How is this homeschooling" if it’s not happening at “home”?

The Small School serves homeschool students in Northern New Mexico, and online, but rather than having parents as the primary, often traditional, source of education, TSS offers an alternative for busy families, inexperienced home-educators, or those looking for more from their homeschool experience. All of TSS’s students are enrolled as homeschool students through the state but receive the majority of instruction from our extensively qualified and professional educators. All of our courses are aligned with state and grade-level standards yet surpass this small scope of reference to immerse our students in coursework beyond the parameters that can typically be offered by public and private institutions.

Is this a brand-new school? I’m nervous about being in the first cohort.

Nope! This is not a brand-new school. We have been teaching private homeschool classes in Santa Fe for half a decade (see our testimonials)! For the 2025-2026 school year we are re-branding ourselves a bit, hosting more group classes, and taking up a permanent classroom space near downtown Santa Fe. We will still serve homeschoolers, and only homeschoolers. We’re so delighted at the community we have built and can’t wait to serve more students and families.

I’m already a student, can I expect a big change?

Not necessarily! The only changes that you can expect are more group classes and a slight change to our class days and times. We will still maintain one-on-one classes, which we will begin calling Lyceum. Every student at The Small School can expect at least one Lyceum period a week for an independent study or specialized tutoring. We never want to lose this important element of student success that makes our school so unique!

I’m considering joining as a new student. What’s the admissions process like?

We’re excited about the prospect! The application process is simple. First, contact us personally to request a conversation with our director. The next steps may include application forms and a “come and see” visit or a class shadow. We devote extensive care and attention to making sure each student is a good fit for our unique school and that we can accommodate the varying needs of our students. If we do not have space available we do offer a waitlist for those interested.

What is a typical weekly schedule and what subjects do you teach?

Our classes meet Monday-Thursday from 9am to 1pm. Our school year calendar typically aligns with most private and public schools in Santa Fe county.

We teach all core and STEM subjects, including but not limited to: English language arts, history, mathematics, science, and foreign language. Our offerings always meet, and typically exceed, state grade-level standards. Our Lyceum program is what makes us stand out: every one of our students has a one-on-one independent study period or specialized tutoring session with our school director each week. Our philosophy is lived out in our teachers’ daily actions, and we consider it a moral duty to offer our students the most robust course of study possible.

You can find more information about our classes by reviewing the curriculum for our Lower and Upper schools.

How will the small class sizes be beneficial for my student?

We are committed to emphasizing a sense of relational and holistic education in our classrooms. Relational education focuses on the teacher-student relationship as the primary indicator of success in a student’s educational journey. It emphasizes dialogue, narrative inquiry, and relationship building. The student becomes invested in the teacher as a reliable guide towards discovery and truth. It is this foundational relationship that forms a scaffolding of trust so that the student, especially when challenged, understands their unique responsibility as an equal participant in the educational experience. In combination with an emphasis on relationship building, a holistic education is a teaching method that considers a student’s physical, emotional, and mental abilities in equal measure to their academics. Holistic education helps the educator challenge and support students in individualized ways by integrating subjects of personal interest, focusing on executive functioning skills, preparing students for real-world challenges, and helping students become more resilient, empathetic, and collaborative.

Do you offer financial aid?

Due to the nature of us being a homeschool alternative we are unable to offer financial aid at this time. We do our best to reduce overhead as much as possible and based on our incredibly low 1:4 teacher to student ratio we consider ourselves competitively priced among other private school options in Santa Fe.

Do you accept part-time students?

We are happy to accept applications from part-time students. We understand that some families want to continue homeschooling on their own some days and would benefit from the option of attending our classroom the other half of the time. More information about becoming a part-time student and attending our drop-in classes can be found here.

Do you accept online-only students?

We are happy to accept applications for part-time, online-only students. We have found that virtual students joining one of our core subjects or electives helps complement the in-person homeschool experience they may have at home.

I’m new to homeschooling. What are the legal parameters?

Homeschooling is an exciting, accessible, and long-tested alternative to traditional schooling options. You can read all about the legal parameters in New Mexico, and more, on your state designated homeschool education page.

My student is younger than fifth grade, can I still apply?

We are happy to accept waitlist applications for students younger than fifth grade, though at this time we do not anticipate expanding our grade tiers.

I’m sure we missed something!

Dialogue and conversation are our favorite parts of the job. Please reach out so we can answer your questions and help give you a sense of what The Small School is all about.