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In 2008, a number of home school parents gathered to design a corporate, Christian, educational setting that assists home educated junior/senior high school students and families. WEST desires to help facilitate home education with a range of core and supplemental courses. Students must be registered with their school district as a home educated student. WEST is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

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Refer to the Team and Board of Directors page

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Refer to the Team and Board of Directors page

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1. Go to www.westclasses.com
2. Request membership
3. Complete required fields of registration
4. Pay annual registration membership fee
5. Wait for WEST confirmation email
6. Login to website with username and password
7. Click on Registration>>Class Registration menu
8. Begin registration process following prompts
9. Pay online for classes
    (If need to pay by check, payment must be received within 72 hours via mail or registration will be deleted)
    (If paying by check, write one check out for total tuition fees. Note in memo which classes and what students are being registered)

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If paying by check, not online, mail to:  WEST  |  12271 - 73rd Street NE  |  Otsego, MN 55330

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Yes. Any first day walk-ins are welcome! Walk-ins will complete online registration forms and payments. However, students will attend classes the second week due to administrative processing and tutor notification.

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Families may register all throughout the year depending on Tutor approval and/or seats available.

If you register for classes after July 31, there is a tuition increase beginning August 1.

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Email reduces our communication costs. It is also the most efficient form of communication, especially with time sensitive material and online registration and payment.

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The WEST annual membership fee helps to pay for rent, insurance, marketing, administrative and other costs.

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Yes, if your student is on a wait list, no payment is required at this time.
If paying with check - don't include amount of wait list class tuition in check.
To avoid wait list payment if using online payment: Add to cart all classes except the wait list class then pay via Paypal. Next, log back in to register for classes, register for wait list class and make no payment for that class.

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Choosing a class outside of your child’s grade level is possible. Tutor approval is required prior to registration.

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WEST class sizes range between 5 and 25 students. This is determined between the Tutors and WEST Team.

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No - WEST is not a school or an accrediting organization. Most classes earn a half or full high school credit. The parents are responsible for determining credits earned and then placing them on a transcript.

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No - Transcripts are the responsibility of the primary educational institution. This is the parent’s responsibility in the home school setting.

Contact WEST's Executive Director for transcript consulting at thedirector.west@gmail.com

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No - WEST is not a school. Each Tutor decides on how they will communicate student progress. These usually come in the form of a progress update/evaluation. The parents are the ultimate authority in grade assignment.

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The parent and student need to choose classes based on family need. For example, if you desire a corporate learning environment in science then WEST is the place for you! Choir would be another option to register for as that can only occur with a group of students. Depending on your student’s and families interests and needs – you will find plenty of classes to choose from at WEST.

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WEST offers several sessions on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. You may register for a class each session of the day or pick one, two, three, four or five classes for the day/s. Review the schedule and see what fits your needs. We are happy to host your student at any point in the week.

Refer to WEST Class Tracks to help determine class order from year to year. 

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Yes!  There are a number of classes at WEST that follow a track.  This is a guideline and a most common order but some classes can be taken in any sequence at any time as well.

Click here for our current class track at WEST.

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WEST strives for every class to fill and run each semester and works hard to meet minimum number of students per class. It is our goal to provide a quality educational experience for your student/s. WEST is able to run classes when families/students register themselves and share WEST with others who register. WEST reserves the right to cancel classes if student numbers are low. Families/student/s will be notified by email if a class will cancel.

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Possibly. WEST is always looking for potential Tutors and subject areas. If you or you know of someone who might be interested in tutoring at WEST, please submit a request for application at applications.west@gmail.com or use the Application link under the Application menu.

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WEST does not have a study hall at this time. If the need arises we will be happy to provide such a service for a minimal fee. However, at varying class periods there may be a hang out room available for students on first come first serve basis. 

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No, students do not have access to wi-fi at WEST.

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Yes, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays

There is no lunch period on Thursdays - students may eat in class with tutor permission

Lunch is COLD

There is no access to a refrigerator or microwave.
WEST recommends students pack lunches in cooler type bag with name clearly marked on it

Students eat lunch in designated classrooms/areas within building
Students may eat outside on the north end of the building and outside of the WEST entrance doors at the picnic tables

Wrappers, bags, water bottles, etc need to be cleaned up after eating
Students can get distracted in conversation and walk away from their lunch garbage - please review and remind them to throw away all of their garbage from lunch

Due to possible peanut/tree nut allergies, leave all nut foods and spreads at home

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It is possible that students who attend WEST may have a peanut/tree nut allergy. 

WEST asks students and families to be aware of this when packing lunches, etc. 

Please be mindful and leave any nut items at home...including Nutella or other nut spreads.

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WEST conducts multiple interviews with each possible Tutor, reviews credentials, and seeks Tutors who are supportive of home education. WEST also makes reference calls and background checks on all Tutors. Because the Tutors are not employees of WEST, we cannot guarantee their performance. WEST and the Tutors desire a positive working relationship with each other and WEST families.

Refer to WEST's Tutor page to read each Tutor's biography.

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Yes. Your student's Tutor may hire a substitute. Each substitute goes through a background check, interview and reference check. If a class must be cancelled, the Tutors will communicate all necessary information effectively.

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• Enrolling in WEST allows your student more interaction in a caring, Christian academic setting with WEST staff, tutors and other learners
• WEST offers students quality instruction and excellent tutors in a classroom situation
• Attending classes at WEST provides your student the opportunity to learn a subject in an engaging, hands-on group situation
• Junior and senior high home school students receive community in and out of the classroom at WEST
• Student’s work and effort is highlighted each semester in a WEST Showcase experience
• On campus events are planned for and by WEST students
• Registration and payment is made easy at WEST with on-line registration
• Workshops, testing, curriculum sale and other special events occur at WEST

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Yes on Minnesota. No on Federal.

Go to MN Department of Revenue website and search “Qualifying Home School Expenses for K-12 Education Subtraction and Credit”. Minnesota allows a subtraction or credit for certain educational expenses. If your student meets Minnesota’s requirements, and depending on your family’s income level, the tutoring expenses at WEST might qualify for a credit or subtraction on your Minnesota Return.

The Tutor must be a qualified instructor by Minnesota Department of Revenue definition. That would include a licensed teacher or a person with any baccalaureate. Review the tutor's biographies on the WEST website to see if your tutor qualifies. Even is the class qualifies as an educational expense, the actual deductibility or eligibility for credit will depend on your individual tax circumstances.

THIS GENERAL INFORMATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE TAX OR LEGAL ADVICE. IF YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS, PLEASE CONTACT THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE OR YOUR PERSONAL CPA.

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This classification allows any donations (not tuition) you want to make to WEST tax deductible. WEST is always excited to receive any donations for the betterment of students.

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No - WEST is not a school or individualized tutoring service. Parents of home schooled children are the final authority in their success. WEST comes alongside and supports the home educated process.