The Best Private Schools in East Saint Johnsbury, Vermont
Discover 3 exceptional private schools in East Saint Johnsbury. Find the perfect educational environment for your child with our comprehensive reviews and ratings.
School Overview
Top-Rated Private Schools
St. Johnsbury Academy
Independent School
St. Johnsbury Academy is one of Vermont's premier independent day and boarding schools, serving students from East Saint Johnsbury and surrounding communities. Founded in 1842, the academy offers a comprehensive college preparatory curriculum with over 220 courses, including Advanced Placement and honors classes. The 50-acre campus features state-of-the-art science laboratories, performing arts centers, athletic facilities, and technology resources. The school maintains a 9:1 student-teacher ratio and offers extensive extracurricular programs including championship athletics, visual and performing arts, and community service opportunities. The academy is known for its strong college placement record and personalized academic advising.
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Good Shepherd Catholic School
Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington
Good Shepherd Catholic School provides faith-based private education for students in pre-K through 8th grade, serving families throughout the Northeast Kingdom including East Saint Johnsbury. The school emphasizes academic excellence within a Catholic Christian environment, featuring small class sizes and individualized attention. Curriculum includes strong foundations in literacy, mathematics, science, and social studies complemented by religious education, Spanish, art, music, and technology programs. The school community is known for its family atmosphere and strong parent involvement, with students consistently performing above national averages on standardized testing.
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Lyndon Institute
Independent School
Lyndon Institute is an independent high school located just 10 miles from East Saint Johnsbury, serving students throughout the Northeast Kingdom region. The school offers a comprehensive educational program featuring college preparatory academics alongside extensive career and technical education pathways. Notable programs include advanced STEM courses, performing arts, agricultural sciences, and business education. The 150-acre campus includes modern academic buildings, technical education centers, athletic facilities, and arts spaces. Lyndon Institute emphasizes personalized learning with advisory programs and maintains strong college acceptance rates while providing diverse extracurricular opportunities including competitive athletics and community engagement programs.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about private schools in East Saint Johnsbury, Vermont
What are the private school options specifically available to families residing in East Saint Johnsbury, Vermont?
While East Saint Johnsbury itself is a small village, families have access to several notable private institutions in the immediate Northeast Kingdom region. The most prominent is St. Johnsbury Academy, a renowned independent day and boarding school located just minutes away in the town of St. Johnsbury. For younger students, Good Shepherd Catholic School in St. Johnsbury offers a faith-based K-8 education. Additionally, Lyndon Institute in nearby Lyndon Center provides another independent day and boarding school option. These schools actively draw students from East Saint Johnsbury and surrounding communities, making them the primary private choices for local families.
How does Vermont's Town Tuitioning Program affect private school options for East Saint Johnsbury residents?
Vermont's unique Town Tuitioning Program is a critical financial consideration. East Saint Johnsbury is within the St. Johnsbury School District, which is a "tuitioning town." This means the district may pay tuition for students to attend approved private schools, including St. Johnsbury Academy and Lyndon Institute, if the district does not operate a public school for that grade level. However, specific eligibility and grade coverage depend on annual district votes and agreements. For grades where the district operates a public school (like the K-8 St. Johnsbury School), tuitioning is generally not available. Parents must contact the St. Johnsbury School District office for the current year's tuitioning status, approved school list, and application procedures.
What unique academic programs or specializations are offered by private schools serving East Saint Johnsbury, VT?
The private schools in this area leverage their independence and Vermont's ethos to offer distinctive programs. St. Johnsbury Academy is known for its extensive Advanced Placement (AP) course offerings, a renowned fine arts department, and robust STEM pathways, including engineering and robotics. Lyndon Institute emphasizes hands-on, experiential learning with strong agricultural science, automotive technology, and outdoor leadership programs that connect directly to the region's landscape and industries. Good Shepherd Catholic School provides a structured, values-based core curriculum with an emphasis on community service. All three schools utilize the natural environment of the Northeast Kingdom for educational enrichment, from ecology studies to winter sports.
