Vermont Commons School

What Vermont Commons School does

Vermont Commons School is an independent, private 6-12 school founded in 1997 and located on a 5.5-acre main campus at 75 Green Mountain Drive in South Burlington, Vermont, with a secondary 55-acre Outdoor Education Center in Charlotte. The school serves approximately 100 students in grades 6 through 12, supported by a 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio, average class size of 12, and faculty averaging 11.1 years of tenure. Tuition is structured annually at $30,400 for middle school and $34,500 for high school, with flexible tuition support available (16.5% of operating budget; 30% of students accessing aid at an average of $8,892 per recipient). Revenue streams span tuition (primary), the Annual Fund and donations (filling the tuition-to-cost gap), summer programs (day camps at $300-$375/week, driver's ed, college prep workshops), and facility rentals (gym and meeting spaces).

The core product comprises a college-preparatory academic curriculum (grades 9-12), a middle-school foundation program (grades 6-8), and the signature Encounter Weeks—a three-times-year immersive experiential learning program producing 24 off-campus trips annually. Flexible enrollment options (Vermont Semester, part-time for homeschoolers, PG year) and SEVP certification for international students broaden the buyer pool. The school is AISNE-accredited, a NAIS member, and reports 100% four-year college admission, an average SAT score of 1263 (168 points above the Vermont average), and $2.5M in merit aid awarded to the Class of 2025.

Operationally, the school is governed by a Board of Trustees with no parent company and no public funding, relying entirely on tuition and donations. Technology infrastructure is built on Blackbaud (admissions, enrollment, financial aid), Google Workspace, Stripe (payments), and Homeroom (summer registration). Admissions is sales-led and event-driven through the Director of Admissions, utilizing personalized tours, open houses, virtual events, and rolling admissions across a ~one-hour regional catchment that includes Middlebury, Stowe, Waterbury, and the broader Champlain Valley region.

Name

Vermont Commons School

Legal name

Vermont Commons School

Website

https://vermontcommons.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Vermont Commons School is an independent private 6-12 school in South Burlington, Vermont, serving approximately 100 students with a 12:1 faculty ratio, signature Encounter Weeks experiential program, and 100% four-year college placement. It is funded through tuition, donations, summer programs, and facility rentals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private K-12 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Educational Support Services (611710), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Nonsectarian Independent Day Schools (EDAJABAA)

Keywords

• Independent school education
• College preparatory programs
• Experiential learning schools
• Middle high school tuition
• Flexible tuition support

Headquarters

HQ city

South Burlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tuition: Primary revenue stream from tuition payments. Middle school tuition $30,400/year, high school tuition $34,500/year. Part-time enrollment available for homeschool students at reduced rates. Flexible tuition support available for families demonstrating financial need.
2. Summer Programs: Revenue from summer day camps ($300-$375/week), driver's education courses, and college prep workshops. Programs offered to both enrolled and community students.
3. Donations and Annual Fund: Annual Fund fills gap between tuition and actual cost. Restricted funds support specific programs including Campaign for Vermont Commons, Community Partners Fund, and senior class gifts. Also accepts planned giving.
4. Facility Rentals: Campus facilities including gym and meeting spaces rented to external groups including sports clubs and leagues for additional revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Vermont Commons School is an independent private school in South Burlington, Vermont serving approximately 100 students in grades 6-12 with a 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio. Its core offering is a college-preparatory academic program built around small classes and three annual Encounter Weeks of immersive experiential learning, supplemented by flexible enrollment options (Vermont Semester, Postgraduate Year, Part-time Enrollment) and auxiliary summer programs and college counseling.

Product overview

Vermont Commons School is a private, independent 6-12 grade school in South Burlington, Vermont offering a unified college-preparatory education experience. The core academic programs span Middle School (grades 6-8) and High School (grades 9-12), supplemented by flexible enrollment options including the Vermont Semester, Postgraduate Year, and Part-time Enrollment. Experiential learning is central to the offering, delivered through the signature Encounter Weeks program—three immersive off-campus experiences annually—alongside an Outdoor Education Center in Charlotte. The school also operates auxiliary programs including Summer Day Camps, Summer Driver's Education, and College Prep Workshops. A full complement of services includes college counseling, athletics, clubs, and facility rentals, all supported by the school's 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio and 100-student enrollment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Middle School Program (Grades 6-8)

Quantifiable outcome

• Average SAT score 1263, 168 points above Vermont average
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Epic DrivingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDMV-certified driver's education provider teaching summer driver's ed courses at VCS for teenagers ages 15-17. Course runs July 6-August 5 with Monday/Tuesday virtual sessions and Wednesday in-person classes plus weekly driving appointments.
• Colegio Santa Ana (Peru)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister school relationship with school in Lima, Peru. Faculty member Adriana Comtois spent sabbatical year teaching at the school. Supports international exchange and cultural understanding.
• Tri-Valley TransitminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPublic transit service providing transportation for students from Addison County to VCS. Some students ride from Middlebury to Green Mountain Drive campus.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• St. Johnsbury Academy: Independent day and boarding school in northeastern Vermont serving grades 9-12 plus a PG year. Directly comparable as a Vermont independent school with similar college-prep mission, Encounter Week-style experiential programming, and flexible tuition model.
• Burr and Burton Academy: Independent high school in Manchester, Vermont serving grades 9-12 with a similar college-preparatory focus and southern Vermont catchment area. Comparable independent school model though larger in scale than VCS.
• Green Mountain Valley School: Independent school in Waitsfield, Vermont with strong winter sports programming and experiential outdoor education. Comparable Vermont independent school model though more specialized around skiing/academics.
• Thetford Academy: Independent school in Thetford, Vermont serving grades 7-12 with a similar small-school, community-driven model. Comparable Vermont independent school positioning to VCS with overlapping admissions territory.

Direct peers

• The Putney School: Independent boarding and day school in Putney, Vermont serving grades 9-12 with a strong emphasis on experiential learning, arts, and farm-based education. Highly comparable to VCS in mission, scale (~200 students), and progressive pedagogy.
• Long Trail School: Independent day school in Dorset, Vermont serving grades 6-12 with small class sizes and experiential learning emphasis. Closest direct competitor in terms of grade span, scale, and Vermont independent school positioning.
• Compass School: Independent school in Westminster Station, Vermont serving grades 7-12 with a project-based, experiential learning model. Highly comparable pedagogy and Vermont independent school positioning to VCS.
• The Sharon Academy: Independent middle and high school in Sharon, Vermont serving grades 7-12 with small class sizes and a progressive, experiential approach. Comparable grade span, scale, and Vermont independent school mission.

Broad incumbents

• Kimball Union Academy: Independent boarding and day school in Meriden, New Hampshire serving grades 9-12 plus PG. Comparable New England independent college-prep model with broader programming and larger scale than VCS.
• Phillips Exeter Academy: Elite New England independent boarding school with extensive college-prep programming and experiential learning (Harkness method). Comparable mission and outcomes positioning but vastly larger scale and national brand than VCS.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/VTCommonsSchool
• Facebookfacebook.com/vermontcommonsschool

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Vermont Commons School