What The Steward School does

The Steward School is a private, nonprofit JK-12 independent school located on a 37-acre campus at 11600 Gayton Road in Richmond, Virginia, serving approximately 719 students across Lower School (JK-5), Middle School (6-8), and Upper School (9-12). Founded circa 1976 (firmographics also reference 1972, likely reflecting earlier lower-school operations), the school reports its 50th graduating class in 2026, with the Class of 2026 placing 73 graduates at 40 colleges and universities across 16 states and DC at a 100% college admission rate. The school operates with an 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio and an average class size of 12, and is led by Head of School Dan Frank (19-year tenure), Associate Head Lisa Dwelle, and division directors Bobby Pollicino (Upper School), Susan Atkinson (Middle School), and Becky Groves (Lower School), under the governance of Board Chair Gregory Trepp.

The school's academic platform is built around college-preparatory academics augmented by the Bryan Innovation Lab (experiential learning with a Visiting Innovators Program, Nature Play School, and Steward X Spacebomb collaboration), a three-year Leadership Program, Entrepreneurship Studies culminating in an endorsement, the Center for the Advancement of Learning for academic support, College Counseling, and a comprehensive Arts program (music, theatre, visual arts) and Athletics program (38 teams across 12 sports). Supporting services include the Center for Engagement (community and belonging, health and wellness, school counseling, service learning), an International Student Program, Summer Programs, and AfterSchool Care. Technology integration is limited to standard SaaS tooling: Calendly for tour booking, the Meriwether Godsey food-service platform for lunch menus, and the Spartan Hub portal for family communications.

The business model is tuition-based subscription recurring revenue from individual families, with ancillary recurring revenue from the Meriwether Godsey lunch program (five-day K-5 plan at $1,356/year, three-day K-5 plan at $945/year, five-day 6-12 plan at $1,550/year, JK Pizza Monday at $300/year), Summer Programs, Spartan Shop merchandise, and AfterSchool Care. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer, with campus tours (in-person and virtual, bookable through Calendly), online applications for the 2026-27 academic year, and a multi-channel marketing presence including website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Steward Snaps photo platform, and the Steward Alumni Podcast (launched September 2024). The institution is supported by alumni donations, most notably the Alumni Legacy Scholarship which reached its $100,000 capitalization goal by June 30, 2025, with first scholarships awarded in 2026-27.

Name

The Steward School

Legal name

The Steward School

Website

https://stewardschool.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Steward School is a private, nonprofit JK-12 college-preparatory independent school in Richmond, Virginia, serving approximately 719 students on a 37-acre campus with an 8:1 faculty ratio and a 100% four-year college admission rate.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private K-12 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Nonsectarian Independent Day Schools (EDAJABAA)

Keywords

• Private K-12 education
• College preparatory programs
• Independent school tuition
• Experiential learning programs
• Private day school

Headquarters

HQ city

Richmond

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: Revenue from tuition for JK-12 private school education

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Steward School is a private, nonprofit, JK-12 independent college-preparatory day school in Richmond, Virginia. Its core offering is a comprehensive college-preparatory education delivered across three divisions (Lower School JK-5, Middle School 6-8, and Upper School 9-12), complemented by arts, athletics, leadership, entrepreneurship, college counseling, and an experiential learning environment in the Bryan Innovation Lab.

