Fast facts
The Edison School, on one page.
Most families find us late at night, three schools into a search, trying to work out whether this one is worth a phone call. Here is the whole picture in one place — grades, class size, tuition, funding, accreditation — with no form in front of it.
The basics
Founded
The Edison School opened in 2012, started by families who had run out of options.
Type of school
An independent, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) day school.
Grades
Kindergarten through twelfth grade, all on one campus.
School size
We’re small and we like it that way. The person who answers the phone knows your child’s name.
Student-to-teacher ratio
About 4:1. Morning instruction happens in groups of roughly four students.
Where we are
610 W. Old Hickory Blvd, Madison, Tennessee 37115, inside Davidson County.
Accreditation
The Edison School is accredited by Cognia.
Memberships
The National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), the Tennessee Association of Independent Schools (TAIS), and Autism Tennessee, where we have been a member since 2019.
Who Edison is built for
Bright students who learn differently, and who have not thrived in a conventional classroom. Six patterns come up most often:
Dyslexia and other language-based differences. Reading is taught directly here, at whatever age a student needs it.
ADHD and attention differences. The day is built in shorter blocks with movement worked in on purpose.
Autistic students. The routine is steady, the rooms are kept calm, and we are friendly to kids who are sound-sensitive.
Executive function. Planning, starting, keeping track and finishing get taught in class, next to an adult.
Twice-exceptional learners, who are gifted in some areas and need real help in others, often in the same week.
Anxiety, and the school refusal that often follows it.
A formal diagnosis is not required to apply. If you are trying to work out whether your child is a fit, the longer version of this list lives here.
How the day is built
Mornings
Reading, writing and math in small groups. Students are placed by the level they are actually working at, not by their grade.
Afternoons
Electives, life skills and projects.
Class placement
Groups are set by proficiency rather than grade level, so a student can run ahead in one subject and get real help in another.
What it costs
Tuition at The Edison School is $25,000 a year, the same for every grade. Families who pay in full save $500. Almost nobody pays the full figure out of one pot — most use a Tennessee state program, and Edison’s own tuition assistance goes on top of that.
Education Freedom Scholarship (EFS) — about $7,500
Open to any Tennessee resident with a child entering kindergarten through grade 12. No income or disability requirement, though lower-income families get priority if applications exceed the funds available.
Education Savings Account (ESA) — about $9,000
For students zoned to attend Metro Nashville Public Schools in Davidson County, with a household income under roughly twice the federal free-lunch limit.
Individualized Education Account (IEA) — about $12,800 on average
For students with a current IEP through a Tennessee public school, where the IEP lists one of ten specific disability categories. Not every IEP qualifies — ask us and we will check yours.
Funding amounts are rounded estimates based on this year’s state funding formula, and they change annually. None of this is a guarantee of eligibility or award size; the state makes that determination. We are glad to check your situation before you apply. Run the numbers for your family in the calculator.
How admission works
First
A conversation about your child. Most visits run an hour or two.
Then
A look around the school on an ordinary day, including the classrooms your child would actually be in.
Later
Two shadow days, if it still feels like a fit. There is no obligation at any point.
How to reach us
Address
The Edison School, 610 W. Old Hickory Blvd, Madison, TN 37115
Phone
615-431-5637. A person picks up.
Current families
Schedules, assignments and the day-to-day live in the FACTS family portal.
Turning “I can’t” into “I will.”
Facts only get a family so far. The part that decides it is standing in the building on an ordinary Tuesday and watching how the adults talk to the kids.