TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR TUITION AT RED DIRT MUSIC ACADEMY 

As of January, 2019

The following Terms and Conditions apply to all lesson agreements made between Goodtime Music Academy (“RDMA”) and its pupils and the parents / carers of its pupils (“the pupil”) and includes references to the Red Dirt  Music – Schools Program pupils. 

The Terms and Conditions described below may seem relatively strict but have been discussed at length amongst the RDMA leadership team with the endeavor of making them as fair as possible for both client and provider. As RDMA is a social enterprise that functions with minimal margins, such lines in the sand have had to be drawn and are not a reflection of how awesome the majority of RDMA Families are. They are a reflection of the small margin of people that have taken advantage and never paid for services rendered that jeopardize the livelihood of our teachers and managers. We try to approach each individual case in good faith with an open ear and we hope that you will also approach us in the same manner. There will be times that the terms and conditions are more in favor of RDMA but there are also other times that they are more in favor of the student/caregiver. 

1. Term Dates  

1a. Monthly tuition is based on a 48 week year. Some months will have 5 lessons and some months with holidays will only have 3. Most months you will have 4 lessons., and the tuition is the same each month. We don’t charge less for 3 lessons or more for 5 lessons. 1b. At all times it is the responsibility of the pupil to be aware of the first and last dates of term at RDMA 

2. Communications 

2a. All correspondence is sent out to the pupil by email. If this causes a problem, please let RDMA know. 2b. It is the responsibility of the pupil to make RDMA aware of any changes to their contact details. RDMA will not be held responsible for any missed communications, late / overdue payments, missed lessons, etc. if this is due to incorrect contact information. 2c. Due to the size of our student roll, most of RDMA’s communication is done via bulk delivery services e.g. mail merge, therefore there is a level of potential error associated with this. If you notice something incorrect e.g. lesson details or account details, it is not meant offensively. In these cases please let us know via email to cory@reddirtok.com so we can rectify the situation as soon as possible. 

3. Timetabling of Lessons 

3a. The pupil will be informed of the lesson day, time and the date of their first lesson before their teaching commences, either by phone, in person or by email. RDMA will aim to confirm all the lesson details by email, but does not guarantee that this will be the case if it deems sufficient confirmation has been provided by other means. 

3b. Site-based lessons – if the agreed lesson times or days need to be changed, the pupil will be contacted as far in advance as possible and alternative arrangements will be made to continue the lessons at times and days that suit the pupil and RDMA. 3c. School-based / School Program lessons – 

3.c.i. If the agreed lesson day needs to be changed, the pupil will be contacted as far in advance as possible and alternative arrangements will be made with the school and the pupil for a suitable new lesson time. 3.c.ii. If the agreed School Program lesson time needs to change to a new time, on the same day of the week and within school hours, the pupil will not be informed in advance and will instead be collected at the new time by the tutor. 3.c.iii. In order for pupils not to miss the same classroom lessons/ activity each week, RDMA offers a rotating timetable to suit the school and the pupils. 3.c.iv. Pupils scheduled for lessons on a rotating timetable will be given the details of the varying lesson times, as will the tutors and the school, so that attendance at the School Program lessons is not impacted adversely. 

4. Absences 

4a. Individual lessons – 

4.a.i. If the pupil is unable to attend a lesson please let RDMA know at the earliest time possible, either by email to cory@reddirtok.com or via our online absence form via this link : https://www.reddirtok.com/absences . Emails and Absence forms will be passed on to the relevant teacher(s) – you are welcome to make direct contact with the tutors as well if you choose to. 4.a.ii. Where less than 24-hours’ notice is given for missing a lesson no catch-up lesson or credit will be given. This lesson is considered forfeited. 4.a.iii. Where at least 24-hours’ notice of the intended absence is given, this is deemed an “explained absence.”  4.a.iv. Your teacher will create a video lesson for you or your student in Lessonmate. 4.a.v.  RDMA tutors are trained to go above and beyond to help work these replacement/catch up lesson timings out with you, however If you decide that you would prefer to not have this, this lesson is considered forfeited. Please note the onus is on the caregiver/parent to jointly work with their tutor to find a mutually beneficial time. The tutors are instructed to diligently help in this so please let the main office know if you feel this is not happening.le, they will choose a day or two during the first week of the term break to prov 4.a.vi. It is only by managerial discretion that customer credit is placed on a pupils account to the value of a missed lesson. Customer credit is not transferable for money but will be used at the earliest convenience – usually the next months fees. 

4b. Group and School Programme lessons – 

4.b.i. No catch-up lessons or credits will be provided for an individual’s absence from a School Programme / group lesson / band class / choir / or any other group-based tuition activity. 4.b.ii. Where the entire group is absent we will endeavour to provide a replacement/catch-up lesson later that term, if we are unable to do this, we may choose instead to place this on your pupil’s account as customer credit. 4.b.iii. Where a Red Dirt School Program tutor is not able to teach, due to illness or a vehicle / mechanical failure, RDMA will arrange for the missed lessons to be caught up at a time that suits the affected school. 4c. Tutor Absences – 

4.c.i. If the pupil’s tutor is unavailable to teach, RDMA will attempt to arrange a cover tutor and give you as much notice as possible. 4.c.ii. If this is not possible, the pupil’s normal tutor will arrange catch up lessons with the pupil as stipulated in 4.a.iii. 4.c.iii. A tutor’s absence is not counted as one of the two explained absences per term but as an additional replacement/catch up lesson owed. 4d. Unavoidable cancellations – 

4.d.i. If RDMA cancels any lessons due to events out of its control, customer credit may be given at the discretion of RDMA management. 4.d.ii. RDMA diligently attempts to exclude all events planned by the school that conflict with lessons at the start of each term. However we appreciate any parent who notifies us of events that may have been not communicated by the school. 4.d.iii. If a school cancels RDMA’s teaching due to events out of RDMA’s control (sports days / school trips / etc.) the week of that event, It is not RDMA’s responsibility to make itself aware of any such event, due to what is stipulated in 4.d.ii. 4e. Ongoing absences – 

4.e.i. If a pupil will be absent for more than three weeks due to medical reasons, a credit may be given, at the discretion of RDMA management. 

