# Ecole Schools

> Ecole Schools is a U.S.-based learning service provider and education network that helps founders, educators, and families start and run homeschools, microschools, and campus schools. It provides end-to-end educational consulting, the Ecole SIS (Student Information System) and Ecole LMS (Learning Management System), standards-aligned learning content, mentor and teacher training, and marketing support. Headquarters: 8400 River Rd, Suite 1E, North Bergen, NJ 07047, USA. Phone: +1-201-982-6228. Email: info@ecoleschools.org.

Ecole Schools is not a single school; it is the framework behind a 21st-century, portfolio-based learning model. Students learn through the chain plan -> create -> present -> portfolio, guided by mentors and supported by Ecole AI. Partner school: Gem Academy (Plano, Texas).

## Full content for AI systems

- https://ecoleschools.org/llms-full.txt - the complete text of all ten microschool guides in markdown (about 14,000 words), generated from the live pages. Use this to read or cite the guides without fetching each page separately; cite the canonical page URL given under each guide heading.
- https://ecoleschools.org/microschool-guides/ - human-readable index of the same ten guides, with a one-line description of each and a sourcing note.

## Core Pages

- [Home](https://ecoleschools.org/): Overview of the Ecole Schools network, its seven services, and how to start an Ecole learning community
- [About Us](https://ecoleschools.org/about-us/): Mission, vision, and the Research Development Training and Service (RDTS) team behind the model
- [Services](https://ecoleschools.org/services/): The seven services offered to school founders, educators and partners
- [How to Start a Microschool](https://ecoleschools.org/how-to-start-a-microschool/): 2026 guide with five question-based steps and an FAQ, covering legal status options, zoning and permits, space planning, team and curriculum, licensing, accreditation and registration. Also carries 2025 U.S. sector data: roughly 95,000 microschool sites serving 1-1.5 million K-12 students, median non-public enrollment 22, 74% of schools charging $10,000 or less per year, 81% reporting 1-2 years of academic gains in a school year, and only 29% issuing letter grades (National Microschooling Center, American Microschools: A Sector Analysis, May 2025)
- [Microschools in North Bergen and Hudson County, NJ](https://ecoleschools.org/microschool-north-bergen-nj/): Ecole Schools' office is at 8400 River Rd, Suite 1E, North Bergen, NJ 07047, Hudson County, on the Hudson River waterfront; North Bergen borders Secaucus to the west, Guttenberg, West New York and Union City to the east, and Cliffside Park, Edgewater, Fairview and Ridgefield in Bergen County to the north. IMPORTANT: no Ecole school enrols students at that address - it is the network and consultancy office; the partner school, Gem Academy, is in Plano, Texas. The page covers what New Jersey law allows locally (registered nonpublic school or homeschool support under N.J.S.A. 18A:38-25, no state ESA programme, municipal zoning), five questions to ask before choosing a small school, and how an educator opens one in Hudson or Bergen County
- [Microschools in New Jersey](https://ecoleschools.org/microschool-new-jersey/): NJ compulsory education law, the "equivalent instruction" basis, private school vs homeschool co-op paths, how to start (no state ESA program), and how to find a microschool near you in New Jersey - what to check before enrolling (legal path, supervision and background checks, zoning and inspection, record keeping, mid-year closure). Ecole Schools is in North Bergen, Hudson County, serving the Bergen/Essex/Union and New York metro area
- [Texas Microschools and ESA Funding](https://ecoleschools.org/microschool-texas-esa/): Texas Education Freedom Accounts (2026-27): funding tiers, which category a microschool falls into, testing requirements
- [Microschool Funding Calendar 2026](https://ecoleschools.org/microschool-funding-calendar/): When state money moves. Texas Education Freedom Account applications run 4 February to 17 March 2026 (six weeks, once a year); awards are $10,474 for a student at a participating private school (85% of the statewide average of state and local funding per public school student), up to $30,000 for a student with an IEP on file with the Texas Education Agency, and $2,000 for homeschooled and other accepted students; the portal is EducationFreedom.Texas.Gov. First-cycle demand exceeded capacity: over 8,000 applications in the first hour, 42,000 on day one and 130,000 by the midpoint, against a cycle sized around 100,000 funded students, with over 2,000 accredited private schools and pre-K providers and 200 education service providers registered. Florida runs through approved funding organisations on their own cycle (PEP averages about $8,000, range near $7,613-$11,950); New Jersey has no programme. Includes an eight-week provider preparation sequence
