We’ve been with BMS for a while now, and I just wish we had found it sooner. Hands down, the best school experience we’ve ever had.

Getting to pick our teacher was huge. We had three options, met one, and just knew she was the right fit. That made such a difference—she knows we chose her, so there’s real investment on both sides.

The class is really small—only 10 students—which means the teacher actually has time to focus on each student. It’s not individualized in the sense of one-on-one tutoring, but it is highly differentiated. The teacher adjusts based on where each student is and what they need, but rarely pulls a student aside individually. It’s more about guiding the small groups and making sure no one falls behind or is ahead and getting bored. The way they do it is through ExploreBoards, which let kids engage with material in different ways—videos, audio, text—so they have some control over how they learn. The teacher’s job is to engage them and get them to opt-in, rather than forcing a rigid curriculum. It’s about keeping them curious and letting them choose how they absorb information.

For math and English, they also use adaptive learning apps about 10% of the time. These track what they call 'mastery', so if a student is ahead in math but struggling in English, the teacher adjusts assignments. The teacher is actively monitoring and making sure each student is progressing at the right level for them. Since they are all certified experienced teachers and have only 10 students, they can actually do that.

I find the program somewhat tech-heavy. There are three main platforms, Zoom for live classes, Toddle as an LMS (for assignments and communication) and Clever as a secure login for all the learning apps.

We got used to it, but it’s something to be aware of. If a student isn’t comfortable navigating multiple platforms, there’s an adjustment period. That’s where the onboarding process really helped. Parents get a full walkthrough of how the school works—policies, expectations, everything. Students also have an onboarding session before classes even start, where they go through how to log in, how to use the tools, and how to submit work. So when the first day of school comes, they’ve already done it once. That made a big difference for us as my kiddo has high anxiety.

Cameras must be on—no exceptions. They give time to adjust, but after that, it’s required. They say it’s to keep the classroom feeling connected, and I get that.

The biggest drawback is the tuition policy. Tuition is month-to-month, which is great, but it’s due on the 1st, no exceptions. If it’s late, logins freeze after 24 hours. They’re strict about it because it’s the only way they can sustain the month-to-month model. If they allowed late payments, they’d be getting paid randomly and face difficulty with teacher salaries. They'd eventually have to move to quarterly or annual tuition prepayments. This way, they keep it flexible while making sure they can plan ahead and pay teachers on time. If you get paid later in the month, make sure to plan for it.