Tuition & Policies
23/24 SCHOOL SESSION REGISTRATION FEE
Registration Fee - $50 per family/household, charged annually upon School Session registration*
Annual registration fees are due upon registration for each School Session to both new and returning families and includes registration for any summer classes. School Session registrations are not accepted after February, unless special exception is given by Artistic Director.
*$25 Re-registration fee is charged if a student un-enrolls, then later re-enrolls in the same School Session
23/24 SCHOOL SESSION TUITION
Tuition and discounts below are for the 23/24 School Session only and is different than summer program tuition and discounts.
Tuition is based on the total tuition for our 2023/2024 School Session, divided into 10 equal installments: August/June, September, October, November, December, January, February, March, April, May. Closures/Holidays have already been factored into the total School Session tuition.
For students who enroll mid-season, a partial installment will be billed on June 1st, as August + June (both partial months) was billed for students at the top of the School Session.
Tuition installment is auto charged on the first of each month. New students registering mid-month will have their tuition installment prorated for that month. Otherwise, tuition is not prorated for reduced schedules, vacations, illness, injury or mid-month drops.
Families are required to be on auto-pay, keeping an active credit card on file or ACH for direct bank withdrawal. We do not accept monthly tuition installment payments in cash or check.
Semester tuition payment made via check is accepted, with a 3% discount applied, due by August 21st (Semester 1) and December 20th (Semester 2). Semester payment is not available to those who enroll mid semester. Please notify school upon enrollment that you would like make a semester payment via check, made out to Bay Area Ballet Conservatory.
Tuition for Pre Professional Division classes vary depending on hours / week instruction. To calculate, use the tuition installment information above, then apply any applicable multi-class and/or sibling discounts. For example, a student taking (3) 90 minute classes and (1) 60 minute classes would take $148 x 3, + $98 to get base installment. Take the total and apply 20% off for multi-class discount (4 classes).
Late Payments
Families whose tuition payment was not able to be processed (declined payment) will be automatically sent an email and request card on file be updated. Monthly tuition is auto processed between the 1st and the 3rd of the month with your card on file, and any additional performance related fees according to the pay plan communicated. Cards on file must be updated within 5 business days of receiving declined notice. After which, a $25 late fee will be applied. Students whose accounts are in arrears may receive notice that they may not return to classes/rehearsals until balance is zero.
Refunds & Credits
Tuition and Registration Fees are non-refundable. Refunds or credits are not provided for when class is not held during school holidays. These holidays were already factored into your tuition.
Tuition credits are not available for missed classes. Exception can be made at the discretion of the Director/Owners if student has missed four or more weeks of classes due to injury or illness and provided with a doctor’s note.
Tuition will be prorated for new students enrolling mid-month. Otherwise, BABC does not prorate tuition for any other circumstance.
Unforeseen Cancellations
If classes are cancelled due to weather or emergency conditions out of control of BABC, no refunds or credits will be accommodated. Make up classes will be offered if possible. Example circumstance: Power or water out at BABC due to city, AQI dangerous due to fires, severe storms, State/County required lockdown, etc.
Withdrawal, Adding/Dropping Classes, Class Transfers
In the event of a withdrawal from classes, please notify the School by emailing school@bayareabc.com prior to the end of the month, in order to not be billed for the following month or future months.
We do not pause enrollment to hold a student’s place in class while family is taking a break / travelling. *$25 Re-registration fee is charged if a student un-enrolls, then later re-enrolls in the same School Session
Your student may switch to an equivalent level class (i.e. from Saturday Level 1 to Thursday Level 1) if there is space available and prior to December 1, due to year-end performance preparations and costume orders. Please note that tuition will be impacted by adding or dropping classes
Student Placement & Advancement
Pre Ballet, Level 1A and Level 1B are determined based on age guidelines. After Level 1B, placement will be determined by a placement class for new students or faculty recommendation for current students. Students do not advance mid-year, unless on the rare occasion it is recommended by both Artistic Director and Faculty. If a mid-year advancement is suggested, the move will typically be made as of January during the School Session (August - June).
Students in Pre Ballet continue learning in this level until student is entering Kindergarten/Age 5 by September 1, which is our age guideline for Level 1A. Level 1A and Level 1B students typically spend one full academic year and one summer in each level. There are circumstances, such as a student enrolling late in the School Session or poor attendance, where a student will be recommended to remain in their current level for a longer length of time.
Students in our Pre-Professional Divisions should anticipate spending multiple years of continued learning in each level. The higher the level, the longer the length of time the student can expect to spend in that level mastering the material.
Additional School Policies
Arrival & Departure
Parking: Complimentary parking is available in spaces numbered 271 and 275. Please do not park in front of our front door.
Arrival: Students must enter the building wearing street shoes and clothes over his/her uniform.
Primary Division Students (Pre Ballet 1 - Elementary) should arrive 10 minutes prior to the start class.
Pre-Professional & Dance Division students should arrive 15 minutes prior to the start of class.
A parent/guardian of Pre-Ballet 1 students must remain in the building during the duration of class.
Students should not be dropped off more than 30 minutes early for their class. Our Faculty and Staff are not a daycare service.
Late Arrival: Once class is in progress, students are to wait outside of the classroom door and enter only when music is not playing. Upon entering classroom, students are to wait until teacher invites them to join the class and curtsy/bow to the teacher. As late arrivals can cause a student to miss important warm-up exercises, students more than 10 minutes late may be asked to sit and observe class at the discretion of the teacher. This is for the safety of the student. Refunds or Make-Up classes are not granted for classes a student has been asked to observe due to tardiness. Frequent tardiness can cause a delay in a student’s progress and level placement.
