The Bush School
The Bush School is a private, independent K-12 day school in Seattle founded in 1924, serving approximately 750 students across two campuses with an experiential "Engaged Learning" curriculum, a 7:1 student-to-teacher ratio, 100% college matriculation, and FY2024-25 operating revenue of $35.5M.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1924
- HeadquartersSeattle, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Bush School does
The Bush School is a private, independent, coeducational K-12 day school founded in 1924 by Helen Bush, operating today as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit governed by a Board of Trustees with FY2024-25 operating revenue of $35,492,000. It serves approximately 750 students across three academic divisions — Lower School (K-5), Middle School (6-8), and Upper School (9-12) — across two campuses: the main campus on East Harrison Street in Seattle and the twenty-acre Methow Campus in Mazama, WA, acquired in 2016. The school's pedagogical model is "Engaged Learning," an experiential methodology centered on hands-on, project-based instruction, complemented by the Cascades International Program (multi-destination experiential trips), 75+ co-curricular programs, and a 7:1 student-to-teacher ratio with 77 teaching faculty holding advanced degrees. Outcome metrics include 100% college matriculation, 51% students of color, and 74% Middle/Upper School participation in Blazer Athletics.
The school's primary revenue stream is tuition and fees, supplemented by an Annual Fund, the Celebrate Bush annual giving event ($732K raised recently), planned giving, endowment distributions (~$1.3M drawn against a $31.7M endowment as of June 30, 2025), and auxiliary services including Extended Day, the Blazer Bus Program, SKIBUS, summer programs, and a Shopify-powered Spirit Store. Approximately $5.3M in financial aid is distributed annually to 167 students (average award $31,489). Tuition is not publicly disclosed. Notable physical assets include the New Upper School Building opened May 16, 2022, certified as the first Salmon Safe school in Seattle, the first Passive-House school in the Western United States, and one of the first Net Zero Energy school buildings in the nation. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer through an admissions funnel that converted 807 applications from 1,483 inquiring families in a recent cycle, supported by website, virtual tours, social media, open houses, and word-of-mouth referrals. The institution is currently led by Head of School Sarah Smith following an eleven-year tenure by Percy L. Abram, Ph.D.
The Bush School firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Bush School
- Legal name
- The Bush School
- Website
- https://bush.edu
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1924
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- The Bush School is a private, independent K-12 day school in Seattle founded in 1924, serving approximately 750 students across two campuses with an experiential "Engaged Learning" curriculum, a 7:1 student-to-teacher ratio, 100% college matriculation, and FY2024-25 operating revenue of $35.5M.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Bush School industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Independent K-12 Education
- NAICS
- Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111), Educational Services (61)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Nonsectarian Independent Day Schools (EDAJABAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Alternative/Pedagogical Model Private Schools (Project-Based, Democratic, etc.) (EDAJABAJ)
Keywords
Where The Bush School is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Seattle
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
The Bush School business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Tuition and Fees: Primary revenue stream from K-12 tuition. Total operating revenue for FY 2024-2025 was $35,492,000 from tuition and fees, philanthropic support, auxiliary income, and income from the Endowment.
- Annual Fund: Annual fundraising campaign supporting the school's annual operating budget. The Annual Fund Family Campaign takes place for five weeks in the fall. Supports $5.3 million financial aid budget.
- Celebrate Bush Event: Annual K-12 community celebration in support of financial aid. Recent event raised $732,000 including $279,155 through Raise the Paddle, plus $41,100 from Golden Raffle tickets.
- Endowment Distribution: The endowment draws approximately 5% annually for operations. Total endowment value was $31,681,791 as of June 30, 2025, with $1,300,000 drawn in FY 2024-2025.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | K-12 Tuition |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
The Bush School product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Bush School delivers a private K-12 independent day school education for approximately 750 students across three divisions (Lower K-5, Middle 6-8, Upper 9-12) on two campuses in Seattle and Mazama, Washington, using an experiential 'Engaged Learning' pedagogical model. Supplemental offerings include the Cascades International Program (immersive trips to 10+ countries), college counseling, athletics, arts, extended day, summer programs, and transportation services.
Product overview
The Bush School is a K-12 independent day school in Seattle, WA, offering a unified educational program structured across three academic divisions: Lower School (K-5), Middle School (grades 6-8), and Upper School (grades 9-12). The school employs an Engaged Learning pedagogical approach emphasizing experiential, hands-on education. Core academic programs include Technology & Media Literacy, College Counseling & Student Success, and Support Services. The school operates specialized facilities including the Methow Campus (20-acre experiential campus in Mazama, WA) and The Commons community space. Arts programming spans Music (with Jazz Band and Modern Orchestra), Visual Arts (7 studios), and Theater. Athletics engage 74% of Middle and Upper School students through Blazer Athletics. Student life is enriched through Summer Programs, Extended Day childcare, the Blazer Bus Program, and Bush SKIBUS. The development program includes an Annual Fund, Celebrate Bush event, Planned Giving, and an Endowment ($31.6M). The school maintains digital infrastructure through a Community Portal (myschoolapp.com), Library Resources (Google Sites), and athletics scheduling (Arbiter Live). Sustainability leadership is demonstrated through the New Upper School Building (opened 2022), the first Salmon Safe school in Seattle, first Passive-House school in the West, and one of the first Net Zero Energy school buildings in the nation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Lower School Foundational K-5 academic program featuring an Engaged Learning experiential pedagogy with emphasis on learning by doing, serving entry-level students at the Seattle campus.
- Middle School Grades 6-8 academic program with accelerated math pathway, after-school clubs in math, science, and computer engineering, and divisional student-life programming led by the Middle School Director.