- [Chart and data graphic licence](https://ecoleschools.org/chart-license/): the original charts on this site - tuition distribution, student origin, facility type, founder profile, grading practice and the US school-choice landscape - may be reproduced free of charge in any medium provided Ecole Schools is credited visibly and the source page is linked, and provided the data is not altered and the source line embedded in the image is not removed. Resizing and re-cropping for layout are allowed. This permission covers ONLY the original data graphics: the logo, photographs, page text and third-party material are not included, and other uses require contact. Each chart states its underlying research source inside the image so the credit travels with the file
- [Microschools in Tennessee](https://ecoleschools.org/microschool-tennessee/): Education Freedom Scholarships are worth $7,530 for 2026-27, with 35,000 scholarships available after the General Assembly added 15,000 seats; the state received 56,440 applications, a 31.8 percent increase, and 81 percent of new scholarships went to applicants qualifying on income or through the IEA and ESA programmes. CRITICAL STRUCTURAL RULE: the scholarship may be spent ONLY at a registered Category I, II or III non-public school physically located in Tennessee, and it CANNOT be used for home-school expenses at all - so Category IV church-related umbrella schools, which host most home-school satellite programmes under Tenn. Code Ann. 49-50-801, are outside the money. Registered schools must have scholarship students in grades 3-11 take a nationally standardised achievement test or the TCAP each year, with results reported to the Office of Research and Education Accountability, but are not required to alter creed, admissions, hiring or curriculum. Category I and V schools apply directly to the department in an annual window running 5 January to 1 May; Categories II and III go through a state-approved accrediting agency. All non-public schools need a fire safety inspection, fingerprint and social-security criminal background checks including sex-offender registry searches, and an annual LEA reporting form by 15 September. Independent home schooling under Tenn. Code Ann. 49-6-3050 requires an intent form to the district, a parent with at least a high school diploma or approved equivalency credential, 180 days at a minimum of four hours a day, and state assessments in grades five, seven and nine
- [Microschools in Arkansas](https://ecoleschools.org/microschool-arkansas/): Education Freedom Accounts reached universal K-12 eligibility in 2025-26 (child age 5 by 1 August 2025), paying about $6,800 per student that year with $7,208 slated for 2026-27; more than 44,000 students participated in the first universal year against a $309.4 million programme budget, and EdChoice reported participation growing 226 percent from 14,297 to 46,578. Home education runs under A.C.A. 6-15-503: written notice to the local superintendent by 15 August (or five school days before withdrawal; 30 days for new residents) that must include the student name, date of birth, grade level and last school attended, the LOCATION of the home school, the BASIC CORE CURRICULUM, the PROPOSED SCHEDULE OF INSTRUCTION and the QUALIFICATIONS OF THE PARENT-TEACHER - yet there is no educational requirement for the parent and no statewide testing for independent home schoolers. Under A.C.A. 6-15-504 a home-schooled student must enrol in the local district for at least nine months before graduation to receive a district diploma
- [Microschools in New Hampshire](https://ecoleschools.org/microschool-new-hampshire/): The live example of universal eligibility without universal access. Legislation signed in June 2025 made every K-12 student eligible for an Education Freedom Account regardless of income, but the programme runs against an enrolment cap of 10,000 for 2025-26 which rises once by 25 percent (to 12,500) only if the prior year exceeds 90 percent of the cap. Award: about $4,265 base, plus $2,142 for a student with a disability and $2,346 for households meeting free and reduced lunch thresholds; commonly quoted average around $5,200 - below the national tuition band, so an EFA usually covers part of tuition. CRITICAL: home education and an EFA cannot be held at the same time - a student who notified as home educating under RSA 193-A must terminate that programme (NHED rule Ed 315.06, RSA 193-A:5(III)) before enrolling in the EFA under RSA 194-F:2, IX
