BROOKLYN WALDORF SCHOOL

Families who want a developmentally-paced, arts-rich, screen-free elementary education and are ready to plug into a tight, mission-driven school community.

• Main Lesson blocks run three to four weeks per subject, replacing the choppy textbook-and-period schedule with deep, immersive units.
• Orchestra begins in third grade — unusually early for an elementary school, with strings as the entry instrument.
• Children do real handwork and woodworking, including knitting, sewing, and basic woodworking with hand tools.
• Mandarin and Spanish are offered as world languages, with Mandarin a less common choice among NYC independents.
• The 5.7:1 student-teacher ratio at a 136-student school means teachers genuinely know every child and every family.

• Tuition is $32,350 across the board — on the more affordable end for NYC private elementary, but still a real number with no sliding scale in the data.
• The no-screens philosophy is intentional and runs through fifth grade; families need to be fully on board with delaying screens at home.
• Reading and formal academics are deliberately introduced later than at most schools, which can mean a transition for kids moving on to traditional middle schools.
• At 136 students spread across seven grades, each cohort is small — roughly 19 children per grade on average.
• The student body reflects families who specifically chose Waldorf rather than a neighborhood population, so the community fit is worth testing in person at an open house.