The Civic School is an independent private school opening in Central Phoenix in Fall 2027, serving grades 1–5 to begin. Mornings are devoted to serious core academics; afternoons to the Studios — civics, social skills, and understanding the world through real projects. We make three commitments: your child will learn how to think, contribute to their community, and meet what’s next.
Civic is the practice of being a contributing member of a community. Our “civic” is the town hall and the shared meal - not the government. It lives in the daily work of being known, knowing others in return, and caring for the people nearby.
No. We are an independent school, and our understanding of civic life is human-scale: children learning to contribute, lead responsibly, and care for a community. Families of every background and belief are welcome here.
Dr. Danielle Bryant, who grew up in the Central Phoenix neighborhoods the school serves. Her doctoral research — on how schools can be of service to our democracy — is the school’s intellectual foundation. Read her letter to families →
At 2131 E Lincoln Drive in Central Phoenix, at the foot of Piestewa Peak. Plan a visit →
Mornings are for core academics - literacy and math - taught with care and depth when young minds are freshest. Afternoons are for the Studios: sustained blocks of real project work. Every day begins with a morning meeting and ends with a closing circle, and every week includes an all-school town hall hosted by a rotating class, with half-day Fridays. See the full day →
The Studios are sustained afternoon blocks centered on civics, social skills, and understanding the world through real projects — work that unfolds over weeks, with real questions, real materials, and real audiences. Ask a child here what they’re working on; they’ll have an answer.
Explicit, and human-first. We don’t know what the future holds for an AI-native generation — but we do know how children’s brains develop, so that is where we start. In the early grades we build attention, executive function, and self-knowledge; AI enters children’s hands on a deliberate, published grade-by-grade ladder, co-engaged with a teacher and never as a companion. Meanwhile our adults use AI fluently — behind the teachers, not in front of the children. Read our full approach to AI →
With evidence, not adjectives. Academics are measured with MAP Growth — the nationally normed assessment — twice a year starting in our first year, so you see your child’s reading and math growth against national norms from the first semester. Social and cognitive growth is reported three times a year through SCOPE™, our founder-developed framework: your child’s level in each of seven domains, with quotes of observed behavior as evidence and specific ways home can help. And exhibition nights put the actual work in front of you every season. See how we measure →
SCOPE™ is our founder-developed assessment — seven observable domains of social and cognitive growth, from emotion regulation to ethical decision-making, taken three times a year and reported to families after each cycle. Never a composite score: a portrait of your child, with the evidence to show for it. Learn how SCOPE™ works →
We open in Fall 2027 with grades 1–5 — a small opening class that grows with our founding families year over year.
$14,000 per year, per child, for grades 1–5 — one figure for the full program. Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) can be applied toward tuition, and we’ll help your family understand your options.
Yes. ClassWallet specialists are available to help every founding family with tuition planning and payment — from the state application through your first payment. No family should have to figure this out alone.
Tuition is $14,000 either way — the ESA changes how it’s paid, not what it costs. Families who prefer not to use the ESA simply pay tuition directly, and we’ll set up a payment schedule that works.
Each child’s ESA award is their own, so it applies per child. If you’re enrolling more than one child, talk to us — we want whole families here.
Our aim is one honest number. As enrollment opens, founding families will see the complete picture — tuition and anything beyond it — before they’re asked to commit to anything.
Always. The Civic School is being built for the families of this community, and cost should be a question you can ask out loud. Write to us and we’ll talk it through honestly.
The families of the opening class. Founding families join us before opening day, hear about tours and enrollment first, meet the founder, and help shape the school as plans become classrooms. See how to join →
No application fees, no admissions maze. Becoming a founding family starts with a conversation — join the waitlist, meet us, visit, and enroll when you’re ready.
Join the founding-family waitlist — it takes a few minutes, and you’ll be first to hear about tours, enrollment, and campus milestones. Or just say hello: danielle@thecivicschool.org.
Good — wondering is the whole point of this school. Write to us and you’ll hear back from a person, not a portal.