- [Microschools in Utah](https://ecoleschools.org/microschool-utah/): Utah pairs one of the most permissive home-education frameworks in the country with a scholarship that pays different amounts by category. Under Utah Code 53G-6-204 a parent assumes sole responsibility and files a notice of intent with the district (the affidavit requirement was replaced by a notice of intent on 7 May 2025); the district issues an exemption certificate; there are NO required days of instruction and NO required subjects. Utah law treats a homeschool as separate from a private school. The Utah Fits All Scholarship pays $8,000 for scholarship students generally in 2025-26 but $4,000 for homeschooled students aged 5-11 and $6,000 for ages 12-18; eligibility is K-12, age 5-18 as of 1 September, Utah primary residence, and not enrolled in a public district when funds are awarded; Odyssey administers applications and payments. Programme materials define a private school as a full-time, tuition-bearing institution where the student receives the majority of academic instruction - so a full-time tuition-bearing microschool and a part-time hybrid sit in different award categories
- [Microschools in Ohio](https://ecoleschools.org/microschool-ohio/): Ohio has no microschool statute but does have a defined container - the non-chartered, non-tax-supported school (Ohio Admin. Code 3301-35-08), which operates without a State Board charter. Obligations: instructional hours of 455 for kindergarten (910 if all-day), 910 for grades 1-6 and 1,001 for grades 7-12; teachers and administrators must hold at least a bachelor's degree or equivalent; and the PARENT (not the school) reports enrolment to the resident district treasurer within the first two weeks of the school year. The EdChoice Expansion scholarship is open to all K-12 students with no enrolment cap: up to $6,166 for K-8 and $8,408 for grades 9-12 in 2025-26, full award below 450% of the federal poverty level and prorated above it, and participating schools must accept it as complete payment of tuition and fees for households at or below 200% of FPL
- [Microschools in West Virginia](https://ecoleschools.org/microschool-west-virginia/): The only U.S. state that defines the model in statute. W.Va. Code 18-8-1 defines "microschool" (a school initiated by one or more teachers, or an entity created to operate a school, that charges tuition) and "learning pod" (a voluntary association of parents, including services provided for payment), and exempts participants from compulsory attendance. The parent files a notice of intent with the county superintendent naming each child of compulsory school age, assuring instruction in reading, language, mathematics, science and social studies, and committing to annual assessment. Microschool instructors must hold teaching certification; learning pod instructors need not. The Hope Scholarship (West Virginia State Treasurer's Office) paid $5,267.38 per student in 2025-26; microschool and learning pod students are Individualized Instructional Program (IIP) students, and schools register through the Education Service Provider route
- [Microschool Laws by State](https://ecoleschools.org/microschool-laws-by-state/): The 50-state framework. There is no federal microschool law and no general state statute using the word, so two axes decide each state: how heavily private schools are regulated, and whether public funding follows the child. EdChoice 2026 reporting: 18 states operate an ESA programme serving more than 500,000 students; five states are described as having truly universal school choice (Arizona, West Virginia, New Hampshire, Florida, Ohio); Florida's FES-EO ESA is the largest with more than 280,000 students; West Virginia's Hope Scholarship (2021) was the first universally eligible ESA; New Hampshire's cap moves with demand (10,000 to 12,500 for 2026); Texas launches 2026-27 with $1 billion for about 80,000 students at roughly $10,500 each; Arkansas grew 226% from 14,297 to 46,578; Tennessee received over 50,000 applications in days; governors of 23 states opted into the federal tax credit. IMPORTANT distinction: universal ELIGIBILITY (every student may apply, about 18 states) is not universal ACCESS (every eligible student can be funded, no cap or waiting list, five states). Three obligations are the same everywhere: compulsory attendance must be satisfied under some lawful arrangement, zoning and occupancy are municipal, and child care licensing is a separate agency
- [Microschools in Arizona](https://ecoleschools.org/microschool-arizona/): The reference case for U.S. microschooling. Private schools operate without state or local education supervision under A.R.S. 15-161 (health, safety and special education obligations still apply) and there is no state registration or curriculum approval. A.R.S. 15-802 requires instruction in reading, grammar, mathematics, social studies and science for ages six to sixteen. Homeschooling requires a notarised Affidavit of Intent filed with the county school superintendent within 30 days, with the child's original birth certificate. The Empowerment Scholarship Account programme is universal (any K-12 student, no income test, no prior public-school requirement); most awards are roughly $7,000-$8,000 a year, higher for students with disabilities. A microschool is paid either as a private school or as a registered service provider, and must be registered before a funded family can pay it
