Are Florida scholarships accepted, and which ones?+
Not yet. As a new school we are working through the state approval process to accept Florida's main scholarship programs, and we will guide families through it the moment we are able. Here is what the programs are, so you can plan ahead. The FES-EO (Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options) is now universal: any Florida K-12 student can apply regardless of diagnosis, with an average award of around $8,000 per year. The FES-UA (Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities) is for students with a qualifying diagnosed disability such as autism, ADHD, or dyslexia, with an average award of around $10,000 per year. If your child has an IEP, 504, or documented diagnosis they likely qualify for FES-UA; otherwise FES-EO is open to everyone.
How much is tuition?+
Tuition for the 2026–27 school year is $34,000. We are a small, high-touch program: a cohort under ten students, an expert guide, and a model built around each child, which is what the tuition reflects. Compared with the one-to-one and AI-guided programs Miami families often weigh for learners like ours, it sits well below them. We are not yet approved for Florida’s scholarship programs, but once we are, FES-EO and FES-UA can offset part of this for qualifying families.
My child has never thrived in a group setting. Will this be different?+
We expect this and design for it. Every new student gets a personal onboarding visit before their first day, to see the space, meet their guide, find where their things live, and learn the daily rhythm without other children present. The first weeks are low-demand and high-trust. A calm re-entry space is always available, transitions are always supported, and nothing requires performance before a student is ready. What we do need is that a student can be present in the same space as others without significant risk to themselves or the group. This isn't a high bar; it's simply that a community of under 10 students only works when everyone feels genuinely safe.
How do I know what my child is actually learning?+
Every student has a living portfolio (work samples, photos, and observation notes) that you can access at any time. You'll receive a weekly update. There are no report cards or standardised tests. Instead, we use a three-layer curriculum model: Layer 1 ensures every student encounters all five foundation domains (literacy, numeracy, science, arts, social reasoning) across the year. Layer 2, agreed with you at enrollment and revisited each term, captures what your child specifically needs. Layer 3 is pure student-owned depth. You'll always know exactly where your child is and why.
What about subjects my child actively avoids?+
When a guide notices a consistent gap, the protocol is: first, look hard to see if the domain is present in an unrecognised form. Then bring the observation to the family, before any action, because you likely have context we don't. Then guide and family together design a specific, student-transparent approach. We never act unilaterally. The student is always part of the conversation.
Do you teach literacy and maths directly, or only through projects?+
Both. Most learning at Berek Fano happens through student-directed projects, where literacy, numeracy, science, arts, and social reasoning emerge naturally from the work. We also run short weekly workshops (40 minutes, Monday through Thursday) that focus on one foundation domain at a time. These workshops are always connected to what students are currently making, they're never standalone drills. Monday is literacy, Tuesday is numeracy, Wednesday is scientific thinking, and Thursday is flexible based on what the week needs. This hybrid model is how High Tech High, the most studied project-based school in the US, operates the same way. Pure embedded learning sounds appealing but isn't reliably sufficient. We're honest about that, and the workshops are our reliability mechanism.
Who is Berek Fano actually for?+
Gifted and neurodivergent learners in first through fifth grade who are capable, curious, and not well-served by standard schooling. That includes gifted children who are bored and beginning to disengage, twice-exceptional children (gifted and neurodivergent) who are being pulled in two directions, and children with ADHD, dyslexia, autism, or other profiles whose way of thinking is an asset in the right environment and a liability in the wrong one. What our students share is not a diagnosis. It's a learning profile that goes deep rather than broad, and a history of schools that didn't quite fit. We are not the right fit for every child. Students need a reliable way to communicate, the ability to engage in project work for meaningful stretches, and the capacity to be present in a small group safely. If you're not sure, tell us about your child. That conversation is always honest, and if we're not the right school we'll try to help you find one that is.
Is this a Montessori school?+
Berek Fano is a problem-based, curiosity-driven learning environment, not a Montessori school in the traditional sense. Our learning design draws on several decades of evidence including Montessori principles, project-based learning research, and self-determination theory, combined into a model built specifically for autistic learners with AI integrated throughout. Most learning happens through student-directed projects. We also run short weekly workshops in literacy, numeracy, and science, always connected to current project work, because we take foundation coverage seriously enough not to leave it entirely to chance. We take what works from multiple traditions and leave behind anything that doesn't serve our specific students.
What happens if my child has a really difficult day?+
It depends on what difficult means for your child, and we want to know that before they start. Some children dysregulate loudly. Some go very quiet. Some need to leave the room. Some need to stay close to an adult. The quiet nook is available at any time, no questions asked. The guide won't draw attention to a child who needs to step away, and re-entry is always calm and private. We'll tell you within 24 hours if something significant happened, not at the end of term. And we'll ask you what works at home, because you've been figuring that out longer than we have.
Can my child keep their therapies and accommodations?+
Yes, and we understand how much they matter. Many neurodivergent children rely on support like RBT, OT, or speech therapy, alongside everyday accommodations, and we embrace that fully. We don’t provide those therapies ourselves. Berek Fano is a school, and the guide is an educator, not a clinician. But we make room for them: scheduled breaks or sessions where workable, re-entry handled with care, and coordination with your providers so school and therapy pull together. The everyday accommodations these children need, sensory tools, movement breaks, a quiet place to regulate, flexible ways to communicate, are simply part of how the room works.