2025-2026 Enrollment Agreement

This Enrollment Agreement is entered into by the undersigned parents or guardians of the student named below (the "Student") and The Highlands School, Inc., (the "School") for the Student’s enrollment for the 2025-2026 Academic Year.  The undersigned represent that they are the parents or legal guardians (“Parents”) of Student, authorized to enter this Agreement and financially responsible for the payment of all tuition, charges, and fees. In consideration for enrollment of the above-named Student by the School, Parents acknowledge and agree to comply with and be bound by the terms and conditions below:

1. Non-Refundable Enrollment Deposit: In order to reserve a place for Student, Parents must sign and submit this Enrollment Agreement with a non-refundable Enrollment Deposit within 10 days of receiving this Agreement. The Enrollment Deposit will be applied to the first tuition payment. If the School does not receive the signed Agreement and Enrollment Deposit as stated above, the School may revoke or reject this Agreement and release the place reserved for Student. Student's enrollment for 2025-2026 is conditioned upon Student's satisfactory completion of the 2024-2025 academic year and payment of any outstanding balances due to the School for Student and/or other students for which either one or both Parents have financial responsibility. The Enrollment Deposit is non-refundable unless the School receives written notice of cancellation of this Enrollment Agreement within 7 days or, if you receive financial aid, within 14 days.
2. Tuition and Fees and Non-Payment: In consideration of the School's enrollment of Student, Parents agree to pay the tuition for the full Academic Year ("Tuition") plus incidental expenses and other charges, including but not limited to supplies, field trips, therapy, and extracurricular activity fees (the “Fees”). Tuition for the 2025-2026 academic year is Thirty Thousand, Three Hundred, Eighty-Five Dollars ($30,385) for the full day program, grades 3-8, and Twenty-One Thousand ($21,000) full day program, grades K-2, Fifteen Thousand ($15,000) for the half-day Homeschool Extension Program, and Seventeen Thousand Five Hundred ($17,500) for the half-day Homeschool Extension Plus Program (grades 1-5 only) which includes participation in morning meeting, HOH, lunch, field trips, and after-school programs (additional fees may apply). These amounts are subject to the following exceptions: (i) Parents who select Option 1 as described in Section 4 below; (ii) Parents who receive financial aid will pay those amounts specified in the financial aid letter; and (iii) Parents who enroll after the start of the Academic Year will pay charges based on a pro-rata basis. Payments not made when due will be subject to a late charge of 1.5% per month, compounded monthly until paid. If any payment of Tuition and Fees is not made when due, the School may refuse to permit Student to attend or register for classes, take examinations, attend Graduation, or participate in extracurricular activities, and may withhold transcripts, records, and papers to the extent allowed by law, until all past-due charges are paid. The enrollment of the Student is made for the full Academic Year. Parents are responsible for and agree to pay the full Tuition and Fees, in accordance with the payment option selected below. No portion of the Tuition and Fees, including the non-refundable Enrollment Deposit, may be applied to payment of another student’s enrollment account. Under no circumstances will any portion of the Tuition and Fees be refunded, forgiven or reduced except as otherwise stated in this Enrollment Agreement.
3. Evaluation/Application Fee. Any Evaluation/application Fee paid on behalf of the Student is in addition to Tuition and will not be credited to the amount of tuition due for the Student. The Evaluation Fee is non-refundable.
4. Tuition Payment Options. Parents must select one of the following options. Selection will be made at the signature line at the bottom of this form:

• Option I: Single Payment Plan requires tuition to be paid in full. Single payment is payable to The Highlands School. Payment in full within 10 days, paid by check or cash, will be discounted 5%. Payment in full within 10 days, paid by credit card, will be discounted 2%.
