Admissions Policies

WCA Admissions Policies

All students are welcome regardless of race, gender, religion or national background.

• WCA is a Christ-centered school which seeks to develop both academic excellence and spiritual growth.
• Non-US Citizen student applicants who are registered in the United States under Form I-20, and for whom English is a second language, may be admitted but will be limited in number. (See “international Student Policy”, below).
• WCA is NOT equipped to provide services to students with severe learning, emotional, social or behavioral issues.

WCA has a rolling admission policy, so applications may be submitted for consideration at any time during the year. Acceptance is offered in the order received, and is conditional upon the following:

• A completed application packet, including the application form, social and achievement records from former schools where applicable, references, the application fee, and a school visit and tour.
• A writing sample for all students entering grades 2-8 (including students for whom English is a second language).
• A standardized math and reading test.
• An interview with the Headmaster, in person, or in unusual cases electronically.
• Students with existing IEP’s or previously identified learning issues must include this information with the application packet.
• Acceptance is conditional for every new student through the first eight weeks of attendance.

Parents/Guardians need to participate in the admission process and fully support the decision to send their child to WCA.

• Understand that WCA’s statement of faith is the underlying premise of all we teach.
• Expect a decision within six weeks of completion of admissions procedures.

Enrollment permitting, students will be placed according to their ages and completion of the previous grade.

• Preschool: 2-years, nine-months-old by October 1st — two, three or five half or full days per week.
• Kindergarten: 5-years-old by October 1st.
• Elementary (Grades 1-5): 6-years old by October 1st.
• Middle School (Grades 6-8): successful completion of the previous grade.

International Student Policy

As Christians, we are responsible to spread the gospel of Christ throughout the world, to be a church of all nations. By introducing international students to WCA, we are able to share the love of Christ within the context of a Christian school, and also provide a cross-cultural experience for the entire student body.

Many international students are interested in learning English and experiencing Western culture. WCA students can benefit from their diverse cultural backgrounds and their determination to overcome language barriers.

Who is an international student?

• A student whose primary language is not English, and
• has come to the US for less than six months, or is registered under Form I20 according to US law, and has received an official certificate of health, and
• is accompanied by a parent or guardian for the permitted duration of time.

The application process:

A parent or guardian fills out a WCA international student application form, which will be processed according to standard application procedures.  This must include:

• A birth certificate
• A certificate of health/immunization record
• The student’s most recent report card, translated into English
• Guardianship documents, if applicable.
• Proof of health insurance
• An international student participation agreement.
• A non-refundable application fee of $160
• A non-refundable enrollment deposit of $300, which will later be applied to tuition.

If the student is accepted, a letter of acceptance will be sent. This is a prerequisite for the student visa application.

The full tuition balance is due prior to the first day the student attends school.

If student authorization cannot be obtained, or if the student/parent/guardian decides that the student cannot attend WCA, a portion of the paid tuition may be refunded. The enrollment deposit of $300, however, will be retained to cover administrative costs.

• If the government does not approve the student’s I20 form, a full refund will be provided. This well require an original copy of the letter of rejection.
• If the student/family withdraws before the first day of attendance, a full refund will be given.
• If the student/family withdraws during the first month of attendance, two-thirds of the tuition will be refunded.
• After one month of attendance, no refund will be given.
• If the student is dismissed from the school due to a violation of American law, or a contravention of school policy, there will be no refund of tuition.

These procedures are in effect through the 2009-10 school year, but are subject to change at the discretion of the Board.

Policies for Admitting Special Needs Students

A student with known special learning needs who applies to WCA must present:

• Documentation identifying the special learning needs
• A current IEP (Individual Education Plan)

If the child has not been previously identified with special learning needs, but such needs are evidenced during the admission process, an evaluation and IEP may be required before the admission decision can be made. The documentation identifying the special learning needs must include all previous test results (academic, physical, psychological, etc.). The psychological evaluation must be within one year of the application date.

In addition to the above documentation, WCA administers an achievement test in math, reading and writing to all students entering grades two through eight. WCA is unable to accept students with severe social, emotional, behavioral, or academic issues.

When a WCA student is identified as having special learning needs and/or their academic achievement is falling behind, a meeting will be held with parents, teachers, and administration to make recommendations for future action. This may involve going to the public school in the child’s hometown for testing so that an IEP can be developed. Once the IEP is in hand, action must be taken by both the parents and the school to provide for the suggested accommodations. If WCA concludes that these accommodations would cause undue burden on the school as well as on other students, the parents will be informed in writing within thirty days and advised on where else to seek help.

Policies for Admitting Academically Talented Students

Students identified as “academically talented” must have demostrated exceptional ability (95 percentile or higher) on cognitive tests such as the Otis-Lennon School Ability Index. Such students will be placed in the grade level appropriate to their chronological age, and within that environment special effort will be made to challenge the student at the level of their ability.