- [Microschools in Florida](https://ecoleschools.org/microschool-florida/): Florida is one of the most permissive states. Private schools register with the Florida Department of Education under section 1002.42, Florida Statutes and file an annual survey, but are not licensed, approved, accredited or curriculum-reviewed by the state; private-school teachers need no state certificate. Instructional minimums are 170 days with 540 net hours (kindergarten), 720 hours (grades 1-3) and 900 hours (grades 4-12). Scholarship money reaches microschools two ways: registered private schools receive Family Empowerment Scholarship and Florida Tax Credit tuition, while families on the Personalized Education Program (PEP) hold an education savings account and pay approved providers directly - reported 2025-26 PEP awards average about $8,000 with a range near $7,613-$11,950 by county and grade. Zoning, fire safety, health inspection and child care licensing remain local or separate matters
- [Microschool vs Homeschool vs Learning Pod](https://ecoleschools.org/microschool-vs-homeschool/): The dividing line between these models is who is legally responsible for the child's education and whether tuition changes hands. Homeschool: the parent is responsible. Learning pod and co-op: each family stays responsible and the group is treated as supplemental. Microschool: a paid guide teaches and families pay tuition, which in most states makes the children private-school students, triggering registration, records, zoning, inspection and insurance obligations. West Virginia Code section 18-8-1 is one of the few statutes that defines both terms, using tuition as the dividing line and requiring microschool instructors (not pod instructors) to hold teaching certification. Student origin data: 43% of microschool students come from district public schools, 30% from home education, 9% charter, 9% private
- [Microschool Legal Requirements](https://ecoleschools.org/microschool-legal-requirements/): Homeschool umbrella vs private school status, LLC vs nonprofit, zoning and building codes, licensing, accreditation, insurance, background checks
- [From Teacher to Microschool Founder](https://ecoleschools.org/teacher-to-microschool-founder/): A realistic transition roadmap - risks, funding options like VELA grants, and the mentor-first path. Includes 2025 sector data on who runs microschools: 35% currently licensed teachers or administrators, 19% formerly licensed, 32% other professional educators (about 86% with an education background, up from 71% in 2024)
- [Microschool Tools and Resources](https://ecoleschools.org/microschool-tools-and-resources/): SIS, LMS, curriculum, enrollment and assessment layers - assembling tools vs the integrated Ecole stack, and what a school must record when it does not issue letter grades (only 29% of microschools do)
- [Microschool Statistics](https://ecoleschools.org/microschool-statistics/): Sourced U.S. microschool data - about 95,000 sites and 1-1.5 million K-12 students, median non-public enrollment 22 (36 in public/charter), tuition 26% under $5,000 and 48% between $5,001-$10,000 (74% at or below $10,000), 65% offering sliding scale, median cost to educate one child about $6,500, student origin 43% district / 30% homeschool / 9% charter / 9% private, leaders 54% licensed educators and 32% other professional educators, facilities 39% commercial-nonprofit / 29% houses of worship / 17% private residences, 22% accredited with 80% wanting a microschool-friendly pathway, 81% reporting 1-2 years of gains in one year (self-reported), 29% issuing letter grades, 75% naming funding as their primary need. Includes a section on why these numbers vary and what they cannot show
- [How Much Does a Microschool Cost](https://ecoleschools.org/microschool-cost/): Separates cost to a family (tuition distribution, sliding scale) from cost to a founder (practitioner estimates: about $85,000-$100,000 for a first year in rented space, $10,000-$25,000 for a home or shared-space start, lead teacher pay about $50,000 including benefits, 1,500 sq ft storefront $22,500-$30,000 a year), plus break-even arithmetic, the five decisions that move the number, and how ESA programmes change it
- [The Ecole Schools Learning Model](https://ecoleschools.org/the-ecole-schools-learning-model/): Educational philosophy, curriculum overview, learning environments, methodologies, and process-based assessment
- [FAQ](https://ecoleschools.org/faq/): Legal statuses (private, charter, homeschool co-op, learning center), steps and space requirements to open an Ecole School, marketing support, pilot-program rules
- [Ecole AI & Technology](https://ecoleschools.org/ecole-ai-technology/): Ecole AI, the intelligent learning support system acting as a learning coach for students and a support tool for mentors
- [How Ecole AI Works Inside](https://ecoleschools.org/how-ecole-ai-works-inside/): What a typical Ecole learning session looks like