• Option II: FACTS 12, 11, or 10-month Payment Plan - Families may elect an installment payment program through FACTS. The 12-month plan begins June 1, 2025 and first payment must be made in the month of June. The 11-month plan begins July 1, 2025 and first payment must be made in the month of July. The 10-month plan begins August 1, 2025 and first payment must be made in the month of August. An annual processing fee and the monthly payments are payable to FACTS. Parents selecting this option must review the Truth in Lending Disclosure Form.

1. Withdrawal/Removal: Parents understand that class size, space, and other factors limit the number of students the School may enroll for any academic year. When the School makes admission decisions, it relies on the acceptances already received to determine whether an applicant will be admitted. When a student withdraws from the School, it is difficult or impossible to find a suitable replacement after the established Cancellation Date which is seven (7) days of the execution of this document, the “Cancellation Date”), or, if you receive financial aid, within fourteen (14) days as replacements will have accepted positions at other institutions and will be otherwise bound by the obligations of those institutions. Subject to the loss of the non-refundable Enrollment Deposit, Parents may cancel this Agreement only by providing written notice to the Head of School, to be received by the Cancellation Date. Unless this Agreement is canceled in writing by the Cancellation Date, Parents' obligation to pay the full year's Tuition and Fees and charges which might accrue is unconditional, and the School will not refund or forgive any amounts paid toward this obligation. The School will not refund or cancel any portion of any paid or outstanding balance in the event of the absence, withdrawal, removal, or dismissal of Student after the Cancellation Date and will not transfer any Tuition or Fees paid for Student to another child's student account. The obligation to pay such Tuition and Fees is not affected by whether the School finds a child to replace any student who does not attend or ceases to attend the School. The retention of sums paid and the requirement to pay any sums outstanding shall be deemed liquidated damages, and the undersigned agree that it is impractical to fix actual damages at the time of making this Agreement.
2. Dismissal of Student. Notwithstanding any statement to the contrary either in this Agreement or the applicable handbook, the Head of School, in his sole discretion, may dismiss or discipline a student for any reason that he deems appropriate, including failure to meet the behavioral or academic standards of the School, or conduct that interferes with the School program or operations or brings discredit to the School. In the event of dismissal, the provisions regarding the unconditional obligation to pay the entire Tuition and Fees shall apply.
3. Student Compliance with School Policies. The terms of this Agreement are subject to the School's policies, handbooks and rules including, but not limited to those set forth in the Student Handbook as amended from time to time. The School may change, alter, delete, or modify these policies, without prior notice.
4. Parent Cooperation: A positive, collaborative, and constructive working relationship between the School and Student's family is essential to the mission of the School. The School has the right to dismiss the Student from the School, School property, a School event or impose any other restriction if the Parents’ behavior, communication, or interaction on-campus, off-campus at School events, or via digital or electronic means, including such venues as listservs or online forums, is disruptive, intimidating, overly aggressive, or reflects a loss of confidence or serious disagreement with the School or its decisions, policies, program, or standards, imperils accomplishment of its educational program, or threatens the health, safety or well-being of another member of the School community. In the event of dismissal, the provisions regarding the unconditional obligation to pay the entire Tuition and Fees shall apply.
5. Use of Student Likeness: Unless Parents provide written notice otherwise to the Head of School, Parents give the School permission to use the following, without restriction or compensation, in the School’s publications, on the School’s website or social media sites and for outside print, television, web publications, and media coverage related to the School: (i) Student’s name; (ii) digital, photographic, video, and audio recordings or images or likenesses of the Student; and (iii) statements, articles, music, art, films and videos created by Student, or including the Student or the Student’s image or likeness, or otherwise originating from the School or from a School-related activity. This authorization survives the term of this Agreement and serves as authority to use these materials both during and after the Student’s enrollment at the School.
6. Use of Third-Party Online Platforms: To enhance its program, the School utilizes various third-party online platforms (“Platforms”), including during periods on campus and distance-learning. The Platforms may collect personal information about the Student, such as the Student’s name, email address and Platform username. Parents may review the School’s privacy policy and the privacy policies of the Platforms upon request. Parents consent to the Student’s use of the Platforms. Parents acknowledge that the School has the ability to monitor the Student's usage on computer devices whether owned by the Student or the School when signed into a School account, including but not limited to web browsing and time spent online.
