School Info & Resources

Hot Lunch Program

This year, we will continue our partnership with HotLunch to provide hot lunch meals and milk options Monday through Thursday. New this year, Pizza Fridays will also be included on the HotLunch platform—not billed through FACTS. All hot lunch and pizza orders will be placed directly through the HotLunch platform, and payments will be processed via credit or debit cards through Stripe. The annual $10 HotLunch platform fee that parents incurred last year will be covered by Emerson this year as a courtesy. Families on financial aid will automatically receive discounts on all lunch items, including pizza, when placing orders.

Important Dates
Menus will open monthly for a one-week period, allowing you to order for as many days as needed. Participation is optional, and students are always welcome to bring lunch from home.

Volunteer Support and ESPO Involvement
While Pizza Fridays are now part of the Hot Lunch Program, we are pleased to continue the tradition of ESPO volunteers helping with preparation and service each Friday. This cherished tradition will include offerings of cheese, pepperoni, and gluten-free/dairy-free pizza options, along with salad, milk, and rotating desserts. Thank you ESPO for your continued support!

How to Get Started
To participate, please log in at emersonlunch.ahotlunch.com, create an account using the campus code: emersonlunch, and place your orders. If you are planning to order lunch or milk at any time during the school year, you must create a HotLunch account.

For questions or assistance, please visit the Software Support section on the HotLunch platform or email lunchsupport@emerson-school.org.

Hot Lunch & Pizza Lunch Ordering Windows
Keep an eye on the Thursday Emerson newsletters for menu ordering dates and times.

Please be assured that all students will have access to food each day. Any student, regardless of their lunch orders, may choose items from the fruit and vegetable table. For any special concerns or questions, please contact Kate Lowrie at klowrie@emerson-school.org.

To support students with whatever emotional or learning needs that may arise, Emerson maintains an exceptional Learning Support team, including a full-time Counselor, Learning Support Specialists, and Learning Support Tutors. Please contact your child’s teacher to discuss whether Learning Support may be appropriate for your child.

Emerson continuously works to ensure the safety of our students, which include the following ongoing initiatives.

Drills
Emerson routinely conducts drills so students, faculty, and staff are prepared to react to emergency situations safely, efficiently, and effectively. These include fire drills and tornado drills, both scheduled and at random times, and ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) drills for responding to on-campus threats.
+ A record of Emerson’s safety drills is available here, as legally required.

Health and Safety Committee
Emerson has a Health and Safety Committee comprised of faculty, staff, and administrators, which meets monthly. This committee analyzes student injury reports, reviews and responds to concerns brought by community members, and ensures the completion of regular drills (such as fire, tornado, and ALICE). We try to work proactively (what can we do to prevent injury?) as well as reactively (what should have been done differently, and what can we change?). The committee’s goal is to routinize our examination of risk with a goal toward constant improvement.

Risk Task Force
The Board of Trustees maintains a Risk Task Force charged with consideration of all potential risks to Emerson’s students, employees, and equipment. From this review, the Risk Task Force both makes recommendations to the Head of School for action, as well as prioritizes suggestions for future capital expenses for increasing safety. This Task Force takes a strategic view of risk in the broadest sense, and its work is ongoing.

 2024–2025 TUITION

• Young Fives: $18,832
• Kindergarten: $21,203
• Grades 1–5: $25,678
• Grades 6–8: $27,748

TUITION REFUND INSURANCE OPTION

Emerson School recommends participating in the Tuition Refund Insurance Plan, which provides families with tuition obligation coverage in the event of a student’s withdrawal or dismissal from the school before the academic year is completed. The fee for the 2022-2023 school year is:

• Young Fives: $355.92
• Kindergarten: $400.74
• Grades 1–5: $585.31
• Grades 6–8: $524.44

+ A.W.G. Dewar, Inc. Tuition Refund Insurance Plan coverage

2024–2025 TUITION PAYMENT PLANS

By default, families will continue with the same payment schedule for the current school year unless you choose to modify it. Please email Michelle Schefsky, at mschefsky@emerson-school.org or 734-665-5662, ext. 118 to verify or make changes. Changes must be submitted to the business office by March 1, 2024.

Plan A – Full Payment Plan
The tuition balance (minus the deposit) will be paid by July 15 of the current school year. There is no annual fee for this payment option. If tuition is not paid in full by July 15 of the applicable school year, then this payment plan shall become the 10 Month Payment Plan (Plan C).

Plan B – 2 Month Payment Plan
FACTS will bill the tuition balance (minus the deposit) in two (2) monthly installments, (May 15, and September 15 of the applicable school year). The $20.00 annual installment fee will be added to the student account. If tuition is not paid in full by October 15 of the applicable school year, then this payment plan shall become the 10 Month Payment Plan (Plan C).

• Young Fives: $9,416.00 per payment
• Kindergarten: $10,601.50 per payment
• Grades 1–5: $12,839.00 per payment
• Grades 6–8: $13,874.00 per payment

Plan C – 10 Month Payment Plan
FACTS will bill the tuition balance (minus the deposit) in ten (10) monthly installments, beginning May 15 preceding the upcoming school year and ending on February 15 of the applicable school year. The $50.00 annual installment fee will be added to the student account.

• Young Fives: $1,883.20 per payment
• Kindergarten: $2,120.30 per payment
• Grades 1–5: $2,567.80 per payment
• Grades 6–8: $2,774.80 per payment

ESPO DUES

The Emerson School Parent Organization (ESPO) collects a $50 annual due to help supplement the many school enrichment events it coordinates throughout the year. Please contact the Business Office if you would like to opt-out of your ESPO dues contribution.

Enrollment for students automatically renews until you tell us otherwise—no need to complete another reenrollment contract. This makes it easier for re-enrolling families without adding any extra work for those who don’t.

What to Expect

• You will be notified of any tuition and fee adjustments, as well as financial aid awards, prior to the disenrollment deadline.
• Your child’s enrollment will automatically renew and 10% of your total tuition for the school year will be non-transferable and non-refundable.

If You Don’t Intend to Reenroll
Complete an Intent to Enroll or Disenroll form through your SchoolAdmin parent portal. You won’t be billed, and your space will be made available for new applicants. Please take a moment to answer the questions on the disenrollment form, as we value your opinion and the input will help us to improve our programs here at Emerson.

Families will receive information on enrollment and disenrollment in early February.