ITHACA, NY -- Up on East Hill, about a block-and-a-half from Cornell University, sits Cascadilla School. A brick building draped in ivy, the school serves students in grades 6-12, generally enrolling about 50 students in total. Classes usually function at about a 4:1 student:faculty ratio. âWe have smaller class sizes, smaller graduating class sizes, so we cater to a more individualized approach to education,â Jenna Kendall, director of student services, said. The curriculum is traditional, following the New York State Regents system, but students and teachers have a bit more flexibility when it comes to the timing of classes they take. For instance, if a student excels in math class, they can take it on a semester schedule. This way, they can take one course in the fall, take the January Regents exam, and then move to the next course in the spring and take the June exam for that one, rather than spend an entire year on the same class.Â