What Barrie School does

Barrie School is a private, nonprofit, progressive independent school founded in 1932 and headquartered on a 45-acre campus in Silver Spring, Maryland, minutes from Washington D.C. It serves students from 3 months through Grade 12, organized into three segments: a Lower School (Infant/Toddler through Grade 5) using the Montessori method with multi-age classrooms and self-directed learning; a Middle School (Grades 6-8); and an Upper School (Grades 9-12), both of which use Project-Based Learning centered on real-world problem solving. Signature programs include the Global Impact Diploma (the first full U.S. implementation, launching 2026-27), Extended Study Week and Fall Expeditions for experiential learning, a College Counseling program reporting 99% matriculation to four-year colleges, and STEAM/Makerspaces with a 1:1 Chromebook initiative for Grades 6-12. Ancillary operations include the Barrie Institute for Advanced Montessori Studies (teacher training) and Barrie Camp (summer programming since the 1950s).

The school generates revenue primarily through annual tuition ranging from $25,730 for Infant/Toddler to $39,560 for Upper School, with additional recurring streams from Extended Day care, $1,250 bus transportation, International Student Program Fees ($4,000 plus $250 I-20 fee), and transactional Extended Study Week trip fees of $150-$3,500. Roughly $2M in need-based and $300K in merit-based aid are awarded annually, with approximately 56% of age-3-to-Grade-12 students receiving financial aid. Operations are supported by a Board of Trustees chaired by Janet Rutledge, Head of School Ben Thrash, and an Interim Director of Finance & Operations; the school has no parent company, no external funding rounds, and no disclosed PE/VC ownership. The student body is 61% students of color, 20% white, and 15% international from 16+ countries, with marketing concentrated on DMV-area families via campus tours, open houses, the MySchoolApp portal, and social channels.

Name

Barrie School

Legal name

Barrie School

Website

https://barrie.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1932

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Barrie School is a nonprofit progressive independent school in Silver Spring, Maryland, serving students from 3 months through Grade 12 with Montessori (Lower School) and Project-Based Learning (Middle and Upper School), plus the first full U.S. implementation of the Global Impact Diploma launching in 2026-27.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private K-12 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Montessori K–12 Schools (EDAJABAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

International/Global Curriculum Schools (IB, Cambridge, etc.) (EDAJABAG)

Keywords

• Private K-12 education
• Montessori education
• Project-based learning
• Progressive independent school
• College preparatory

Headquarters

HQ city

Silver Spring

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition: Annual tuition payments from families for educational services spanning Infant/Toddler through Upper School programs. Tuition varies by program level, with prices ranging from $25,730 for Infants/Toddlers to $39,560 for Upper School (Grades 9-12).
2. Extended Day and After School Enrichment: Optional before and after school care and enrichment programs for students from 3 months through Grade 8, with varying prices by program.
3. Bus Transportation: Optional bus transportation service available for Kindergarten through Grade 12 students at $1,250 per family annually.
4. Extended Study Week (ESW): Required experiential learning trips for Grades 6-12 with costs varying by trip location, ranging from $150 to $3,500 depending on the destination.
5. International Student Program Fees: Additional fees for international students including a $4,000 annual International Student Program Fee covering orientation, English support, cultural excursions, and college counseling support.
6. Financial Aid Distribution: Approximately $2 million awarded annually in need-based financial aid and $300,000 in merit-based aid to support student enrollment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Barrie School delivers progressive independent education from infancy (3 months) through Grade 12 on a single 45-acre Silver Spring, Maryland campus. The school combines Montessori methodology for ages 3 months through Grade 6 with Project-Based Learning for Grades 6-12, supplemented by signature programs including the first full U.S. implementation of the Global Impact Diploma, Extended Study Week international experiential trips, Fall Expeditions, College Counseling, and Barrie Camp.