Waiting: Parents are welcome to wait for class to be dismissed in the lobby or the provided seating in our hallways. We request all parents of Pre Ballet 1 students stay in the building during the duration of the class. Otherwise, parents are also welcome to leave and return 5 minutes prior to the completion of their child’s class. BABC has complimentary WiFi!
Departure: All students should depart from classes wearing street shoes and clothes over his/her uniform. Students are not to wait outside for pickup.
Students must be picked up within 15 minutes of the end of their class. If you are unable to pick up your student in a timely fashion, please contact the school at 650.745.8239. Parents will be charged a fee of $15 per half hour for any time the staff must wait with student beyond the allowed pick-up time.
Facility
Lobby Viewing Screen: BABC’s lobby has a television with a live-stream of what is happening in our studio rooms. This was installed for security reasons, for parents to take a quick peek at their dancers, and for families visiting BABC for the first time to get a better glimpse at their child in their first class. Please DO NOT OVERCROWD our lobby to watch the screen. Please DO NOT REARRANGE FURNITURE so that you can see the screen better OR RELOCATE SEATING to our lobby. The amount of seating provided in our front lobby is appropriate for its size and a safe flow of traffic. A reminder that we have additional seating in the back of the building, and we have semesterly parent observation weeks.
Lobby & Common Spaces: In an effort to keep our lobby and common spaces respectful that classes are in session keep a calm learning environment, please help us by keeping an eye on your dancers and siblings. Couches are not for jumping, hallways are not for running, voices are not for yelling, etc. Please use headphones if noise/music is in use with tablets/ipads/computers/smartphones.
Trash: Please take care to throw away trash in the appropriate trash bin. Our recycling is for cans and bottles only. Otherwise, we must weekly dig through gross recycling bins removing regular trash from the cans and bottles bin.
Attendance
Students are expected to attend every class for which they are scheduled. Consistent attendance is crucial to the success of a dancer’s training. It is also critical that students arrive to class on time, focused and ready to learn.
To Report an Absence: Please report prior to the start of your child’s scheduled class time by emailing school@bayareabc.com. Please write “absent,” your child’s name and level in your subject line. Example: Absent – Maria Taglioni – PreBallet 1. In the body of the email, please state the reason for your child’s absence. Email is best, but to report an absence by calling, please call 650.745.8239. When leaving a message, please leave your child’s name, level and date of absence. We appreciate you letting us know when your child will be absent.
To Report Extended Absences: Please submit an extended absence request via email to school@bayareabc.com at least one week prior to the date(s) of absence. Please write “absence request,” your child’s name and level in your subject line. Example: Absence Request – Mikhail Baryishnikov – Pre-Ballet 1. In the body of the email, please state the reason for your child’s extended absence. This is usually a circumstance of family emergency or student injury/illness.
Excessive Absences: Please keep absences to a minimum. Excessive absences will negatively effect a students progress Consistency in attendance is a key factor to your student’s success in their dance training! At the discretion of the Artistic Director, students with excessive absences may be removed from participation from productions that are in progress, such as Clara’s Dream, Youth Company productions, or our Year-End Student Concert.
BABC has especially high expectations for the dedication and effort of our Pre-Professional Division students, which includes exceptional attendance. Of course, we ask that students do not attend class if feeling ill.
Make-Up Classes
Make-up classes may be available on a limited basis. Make-up classes may be taken in current or lower level and must be scheduled in advance with the front desk or by emailing school@bayareabc.com. Make-up classes may not be available for some levels due to scheduling conflicts and are not available in classes that are full. Make-up classes are only available to actively enrolled students and any make-up classes in que are forfeited upon unenrollment.
A maximum of 6 make-up classes may be scheduled during August – March and must be taken within 30 days of the missed class. Exceptions can be made at the discretion of the Artistic Director if a student has missed four or more weeks of classes due to injury or illness. No make-up lessons will be available past the last day of March due to proximity to the Year-End Student Concert. No make-up classes will be scheduled during “Peek Week” - parent observation classes. Make-Ups cannot be transferred to different sessions. (For example, a missed class from School Session may not be made up during Summer Session.) Exception can be made at the discretion of Artistic Director if student has missed four or more weeks of classes due to injury or illness. No make-up lessons will be available past April 1, 2024 due to Year-End Student Concert preparations. No make-up classes will be scheduled during “Peek Week” - parent observation classes. Make-Ups cannot be transferred to different sessions. (For example, a missed class from School Session may not be made up during Summer Session.)
"Peek Weeks" | Parent Observation
Bay Area Ballet Conservatory offers 2 Parent Observation weeks throughout the School Session where family is invited into the classroom to observe. Typically, Parent Observation weeks are the week prior to Thanksgiving Break and the week prior to Spring Break. Parent Observation Week(s) may be delayed or cancelled depending on the pandemic and risk associated with inviting a gathering of parents into the studio with the students. BABC will make a determination as each proposed week approaches. Parents may only view classes during scheduled Peek Weeks. Make-up observation days are not available.
Peek Week is not open to the public and is limited to Parent/Guardians of registered students. Immediate family is welcome, as space permits. Due to space limitations, please contact school@bayareabc.com to request more than 2 observing family members.
Parents may take short videos and pictures of their child during Parent Observation classes.