Family Involvement

Before you make the decision to apply to Wilmington Cooperative School we would like you to understand and thoughtfully consider the unique philosophies and responsibilities of our cooperative environment. Being part of a cooperative school is a rewarding experience that gives parents/guardians the opportunity to be an integral part of their child’s education. In addition, it is the family involvement that enables us to keep membership dues affordable.

For WCS, the intentional participation of parents/guardians in the community and as voluntary contributors is essential. We encourage you to think carefully about whether or not you share our perspectives—both on whole-child education and parent involvement—in order to determine if WCS is the right fit for your family. It is of the utmost importance for families to understand and commit to fulfilling their obligations as part of our cooperative.

Obligations include:

1. Aide days: A classroom volunteer workshift is the time a parent spends supporting facilitators and children in the classroom and on the playground. A parent/guardian from every family commits to approximately one full day per month aiding in the school; the shift includes daily cleaning. Exact frequency will depend on enrollment.
2. Serving on a committee: Each family in the WCS community contributes time and skills in accordance with their abilities, schedule, and/or interests. While time requirements per job vary, each family can expect to contribute a minimum of 40 hours over the course of the school year. Examples of committees include:
   1. Building Committee
   2. Social and Hospitality Committee
   3. Documentarian and Technology Committee
   4. Marketing Committee
   5. Fundraising Committee
3. Other Parent Responsibilities: Contribute to the maintenance of the center. Each family completes one weekend deep clean per year, to include maintaining or organizing the center and its grounds. Each family has a role in the yearly “big clean” along with the entire WCS community.
4. Financial Responsibilities: Please review our Membership Overview page for membership levels and associated dues. Membership dues alone do not cover all of the operating expenses for WCS. Parents are expected to actively participate in fundraising efforts throughout the year.
5. Educational Responsibilities: Each family must register with the state of North Carolina as a legal homeschool and adhere to the yearly requirements. Please visit the NC Dept. of Administration website for more information. There is abundant opportunity for learning at WCS through the offerings of our community and beyond, but any supplemental or standardized education (extracurriculars, tutoring, online courses, etc.) will be the sole responsibility of the parent/guardian.