Product overview

Barrie School is a progressive independent school offering a unified educational experience from Montessori (Infant/Toddler through Grade 6) to Project-Based Learning (Grades 6-12). The school's product portfolio centers on its core educational programs—Montessori classrooms for younger students and Middle/Upper School with Project-Based Learning pedagogy—complemented by signature programs including the Global Impact Diploma (the first full implementation in the US), Extended Study Week (international experiential learning), and Fall Expeditions (grade-wide trips). Supporting offerings include College Counseling, Student Support Services, STEAM/Makerspaces, and Barrie Camp. The Barrie Institute for Advanced Montessori Studies serves as a teacher training component. Financial operations integrate with Blackbaud and Clarity platforms, while communication relies on MySchoolApp and SCOIR for college guidance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Barrie Institute for Advanced Montessori Studies: World-renowned institute for advanced Montessori studies - one of the largest school-based teacher training programs in the country
• Barrie Camp
• Stepping Stones Summer Program
• Global Impact Diploma
• Millennium Scholarship

Products and services

• Montessori Program (Infant through Grade 6)

Quantifiable outcome

• 99% of graduates matriculate at 4-year colleges
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• NAFSA: Association of International EducatorsminorOthersBarrie School is a member of NAFSA: Association of International Educators, supporting their international student program and demonstrating commitment to best practices in international education.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Washington International School: Private K-12 school in Washington D.C. with a strong international curriculum and large international student population. Closely comparable to Barrie's international focus, Medallion School status, and emphasis on globally oriented college preparation.
• Maret School: Progressive independent K-12 school in Washington D.C. with project-based and experiential learning traditions. Comparable to Barrie on progressive pedagogy, DMV geography, and college-prep outcomes positioning.
• Holton-Arms School: Independent girls' school (Grades 3-12) in Bethesda, MD. Comparable DMV-area private peer with similar tuition tier, college-prep orientation, and progressive co-curricular programming competing for the same Bethesda/Silver Spring family demographic.
• Sidwell Friends School: Elite private independent K-12 school in Washington D.C. with progressive Quaker-influenced pedagogy. Sidwell Friends is Barrie's most comparable DMV-area peer in scale, philosophy, and college-prep orientation, competing for the same progressive-family segment in the D.C. metro market.
• St. Andrew's Episcopal School: Independent K-12 school in Potomac, MD with progressive Episcopal pedagogy and substantial campus. Comparable to Barrie on DMV geography, college-prep orientation, and tuition tier, competing for the same upper-middle-class Maryland family segment.
• The Lab School of Washington: Progressive independent school in Washington D.C. serving students with learning differences and a broader progressive student body. Comparable to Barrie on progressive pedagogy, DMV location, and emphasis on individualized/active learning approaches.
• Georgetown Day School: Progressive independent K-12 school in Washington D.C. with a long-standing reputation for social justice, diversity, and project-based pedagogy. Directly comparable to Barrie on progressive philosophy, demographic diversity, and D.C.-area college-prep positioning.
• Bullis School: Independent K-12 school in Potomac, MD with a substantial campus and STEM/innovation focus. Comparable to Barrie on DMV private-school positioning, tuition tier, and college-prep orientation, though Bullis is more STEM-forward while Barrie emphasizes Montessori/PBL.
• Norwood School: Independent K-9 school in Bethesda, MD with progressive education focus. Comparable DMV-area peer at the lower-school level, competing directly for Bethesda/Silver Spring families in the K-6 age range that Barrie serves through its Montessori program.

Emerging players

• Sherman School / The Nueva School: Independent K-12 school in Hillsborough, CA nationally recognized for progressive, design-thinking, and project-based pedagogy. Comparable to Barrie on progressive philosophy and PBL orientation, serving as a national benchmark for the type of educational model Barrie is pursuing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/barrieschool
• Facebookfacebook.com/barrieschool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/barrie-school
• Instagraminstagram.com/barrieschool
• Xx.com/BarrieSchool

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Barrie School