5. Duration of the Lesson Agreement – ongoing 

5a. The lesson agreement between RDMA and the pupil is a rolling agreement that continues into each new month and new year. 5b. The pupils are account will be charged on the first of each month. 5c. Monthly tuition is based on a 48 week year. Each month is billed for four lessons. 5c.i. Lessons can be arranged to meet twice a month, or every other week if requested by the client. 

6. Cancelling the Lesson Agreement – the must pupil opt out of the Lesson Agreement with RDMA

6a. If the pupil wishes to cancel the lesson agreement with RDMA, written notice must be received by RDMA Management at least two weeks prior to the intended last lesson. Any lessons remaining after the end date will be credited to the pupil’s account if payment has already been made. 

6b. Verbal notice given to the tutor will not be acted upon and is not considered sufficient unless confirmed in writing to RDMA main office by the pupil. 6c. If the pupil is unable to give two weeks’ notice, they will be charged a late notice fee equivalent to two weeks of lessons (or if only one week’s notice is given, a late notice fee equivalent to the cost of one week’s lessons will be charged). 6d. Exceptions on medical grounds may be made to this as decided by RDMA management. 6e. No refund or credit will be given for any cancellations part way through a fixed length program (such as an Introduction to Music course). 6f. If RDMA has to cancel a lesson agreement it will endeavour to give two weeks’ notice to the pupil. Any lessons remaining after the lessons’ end date will be credited to the pupil’s account if payment has already been made. 6g. If, in exceptional circumstances, RDMA has to cancel the pupil’s lesson due to damage of RDMA property or harassment of RDMA staff by the pupil, this may be done with no notice and no credit or refund for any outstanding lessons. 

7. Payments at RDMA’s Moore Office. 

10a. Tuition is expected to be paid by automatic credit card payment. Tuition will be charged to your credit card on the 1st of every month. Credit card payments are not accepted for in-person payment on a monthly basis. Payment must be made by pre-authorized recurring monthly payments 10c. Epic payments are to be paid directly from Epic Charter schools at the END of each month. 10d. CASH payments may be made in person – but are discouraged for the safety of our pupils, tutors and admin team. 

8. Tuition Fees and Accounting 

8a. RDMA tutors CANNOT accept payments in any form. 8b. RDMA starts following up term fees with an assumption of good faith that it is an unintentional mistake. 8c. The pupil will be billed for each future month in full towards the end of the preceding month. 8d. Full payment must be received before the new month starts, unless an agreed instalment plan has been put into place via Stripe.. 8f. RDMA prefers online / Internet banking payments. 8g. New pupils will receive an invoice when their enrolment is processed. 8h. If the pupil commences lessons part way through a term, the remainder of that term will be billed in full and payment must be received or an Instalment plan via recurring payment needs to be agreed, within one week of the invoice being issued. 8i. Upon enrollment a pupil or guardian/caregiver of pupil will be set up with a Customer Portal log in. All Term fee invoices, payments and lesson details are accessible on there. 8j. Installment payments are not to be confused with a “payment of for lessons” arrangement. The full invoiced fee is due – and recurring payments can be made against the total sum owed. 8k. Weekly, fortnightly or monthly plans covering the full amount of the invoice can be set up via Stripe. A list of dates of when the debit is likely to take place will be sent to you before the term in question, so any changes to it must be requested then. 8o. Penalties for late payments will be applied as per the below. 

9. Penalties 

9a. Overdue accounts can accrue penalties of $30 when overdue for 28 days and $15 for every following 14 day period. 

9.a.i. LATE PAYMENT Penalties will be added to accounts that are 28 days in arrears. If the account remains overdue, further penalties will be added every 14 days. 9.a.ii. Late Penalty charges are made up of two parts – $10 late fee and $20 administration cost. 9.a.iii. Dishonoured Internet Payments – the pupil’s account will be debited with a $10 fee if any online payment is annulled. 

9.a.iv. Dishonoured Check Payments – the pupil’s account will be debited with a $10 fee if any cheque payment is annulled. 9.a.v. The pupil is responsible for any and all charges that their bank may levy for rejecting any payment to RDMA. 9b. RDMA does reserve the right to temporarily and fully suspend pupils from lessons with unpaid term fees during term time. A temporary suspension means that RDMA will keep the lesson time slot available for the pupil in the hopes that payment will be made. A full suspension means that RDMA has the right to fill the pupils lesson time slot with another pupil from the waitlist. 9c. Debt Collection details. 

9.c.i. Payments more than 30 days in arrear may be handed over to a debt collection agency for debt collection. 9.c.ii. RDMA will attempt numerous contacts prior to resorting to this unfortunate measure. 9.c.iii. All costs incurred for sending an account for debt collection are added to the pupil’s outstanding balance. 

10. Photography & Filming 

12a. RDMA may use film or still photographs of students for appropriate promotional purposes. 12b. You (or your parents if you are under 18 years of age) must inform RDMA in writing at anytime if you will not allow the use of such images. 

11. Changes to the Terms and Conditions 

13a. The Terms and Conditions described above are agreed to u

pon enrollment and may be changed at any point by RDMA without providing notice to the pupil. A copy of the Terms and Conditions will always be available on our website and may be emailed to the pupil on request. 
Contact Details For all general enquiries E: cory@reddirtok.com or call 405.759.0265