7. COVID-19 Assumption of Risk: COVID-19 is extremely contagious and is believed to spread by person-to-person contact. Federal and state health authorities recommend social distancing and various other measures to mitigate the risk of contracting the virus. The School has implemented reasonable preventative policies and protocols designed to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Students and their families agree to adhere to these protocols in order to reduce the risks of contracting or spreading the virus at the School. Despite the safety policies and other measures in place to mitigate the risk of transmission of COVID-19 on campus, there are inherent risks that students and/or their families may become infected with COVID-19 due to the student’s presence on campus, as further described in the Student Handbook. By allowing their child to come to campus for any reason, Parents understand, acknowledge and voluntarily assume these risks on behalf of themselves and Student.
8. Community Health and Safety: The School reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to implement any and all policies which it deems necessary to protect the health and safety of the School community. Examples of such policies may include but are not limited to, modifying the method of delivery of its program, restricting access to campus, or requiring additional health screenings or immunizations. Parents agree to comply with any such policies as the School may implement.
9. Immunizations and Communicable Diseases: Parents agree to comply with the School’s communicable disease policy and requirements regarding immunizations, vaccinations, testing for communicable diseases, and provision of required health records and other documentation. Failure to follow and comply with these requirements may serve as grounds for removal of a Student.
10. Cost of Participation in Court or Other Legal Proceedings: If Parents fail to make any payment when due, and the School undertakes collection efforts, including but not limited to in-house efforts, with the assistance of third parties, or through legal action, the Parents agree to pay all expenses incurred by the School, including collection costs and/or the School’s attorneys’ fees and any other related costs. If the School or any member of its faculty or staff is required to testify, provide information, or otherwise participate in a legal dispute to which the School is not a party, the School may recover from the Parents the School’s attorneys’ fees and costs incurred in such legal action as a result of the collection of documents, coverage of faculty, staff or others absent from classrooms, or costs associated with other School responsibilities.
11. Modifications for Acts Beyond the School’s Control: In the event of any failure, delay, or modification in the School's performance or delivery of program resulting from causes beyond the School's reasonable control and occurring without its fault or negligence, including without limitation, acts of God, fire, epidemic, pandemic, government restrictions, wars, and insurrections, the tuition obligations under this Agreement shall continue. The School shall not be liable for any such failure or delay in its performance. The School may extend schedules for the time equal to the time lost due to any delays and to conduct classes via distance-learning and/or schedule classes on weekends, at the School's discretion.
12. Miscellaneous: This Agreement pertains to the Student’s enrollment for the 2025-2026 Academic Year only. It represents the full and complete agreement between the School and Parents and supersedes all prior written or oral agreements or representations. This Agreement may only be amended or modified by a written addendum signed by the Head of School and Parents. This Agreement is governed by the laws of the State of Maryland. Invalidity or unenforceability of one or more provisions of this Agreement shall not affect any other provision of this Agreement. The failure of the School to insist upon the strict performance of any of the terms of this Agreement, shall not be construed as a waiver of any other provision of this Agreement, which shall continue in full force and effect.
13. Signatures. By signing below, the undersigned Parents or Guardians or other additional persons represent that they have the necessary authority and consent to sign this Enrollment Agreement. Each parent or guardian or other additional party below agrees to be jointly and severally responsible for all payments due. If only one Parent or Guardian has sole legal custody and that Parent or Guardian accepts full financial responsibility, then that Parent or Guardian is the sole financially responsible party. The electronic signature below and its related fields are treated by the School like a physical handwritten signature on a paper form. Parents intend that the electronic signature is the same as if there was a physical handwritten signature. The signature of one parent shall bind both parents jointly and severally. If Parents have any problems signing this Agreement, they should contact the School.