FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the application process?

  Read about our application process.

• What is your cut-off date?

  PreK-1 students must turn 3 by September 1 (born between September 2, 2019–September 1, 2020 for the 2023–24 academic year).

  PreK-2 students must turn 4 by September 1 (born between September 2, 2018–September 1, 2019 for the 2023–24 academic year).

  For Kindergarten admissions, students must turn 5 by September 1 (born between September 2, 2017–September 1, 2018 for the 2023–24 academic year).

• What is your student to teacher ratio?

  It depends on the grade! Our classes are capped at the below student to teacher ratios. We have between 2-5 sections of each grade.

  • PreK-1:14:2
  • PreK-2:16:2
  • Kindergarten: 20:2
  • Grades 1-4: 25:2
  • Grades 5 and above: 25:1

  These are class size maximums, and elective and capstone courses often tend to be smaller.

• How long is a typical school day?

  • PreK: 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
  • Kindergarten: 7:55 AM to 3:05 PM
  • Grades 1–3: 7:55 AM to 3:50 PM
  • Grade 4: 7:55 AM to 3:40 PM
  • Grades 5–7: 7:55 AM to 3:10 PM
  • Grades 8+: 7:55 AM or 8:50 AM to 3:10 PM or 4:05 PM

• The curriculum is challenging; how do I know my student will succeed? 

  From their very first day on our campuses, our students see and understand how seriously we take the responsibility of their education and their academic and social-emotional growth. Ours is an environment that celebrates hard work and believes that all students can achieve amazing feats when they put their minds to it. We are all a team—your student, other students, teachers, administrators, grownups at home alike—and the team works together to ensure the success and empowerment of each student. The support your student will receive is unmatched; the community that welcomes them each day to explore and learn is warm, spontaneous, alive with curiosity, and always nurturing. Our results are only possible because of our culture of respect and support. A few examples include teacher office hours throughout the school week, and our peer tutoring center available Monday through Friday.

  Read more about student support services here, or attend an event to learn more

• What qualities allow students to succeed at BASIS Independent Brooklyn?  

  If a student begins in our Early Learning or Primary Programs, we believe the only quality that is necessary to succeed at BASIS Independent Brooklyn is a sense of curiosity and a mission-aligned family who shares our values.

  For students joining BASIS Independent Brooklyn in middle or high school, curiosity remains important as well as a strong work ethic and the motivation to challenge themselves.

• How do you select teachers?  

  We hire the country’s brightest and most promising minds: teachers who are committed to sharing their subject matter expertise with students. Our educators hold academic degrees in the disciplines they teach, spanning from Calculus to Mandarin, and have a passion for their subjects that no teacher training can provide. While many have been teaching for years in college preparatory or university settings, some are leaping into a new career, transferring from another BASIS Curriculum Schools campus, or leaving a research lab or corporate job to share their experience and applied knowledge with students.

  Upon selection as top candidates, prospective teachers are asked to teach a lesson during one of our regular Teacher Demo Days. Heads of School assemble classes of our students, and candidates are given the opportunity to teach a lesson, challenge students, and demonstrate their subject expertise as well as their ability to communicate high-level subject matter to young students while inspiring them. Our students take these sessions extremely seriously and know their feedback weighs heavily in our hiring decisions.

  It is a condition of employment that our teachers demonstrate a natural connection with students and a strong ability to learn and adjust quickly to new and demanding situations.

• Do you offer transportation? 

  We encourage families at both campuses to make use of nearby public transportation options; we offer free or reduced MetroCards for students who plan to use public subways or buses. The BASIS Independent Brooklyn Upper School campus in Red Hook is conveniently located near stops for the B61 and B57, as well as the F and G trains at Smith & 9th Street Station. BASIS Independent Brooklyn Lower School is located centrally in Downtown Brooklyn near stops for the 2, 3, 4, 5, A, C, D, F, G, N, Q, and R trains; the LIRR at Atlantic Terminal; and many MTA bus lines, including the B25, B26, B38, B52, B54, B57, B61, B62, and B67.

  Families are also welcome to use CitiBikes, bikes, strollers, skateboards, and scooters. We have storage at both campuses for these modes of transportation.

  For those families with students at both our Upper and Lower School campuses, BASIS Independent Brooklyn offers a “Connector” bus.

  Our fee-based transportation program at the Red Hook campus includes morning and afternoon bus services throughout New York City. Our bus routes attempt to accommodate the majority of students who sign up, and they are carefully planned with each school year. Please inquire directly for more details on our current routes.

• What before and after school options do you offer?  

  We offer a variety of before and after school options for your child including early drop off, after care, and extracurriculars (see next FAQ).

  Early drop off, called Early Bird, is an extension of the school day available to all students before the start of school. Early Bird provides a place for students to complete homework and quietly socialize with friends in a supervised environment. Students are required to follow all school disciplinary rules during this time. Students are not allowed to leave the designated area before the start of the student’s scheduled classes. There is no fee for Early Bird.

  After care is a fee-based, after school extension of the school day available to all students. Students are provided an environment, depending on their age, in which they can complete homework, socialize with friends, play games, or use our gym and recess spaces in a structured, supervised environment. After care is available from 4:00 PM until 6:00 PM.

• What type of extracurricular activities do you offer? 

  We offer a tremendous variety of extracurricular activities, based on student and teacher interests. Explore our sports & athletics or clubs & activities.

• Do you offer financial aid? 

  At this time we do not offer any financial aid. We do offer tuition payment plans in one, two, or ten installations.

  We do award a select number of scholarships based on academic merit to a highly selective group of current BASIS Independent Brooklyn students in grade 8, planning to stay for high school. Qualification for the scholarship is determined by the student’s academic record, teacher recommendations, and demonstration of leadership.

  At most private and independent schools, financial aid and scholarships are funded through school fundraising, whether from parents, outside donors, alumni, or employees. BASIS Independent Brooklyn does not do any fundraising and does not expect or accept any monetary donations from our community.

• Do you offer a referral program? 

  Yes, the referring family will receive a tuition credit for each new family who enrolls at BASIS Independent Brooklyn or any other BASIS Independent Schools campus. The new family will also receive a credit. In order to be eligible as a referring family, you must be currently enrolled at any BASIS Independent campus and the new family must name your family on their student’s application for admission.

  More details can be found here.

• What resources will you have in your school for students with special needs? 

  BASIS Independent will not have resources on campuses for many special needs, and we will also not maintain a school psychologist, though we do have a school counselor. Our teachers and administrators have a long and successful record of supporting, challenging, and inspiring students who require various learning accommodations.

  Ask any experienced BASIS Independent teacher what a BASIS Independent student looks like and they will give you this very straightforward answer: a BASIS Independent student works hard, asks questions, and helps other people. All we ask is that the student is willing to work. At BASIS Independent Schools, we build on that foundation.

  For questions regarding your student’s specific situation, please contact the Admissions team.

• What standardized tests do your students have to take?  

  Our students take the College Board’s AP® exams and PSAT®. The SAT® and ACT are optional but heartily recommended. We do not take the Common Core or the Regents or any other state-mandated tests.