Spring Branch Academy – Jonesville, Michigan

(Frequently Asked Questions)

Overview

When was the school founded?

• Our director, Dr. Robert Snyder, founded Spring Branch Academy in 2012.

How big is Spring Branch?

• In the 2022-2023 school year, Spring Branch had twenty-three students enrolled from twenty-one different families. We expect a larger number of students in 2023-24 as we open our middle school program.

How many teachers does the school have?

• The school currently has four experienced teachers and one chaplain. We will be adding two middle school teachers in 2023-24.
• For more information about our faculty, please visit our faculty page.

How far do students travel to attend?

• Most of our students live within a 30-minute drive of our location at Countryside Bible Church.

When do classes meet?

• Our middle school classes meet Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings.
• High school freshman and sophomore classes meet Tuesday and Thursday for the entire school day.
• High school juniors and seniors meet Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoons.

Philosophy

What is the mission of Spring Branch Academy?

• Spring Branch exists to bring glory to God by instilling wisdom and inspiring worship in every student.
• For more information, please visit our Mission and Goals page.

Does Spring Branch include parents in education?

• Spring Branch affirms that the Christian education of a child is the responsibility of his/her parents. As such, we believe our task is to partner with parents in the educational process.
• Our parents oversee the completion of schoolwork during non-class days. We also have an annual parents workshop in the fall and parent-teacher conferences every fall and spring.

Is Spring Branch a classical school?

• Spring Branch’s high school curriculum includes the traditional disciplines of classical education, namely the trivium (Greek, logic, rhetoric) and the quadrivium (mathematics/science). To these, our program adds humanities (history/literature) and theology (twelve topics in philosophy, Christianity, and family life).
• Visit this page for more details on our philosophy of education.

What denomination is the school?

• Spring Branch is a ministry of Countryside Bible Church, a non-denominational, independent Bible church. Our director, Dr. Robert Snyder, serves as a pastor at Countryside Bible Church.
• Our statement of faith, which all our faculty adhere to, can be found at this page.
• Our students, however, come from a variety of denominations and religious backgrounds.  We do not require our students or parents to adhere to our statement of faith; we only require that they show some fear of God and respect for authority.

Curriculum

What courses does Spring Branch offer?

• Our four-year high school program includes Theology, Humanities (Western Civilization I and II, American History and Lit, Public Policy), Language Arts (Greek, Logic, Rhetoric), Science (Nature, Biology, Chemistry, Physics) and Mathematics (Pre-Algebra through Pre-Calculus). Details on our high school curriculum can be found at this page. The four-year course sequence is also described here.
• Our two-year middle school program includes classes in Bible, Writing (or Grammar), Nature as Numbers, and Arithmetic. See our Middle School Curriculum page for more details.

How rigorous is Spring Branch’s curriculum?

• Although Spring Branch students are only in class two or three days a week, their homework and reading fill the remaining days. A typical Spring Branch student spends 30 hours or more per week on class time and homework, an equivalent amount of time to public school enrollment.
• The program is designed to prepare students for the rigors of college coursework, and the humanities and theology courses are particularly reading and writing intensive.

What books will my student need?

• Our booklists for each course, as well as suggestions for finding books, can be found on this page.

Does Spring Branch meet the requirements for a high school education in Michigan?

• Michigan’s requirements for public schools are laid out in the Michigan Merit Curriculum. Spring Branch Academy has courses that correspond to all of the curriculum’s requirements except fine arts, physical education, and an online learning experience.
• Spring Branch offers guidance to fully-enrolled families on finding extracurricular programs to meet these requirements.

Does Spring Branch offer any music or art programs?

• Spring Branch does not currently offer music or art. In years past, when the Lord has provided us with qualified teachers with artistic talents, we have occasionally offered art as an elective.

Does Spring Branch offer any athletic programs or extracurricular activities?

• As a small school, Spring Branch does not currently offer any athletics or extracurriculars. Our classes do, however, let out in the late afternoon in order to allow for participation in sports or extracurriculars through other schools or organizations.

Does Spring Branch offer any programming for elementary-age students?

• Starting in the fall of 2023, Spring Branch is planning to host an elementary-aged homeschool co-op for families who have at least one student enrolled in the middle school program. The co-op will meet on Wednesday and Friday mornings.
• We are still in the process of finalizing many of the details; for questions, please contact our director.

Enrollment

Can we enroll part-time in Spring Branch?

• Spring Branch offers part-time, “a la carte” enrollment in our five high school classes (Theology, Humanities, Language Arts, Science, Mathematics). Families can enroll their children in the classes that best meet their educational needs, supplementing their own homeschool program.
• All part-time students must at least audit a theology class.
• Part-time enrollment is not available for our middle school program, which has an integrated curriculum.

How much is tuition?

• For full-time students enrolled in either middle school or high school, Spring Branch tuition is $250 per month per student.
• Part-time students can take high school classes at $60 per class per month.
• There is also a one-time $100 enrollment fee per family.

What if I can’t afford tuition at Spring Branch?

• The Matthew Burrow Scholarship Fund through Countryside Bible Church offers scholarships to families in need of tuition assistance. The application can be found at this link.

What does the admissions process look like?

• Interested families should fill out this year’s enrollment form, after which we will reach out to schedule an interview with our school’s director.
• For more information, please visit our Admissions page.

Is Spring Branch legal?

• Yes! Spring Branch operates as a state-approved non-public school. Full-time attendance at Spring Branch fulfills Michigan’s requirement for compulsory education, per MCL §380.1561(3)(a).

If you have any additional questions, you may contact us at this page.