What is the typical enrollment timeline and process for St. Johnsbury Academy for an East Saint Johnsbury family?
For day students from East Saint Johnsbury, St. Johnsbury Academy has a rolling admissions process, but applying by the priority deadline of February 1st is strongly recommended for the following fall semester. The process involves submitting an application, academic records, teacher recommendations, and a student essay. An interview (in-person or virtual) is also a standard part of the review. For families seeking tuition assistance through the Academy's financial aid program, completing the Parents’ Financial Statement (PFS) by February 1st is crucial. It's important to note that if you are applying under the town tuitioning program, you must also adhere to the separate, often earlier, deadlines set by the St. Johnsbury School District.
How do the private school environments in the East Saint Johnsbury area compare to the local public school options?
The comparison centers on choice and specialization. The local public option for K-8 is the St. Johnsbury School, which provides a tuition-free education with a standard public curriculum. For high school, the district typically tuition students to public high schools, though St. Johnsbury Academy is an approved tuitioning option. The private schools offer distinct environments: St. Johnsbury Academy and Lyndon Institute provide larger, comprehensive 9-12 (and 7-12) campuses with extensive extracurriculars, AP courses, and boarding school resources that attract a geographically diverse student body. Good Shepherd offers a small, faith-based community. The private schools often have more flexibility in curriculum design and smaller average class sizes, but come with significant tuition costs unless town tuitioning applies. The choice often depends on a family's desire for a specific educational philosophy, programmatic focus, or community setting.
Private Education Insights
Discover Top Non-Religious Private Schools Near East Saint Johnsbury, VT
As a parent in East Saint Johnsbury, Vermont, you are fortunate to have several excellent private school options within a short drive, each offering a distinct educational philosophy. When searching for "non religious private schools near me," it’s important to understand the landscape of independent education in our unique corner of the Northeast Kingdom. While some families seek a faith-based environment, many others prioritize a secular academic setting that focuses purely on college preparation, arts, and sciences without a religious curriculum. This distinction is a key first step in your search.
The most prominent institution answering this need is St. Johnsbury Academy. Located just minutes from East Saint Johnsbury in the town of St. Johnsbury, the Academy is a renowned independent day and boarding school with a fully secular mission. Its curriculum is exceptionally broad, offering over 220 courses that range from advanced STEM and humanities to extensive visual and performing arts, agriculture, and technical trades. For parents seeking a non-religious private school, the Academy represents a comprehensive, college-preparatory environment where the focus is on academic rigor, character development, and global citizenship. Its historic campus and diverse student body, including both local day students and boarders from around the world, create a dynamic and expansive learning community.
Another significant option is Lyndon Institute, located a short drive north in Lyndon Center. Like St. Johnsbury Academy, Lyndon Institute is an independent, non-sectarian school serving grades 9-12. It provides a robust blend of traditional academics and hands-on learning, with strong programs in engineering, media arts, and career-technical education. Its secular approach allows families to benefit from a values-based education that is not tied to a specific religious doctrine. For a student interested in aviation, automotive technology, or nursing, Lyndon Institute offers pathways that are both academic and practical, all within a non-religious framework.
It’s worth noting that your local search will also reveal schools like Good Shepherd Catholic School, which provides an outstanding education but with an integrated religious component. This contrast helps clarify what "non religious" means in practice: a school whose mission, daily practices, and core curriculum are separate from religious instruction. For families in East Saint Johnsbury, the presence of these strong secular institutions means you can choose a school based purely on pedagogical fit, campus culture, and programmatic strengths. When visiting, ask specific questions about the school's founding principles, the content of its ethics or philosophy courses, and how it fosters community values. The beauty of our area is that you have access to schools of national caliber right in your backyard, allowing you to find the perfect secular environment where your child can thrive intellectually and personally, grounded in the values you hold at home, amidst the inspiring landscape of Vermont.
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