Admissions for Grades 6–12Different.
By design.

Any time. Gateway has rolling admissions and reviews applications year-round, including mid-year transfers. We don't go over our 12:1 ratio in middle school or 14:1 in high school, so when a class is full, there is a waiting list. If your student needs a school sooner than that, we'll suggest other schools to look at.

Many Gateway families carpool. Others use Paratransit, which costs $8 a day for the round trip.

Gateway students qualify for Arizona ESA funding with a formal diagnosis, which can reduce their Gateway tuition to $0. Award amounts vary by school district and diagnosis, and it takes 30 days from the date of application to receive your qualifying Award Letter. Our team helps you through every step.

If ESA isn’t an option for your family, talk to our admissions team about other funding and scholarship paths.

Yes. Families do move from other states to attend Gateway. Visit first: plan a trip for a tour and a shadow day, because the decision is made in person. Arizona ESA requires the student and the parent applying to be Arizona residents, so you apply once you have an Arizona address. The Arizona Department of Education processes a completed application within 30 days. Gateway is a day school with no boarding, so choose where to live with the daily drive in mind. Read our guide for out-of-state families.

Classes are small, 12:1 in middle school and 14:1 in high school, so every student gets individualized attention.

Every Gateway student is on the autism spectrum. That is what admissions looks for, either a clinical diagnosis or an IEP that lists autism as the qualifying category. Many students also have ADHD, anxiety or a learning difference, and all of it is supported during the day. Separately, an autism diagnosis or a current IEP is also how most families qualify for Arizona ESA, and admissions will walk you through how that applies to you.

Every Gateway student is on the autism spectrum. A student with ADHD who is also on the autism spectrum can qualify; ADHD on its own does not.

Yes. Share any existing IEP or evaluation with your application. Once your student enrolls, Gateway writes its own individualized plan: a secondary readiness plan in middle school or a college and career readiness plan in high school. Families receive it at the December parent conferences.

Gateway is a college-prep school for students working at or above grade level, so teachers watch progress closely. If a student starts to fall behind, the family meets with the teacher and our Director of Education, and our Learning Support Coordinator helps put a plan in place. If, after the leadership team, therapists and teachers have all weighed in, we believe another setting would serve the student better, we talk with the family about it openly.

Bullying, in person or online, is not allowed at Gateway. Every report is taken seriously and investigated. Consequences match how serious it is, from a restorative conversation up to suspension, or in rare cases expulsion. Our goal is to teach, not punish. A family with a concern meets with the teacher and our Director of Student Services, and can then meet with our Founder & CEO.

Of course. Families are welcome to talk with current Gateway parents. You can also read what our parents say on our Wall of Love, and your child spends a day with current students on their shadow day.