- Upper School Grades 9-12 college-preparatory program offering Cascades experiential programs, internship opportunities at 43 partner businesses, comprehensive college counseling, and a 100% college matriculation outcome, housed in the New Upper School Building.
- Cascades International Program Immersive international experiential education program sending students to destinations including Guatemala, Indonesia, Kenya, New Zealand, Taiwan, Canada, Joshua Tree, Sonoran Desert, Georgia, and the Methow Valley, combining experiential education with service learning.
- College Counseling and Student Success Comprehensive college counseling program with dedicated timelines for each grade level that guides Upper School students through college applications and supports a 100% college matriculation rate.
- Athletics Program (Blazer Athletics) Comprehensive athletics program engaging 74% of Middle and Upper School students through Blazer Athletics team sports, with scheduling managed via Arbiter Live.
- Music Program Music education program spanning Jazz Band, Modern Orchestra, and Ensemble classes covering classical, jazz, and rock genres across all divisions, housed in dedicated music spaces.
- Visual Arts Visual arts education program across all divisions, delivered in seven dedicated art studios covering clay, felt, papier-mâché, and other media.
- Theater Program Theatrical program producing combined Upper School and Middle School productions featuring student performers and crew.
- Summer Programs Seasonal summer programming offering enrichment activities for students during school break periods.
- Extended Day Before and after-school childcare and enrichment program providing supervision and activities for enrolled students.
- Blazer Bus Program Daily transportation service for students commuting to and from the Seattle campus.
- Bush SKIBUS Ski bus transportation service for students participating in winter sports and ski programs.
- Methow Campus Twenty-acre experiential campus in Mazama, WA (Methow Valley) providing immersive educational and outdoor learning programs, including the Methow Campus Family Open House program, connected to the Seattle main campus across one mountain range.
Companies that use The Bush School
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
The Bush School technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration7 records
Feature2 records
The Bush School partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- 43 Partner Businesses and OrganizationsminorSixty-seven Tenth and Eleventh Grade students completed internships at forty-three partner businesses and organizations as part of the school's experiential learning program. These internships provide students with real-world work experience and career exploration opportunities.
Scale indicators13 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights4 records
The Bush School competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Lakeside School: Lakeside School is a private, coeducational, independent day school serving grades 5-12 on two campuses in Seattle, making it the closest direct competitor to The Bush School in mission, geography, and student profile.
- University Prep: University Prep is an independent, coeducational day school in Seattle serving grades 6-12 with a similar college-preparatory mission, urban location, and tuition-funded business model.
- Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences (SAAS): SAAS is an independent, coeducational day school in Seattle serving grades 6-12 with a strong experiential and arts-integrated focus, directly comparable to Bush's engaged-learning model.
- The Northwest School: The Northwest School is an independent, coeducational day school in Seattle serving grades 6-12 with a progressive, experiential curriculum — closely aligned with The Bush School's pedagogical approach.
- The Overlake School: The Overlake School is an independent, coeducational day school in Redmond, WA serving grades 5-12, with comparable college-prep outcomes, tuition-funded economics, and Pacific Northwest private school positioning.
- Eastside Preparatory School: Eastside Prep is an independent, coeducational day school in Kirkland, WA serving grades 5-12, comparable to Bush in size, mission, and Eastside Seattle competitive market.
- Charles Wright Academy: Charles Wright Academy is an independent, coeducational day school in Tacoma, WA serving grades K-12, comparable in mission and K-12 span to The Bush School within the broader Puget Sound private school market.
- The Bear Creek School: The Bear Creek School is an independent, coeducational Christian day school in Redmond, WA serving grades K-12, comparable in scale, K-12 structure, and regional private school market to The Bush School.
Broad incumbents
- Harker School: The Harker School is a large independent, coeducational day school in San Jose, CA serving grades K-12 with similar experiential learning and college-prep positioning; broader in scale but a useful premium-school benchmark.
Emerging players
- Stanford Online High School: Stanford OHS is an accredited, university-affiliated online school for highly motivated students grades 7-12; an emerging alternative for families seeking rigorous, college-prep instruction outside traditional day schools.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Bush School social profiles
Digital presenceThe Bush School compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
The Bush School financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Bush School leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
The Bush School subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
The Bush School funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Bush School M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Bush School
What does The Bush School do?
The Bush School delivers a private K-12 independent day school education for approximately 750 students across three divisions (Lower K-5, Middle 6-8, Upper 9-12) on two campuses in Seattle and Mazama, Washington, using an experiential 'Engaged Learning' pedagogical model. Supplemental offerings include the Cascades International Program (immersive trips to 10+ countries), college counseling, athletics, arts, extended day, summer programs, and transportation services.
Is The Bush School a public or private company?
The Bush School is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Bush School founded?
The Bush School was founded in 1924.
Where is The Bush School based?
The Bush School is headquartered in Seattle, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Bush School make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Tuition and Fees are the primary driver. The others are annual Fund, celebrate Bush Event and endowment Distribution.
Who are The Bush School's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Lakeside School, University Prep, Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences (SAAS), The Northwest School, The Overlake School, Eastside Preparatory School, Charles Wright Academy and The Bear Creek School. Harker School is listed as a broad incumbent. Stanford Online High School is listed as an emerging player.
Does The Bush School have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Bush School.
What industry is The Bush School in?
The Bush School's product category is Independent K-12 Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJABAA, Nonsectarian Independent Day Schools, with a secondary code of EDAJABAJ, Alternative/Pedagogical Model Private Schools (Project-Based, Democratic, etc.). Its NAICS code is 6111 and its SIC code is 8200.