Product overview

The Steward School is a private JK-12 educational institution offering a comprehensive academic program with broad extracurricular opportunities. The core product is its Academic Divisions (JK-12), which provides a challenging yet supportive educational environment from junior kindergarten through twelfth grade. The school complements its core academics with specialized programs including the Bryan Innovation Lab (21st-century problem-solving/maker education), Leadership Program, Entrepreneurship Studies, and College Counseling. Arts and Athletics programs form significant components of the student experience. The school also offers support services through its Center for Engagement and Center for the Advancement of Learning, along with Summer Programs and an International Student Program. Students and families access resources through the Spartan Hub portal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Academic Divisions (JK-12) Comprehensive college-preparatory day school curriculum for students from junior kindergarten through 12th grade, divided into Lower School (JK-5), Middle School (6-8), and Upper School (9-12) with age-appropriate academics and extracurricular activities. Targets families seeking private JK-12 education on a 37-acre campus in Richmond, Virginia.
• Summer Programs Enrichment offering that includes Summer Experience day camps and Summer Quarter academic programs for students seeking academic and recreational activities during summer break.
• AfterSchool Care After-school child care service for enrolled Steward students requiring supervision beyond regular school hours.
• International Student Program Specialized support package for international students including visa assistance, English language support, and cultural integration services enabling them to enroll at Steward as full-time JK-12 students.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% college admission rate for graduates
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Meriwether GodseycoreOthersMeriwether Godsey provides the school's lunch and dining services program. They offer various meal plans for different grade levels including Pizza Monday for JK, five-day and three-day plans for K-5, and five-day plans for grades 6-12.
• ASK Childhood Cancer FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerASK Childhood Cancer Foundation is a nonprofit partner benefiting from Steward's annual Clips for Cancer fundraiser. The school has raised over $30,000 for ASK over 11 years. Students participate in ASK 5K events and club fundraising activities.
• Planet HairminorOthersDonated hair from Clips for Cancer event is given to Planet Hair, which makes wigs for children undergoing chemotherapy.
• REAL LIFEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRichmond nonprofit providing housing for people recovering from substance abuse. Eagle Scout candidate Jacob Campbell '29 built picnic tables and cornhole boards for REAL LIFE facilities.
• Richmond ForumminorOthersThe Richmond Forum brings influential speakers to Richmond and selects Steward students as Richmond Forum Scholars. Jeffrey Sproull '26 was selected as a Scholar.
• Sports BackersminorOthersSports Backers partners with Richmond Times-Dispatch on the Active Living Leadership ALL Stars program. Steward students Ella Grace Saunders and Lilly Thoman were named ALL Stars and received scholarships.
• Blood Cancer United (BCU)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal leader in blood cancer research and advocacy. Steward students Emerson Pollicino '26 and Laney Vanderbeck '26 led a student visionaries team that raised $5,025 for BCU.
• High School Diplomats (HSD)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerScholarship program bringing together high school students from US and Japan for cultural exchange at University of Virginia and travel to Japan. Steward students Juliet Forlano '28 and Gracie Hayden '27 were accepted.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Collegiate School: Collegiate School is a private JK-12 independent school in Richmond, Virginia, directly comparable to Steward as a same-city, same-tier independent day school competing for the same Richmond-area families. Both schools offer college-preparatory curricula with small class sizes.
• St. Christopher's School: St. Christopher's is a prestigious private JK-12 boys' school in Richmond, Virginia, directly comparable to Steward as a same-city, same-tier independent day school. Both compete for Richmond-area families seeking premium college-prep education.
• Trinity Episcopal School: Trinity Episcopal School is a private JK-12 independent school in Richmond, Virginia, directly competing with Steward for the same local market of families seeking college-preparatory private education. Both schools serve overlapping zip codes.
• Norfolk Academy: Norfolk Academy is a large Virginia-based independent day school (PK-12) with a similar college-preparatory model, alumni-driven culture, and strong athletics/arts portfolio comparable to Steward. It represents a regional Virginia benchmark for independent school scale and outcomes.
• St. Anne's-Belfield School: St. Anne's-Belfield is a Virginia-based private JK-12 independent school in Charlottesville with a comparable college-preparatory model, small class sizes, and innovation-focused programming similar to Steward's Bryan Innovation Lab positioning.
• Cape Henry Collegiate School: Cape Henry Collegiate is a Virginia private PK-12 independent school offering college-prep education, comparable to Steward in model, scale, and market positioning within the broader Virginia independent school ecosystem.

Regional players

• Woodberry Forest School: Woodberry Forest is a Virginia all-boys boarding school with a strong college-preparatory program comparable to Steward's academic model. While primarily boarding and single-sex, it competes regionally for Virginia's top college-prep families and represents an adjacent peer in the Virginia independent school market.
• Calhoun School: The Calhoun School is a progressive NYC independent JK-12 school with innovation-focused programming and small class sizes comparable to Steward's Bryan Innovation Lab emphasis. It represents a metropolitan-area peer benchmark for premium progressive independent schools.

Broad incumbents

• The Westminster Schools: Westminster is a large, prestigious Atlanta-based independent JK-12 school with a comparable college-preparatory model, small class sizes, and innovation-focused facilities. It serves as a benchmark for premium independent schools at a larger scale than Steward.
• Sidwell Friends School: Sidwell Friends is a premier Washington DC-area private JK-12 Quaker day school with elite college-preparatory outcomes (100% college admission), small class sizes, and innovation programming. It serves as a top-tier benchmark comparable to Steward's positioning, though at much larger scale and higher tuition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/TheStewardSchoolRVA
• Facebookfacebook.com/thestewardschool
• Instagraminstagram.com/thestewardschool
• Xx.com/stewardschool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-steward-school

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 The Steward School