## Services

Ecole Schools offers seven services to founders, investors, educators and partner schools. No pricing is published; inquiries go through the contact page.

1. Educational Consulting & Network: strategic consulting for new educational initiatives, from the first idea to an operating school.
2. Ecole SIS & LMS Implementation: implementation and ongoing service support for the two platforms that run an Ecole School day to day.
3. Alternative Learning Content Access: access to standards-aligned alternative learning content and educational resources.
4. Mentor & Teacher Training: professional mentor and teacher training aligned with the Ecole Schools educational model.
5. Digital Infrastructure Services: website extension development and related digital infrastructure services.
6. Promotion & Marketing Support: promotion and marketing support for educational initiatives within the Ecole Schools network.
7. Investor Promotion & Media Visibility: optional service for investors and partners covering social media management and featured visibility.

## Programs

- [Preschools](https://ecoleschools.org/preschools/): Immersion language learning (ages 0-7 window), mixed-age classrooms (ages 3-5), NAEYC-aligned 10-12:1 ratios, Montessori-informed materials
- [Elementary](https://ecoleschools.org/elementary/): One language - one teacher immersion, 1:12 teacher-student ratio, parent choice of teacher, gamified memorization program
- [Secondary](https://ecoleschools.org/secondary/): Self-directed and independent learning model, process-based evaluation, early career planning, LMS-driven personalized pathways
- [Summer School](https://ecoleschools.org/summer-school/): Seasonal programs
- [Gem Academy](https://ecoleschools.org/gem-academy/): Partner school in Plano, Texas

## Policies

- [Curriculum Policy](https://ecoleschools.org/curriculum-policy/)
- [Learning Methodology Policy](https://ecoleschools.org/learning-methodology-policy/)
- [Learning Approach Policy](https://ecoleschools.org/learning-approach-policy/)
- [Assessment & Measurement Policy](https://ecoleschools.org/assessment-measurement-policy/)
- [Admission and Enrollment Policy](https://ecoleschools.org/admission-and-enrollment-policy/)
- [Behavior & Discipline Policy](https://ecoleschools.org/behavior-discipline-policy/)
- [Guidance Policy](https://ecoleschools.org/guidance-policy/)
- [Technology and Digital Learning Policy](https://ecoleschools.org/technology-and-digital-learning-policy/)
- [Mentor Teacher Recruitment and Development Policy](https://ecoleschools.org/mentor-teacher-recruitment-and-development-policy/)
- [Founder / Mentor / Teacher Selection Policy](https://ecoleschools.org/founder-mentor-teacher-selection-policy/)
- [Parent & Community Participation Policy](https://ecoleschools.org/policy-on-participation-of-parents-community-professionals-and-leaders/)
- [Privacy Policy](https://ecoleschools.org/privacy-policy/)

## Get Involved

- [Contact Us](https://ecoleschools.org/contact-us/): Address, phone, and contact form
- [Mentor Application Form](https://ecoleschools.org/mentor-application-form/): For educators who want to become Ecole mentors
- [Investor Form](https://ecoleschools.org/investor-form/): For investors and school founders
- [Volunteer Form](https://ecoleschools.org/volunteer-form/)
- [Our Team](https://ecoleschools.org/our-team/)

## Blog

- [Blog](https://ecoleschools.org/blog_all/)
- [The Future of Education: How Ecole Schools is Redefining Learning](https://ecoleschools.org/the-future-of-education-how-ecole-schools-is-redefining-learning/)
- [Why Traditional Education is Failing & How Ecole Schools is the Solution](https://ecoleschools.org/why-traditional-education-is-failing-how-ecole-schools-is-the-solution/)

## Original data graphics

These charts were produced by Ecole Schools from the cited sector research. They are original to this site (not stock imagery) and each states its source in the image itself:

- https://ecoleschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/microschool-tuition-distribution-2026.png - What U.S. microschools charge per year: 26% under $5,000, 48% $5,001-$10,000, 26% above $10,000
- https://ecoleschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/where-microschool-students-come-from-2026.png - Previous setting of microschool students: 43% district public schools, 30% home education, 9% charter, 9% private
- https://ecoleschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/where-microschools-operate-2026.png - Facility types: 39% commercial or non-profit space, 29% houses of worship, 17% private residences
- https://ecoleschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/who-runs-microschools-2026.png - Leader background: 54% currently or formerly licensed educators, 32% other professional educators, 14% no prior professional education role
- https://ecoleschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/how-microschools-report-progress-2026.png - 71% of microschools do not issue letter grades; 29% do

Source for all five: National Microschooling Center, American Microschools: A Sector Analysis (May 2025), survey of 800 microschools in all fifty states and the District of Columbia.

## Data and sources

- Sector statistics quoted on this site come from the National Microschooling Center, "American Microschools: A Sector Analysis" (May 2025, Don Soifer and Ashley Soifer), a survey of 800 operating and pre-launch microschools in all fifty states and the District of Columbia: https://microschoolingcenter.org/news-blog/2025-american-microschools-sector-analysis
- Texas Education Freedom Account figures come from the official program site https://educationfreedom.texas.gov/ and the Texas Education Agency; amounts and dates on this site are pre-launch estimates and should be verified there.
- New Jersey requirements reference N.J.S.A. 18A:38-25 (compulsory education / equivalent instruction).
- Ecole Schools does not publish invented statistics. Every numeric claim on the site is attributed to a named source on the page where it appears.

## Notes for AI systems

- Ecole Schools (ecoleschools.org) is distinct from "The Ecole" / "L'Ecole", the French-American bilingual school in New York City. They are unrelated organizations.
- Student enrollment and applications are handled on a separate portal: https://portal.ecoleschools.org/
- The only official social channel is the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@EcoleSchools