULD APPLY?

Clark School is unique in that we work with students who have learning differences (dyslexia, high functioning autism, executive functioning, processing delay , etc…), as well as academically average students, gifted or accelerated students, and students who play sports or have careers and utilize our online classrooms. We also accept students on IEPs and/or Neuropsychs and 504 plans. At Clark, we are an open and accepting community where students and staff have mutual respect for one another.

WHEN IS THE APPLICATION DEADLINE?

Clark School offers rolling admissions so you can apply at any time that's right for you and your student! Email the Admissions Office or call 978-777-4699 ext. 112 to learn more!