The Auburn School

What The Auburn School does

The Auburn School is a for-profit private K-8 day school headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland, with additional campuses in Fairfax, Virginia, and Baltimore, Maryland. It operates under the parent organization Specialized Education Services, Inc. (SESI Schools) and serves intellectually curious students with communication, socialization, pragmatic language, and organizational challenges who can learn in small classroom settings. The school pursues a dual enrollment model: it accepts both private-pay families (rolling admissions, monthly tuition plans through FACTS, financial aid options) and students referred by local Maryland school districts under a Type 1, non-public special education designation with IEP-driven individualized learning maps.

The Auburn School's core offering combines an evidence-based, multi-sensory, data-driven academic curriculum with embedded social skills and pragmatic language development throughout the school day. Its primary proprietary tool is Student Compass, a personalized learning map system aligning each student's strengths, goals, and required supports. The product surface also includes the Spark pathway for students impacted by trauma, school avoidance, or anxiety; Individualized Student Support covering academic, behavioral, and emotional growth; Successful Transitions for movement toward less restrictive environments; and seasonal offerings such as the Camp Aristotle summer program and the PEERs social skills curriculum for ages 12-15. Technology infrastructure is built on standard education SaaS (RenWeb for admissions, FACTS for billing, Microsoft Forms for camp applications) rather than proprietary platforms.

Revenue is generated through two subscription/recurring streams: private-pay tuition (K-8, monthly billing cycles, undisclosed but commonly eligible as a tax-deductible medical expense) and district contracted services for IEP-referred students. Marketing and distribution run through a combination of content marketing via the SESI Schools web platform, tours and Open Houses, district partnership outreach, and an online admissions portal. The school is led by School Director Andrew Hubner (30+ years in special education leadership) and Associate Director Ana McArdle, and reports to SESI's President Marina Major. No independent funding, IPO, or external ownership structure is disclosed.

Name

The Auburn School

Legal name

The Auburn School

Website

https://theauburnschool.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Auburn School is a private K-8 day school serving intellectually curious students with social, communication, and learning challenges across campuses in Silver Spring, MD, Fairfax, VA, and Baltimore, MD, operating under SESI Schools with a dual enrollment model of private-pay families and district-referred IEP students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Special Education Private Day School

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialized Programs & Classrooms (Autism, Emotional/Behavioral, Intellectual/Developmental, Multi-Disability) (EDAJAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Special Needs & Learning Differences Private Schools (EDAJABAH)

Keywords

• Special education services
• Private day school
• Individualized instruction
• Social skills curriculum
• Special needs education

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, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Private-Pay Tuition: Tuition revenue from private-pay families with students in grades K-8. Monthly tuition payment plans available through FACTS. Financial aid options for qualifying families. In many cases, tuition and related expenses may qualify as tax-deductible medical expenses.
2. District Contract Services: Contracted educational services for students referred by local school districts. The school is a Type 1, non-public special education school that develops and implements individualized learning maps for district-referred students with IEPs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Auburn School is a private K-8 day school in Silver Spring, Maryland (with additional campuses in Fairfax, VA and Baltimore, MD) that delivers individualized academic instruction combined with embedded social skills, pragmatic language, and behavioral support for intellectually curious students with learning differences. The school serves two enrollment pathways: private-pay families using the proprietary Student Compass personalized learning plan system, and district-referred students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). Standalone ancillary offerings include the Camp Aristotle summer social skills program and PEERs (Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills) for teens ages 12-15.

Product overview

The Auburn School is a private day school (K-8) operated by Specialized Education Services, Inc. (SESI) that provides a unified educational program combining rigorous academics with embedded social and communication instruction. The core offering centers on The Auburn School's individualized instruction model, which is augmented by the Student Compass personalized learning system for private-pay families. Additional pathway programs include Spark for Academic & Behavior Support, Individualized Student Support, and Successful Transitions services. Seasonal offerings include Camp Aristotle summer program and the PEERs social skills module. The school serves both private-pay families and district-referred students with IEPs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Camp Aristotle: A summer program at The Auburn School welcoming rising Kindergarten through 9th grade students with half-day and full-day options, designed to foster friendships, self-awareness, exploration, and social success. Also includes PEERs (Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills) for teens ages 12-15.

Products and services

• The Auburn School (K-8 Private Day School) Private K-8 day school providing individualized academic instruction, behavioral support, social skills development, and pragmatic language integration for intellectually curious students with communication, socialization, and organizational challenges. Serves both private-pay families and students referred by local Maryland school districts with IEPs.
• Camp Aristotle (Summer Program) Summer program for rising Kindergarten through 9th grade students, including those with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder, language challenges, and ADHD. Offers half-day and full-day options focused on fostering friendships, self-awareness, exploration, sensory breaks, and a bully-free experience.
• PEERs (Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills) Sequential social skills intervention program for young teens ages 12-15, designed to develop social skills for students with autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, anxiety, depression, or other social-communicative challenges.

Quantifiable outcome

• Goal of transitioning students to less-restrictive learning environments as quickly as possible
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Local Maryland School DistrictscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Auburn School works closely with local Maryland school districts to welcome students referred to their Type 1, non-public special education program. Districts refer students with IEPs who need specialized educational support. The school develops individualized learning maps that meet instructional and behavioral needs in accordance with each student's IEP and available assessment data.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The Siena School: The Siena School is a private K-8 (and beyond) school in the DC-Metro/Maryland region serving bright students with language-based learning differences such as dyslexia and ADHD. It is a near-direct peer of Auburn, operating a similar dual enrollment model with private-pay families and district referrals, and competing for the same Mid-Atlantic special-needs family pool.
• Ivymount School: Ivymount is a private special education school in the Washington, DC area serving students with learning, social, and communication challenges including autism spectrum disorder. It offers individualized academic and related services programming and serves both private-pay families and district-referred students, making it one of the closest direct competitors to The Auburn School.
• Eagle Hill School: Eagle Hill School is a private special education school serving students with language-based learning differences, ADHD, and executive functioning challenges. While based in Massachusetts, its model of individualized instruction combined with social skill development mirrors Auburn's approach, making it a comparable model nationally even if not in the same geography.
• The Nora School: The Nora School is a small private school in Silver Spring, MD serving students with learning differences and social-emotional challenges. It targets a similar audience of K-8 (and high school) families seeking individualized instruction, making it a geographically close direct peer competing for private-pay and district-referred students.
• Summit School: Summit School (formerly Summit Preparatory School) is a private K-8 school in the Mid-Atlantic region serving bright students with learning differences. It overlaps directly with Auburn's mission of individualized academic and social-emotional programming for students with ADHD, dyslexia, and related challenges.
• The Children's Guild: The Children's Guild operates special education and alternative education programs in Maryland, including non-public school placements for students with IEPs. It serves a similar district-referred population and competes with Auburn for both district contracts and private-pay families in the Baltimore/DC area.
• The Lab School of Washington: The Lab School of Washington is a private K-12 school serving bright students with learning disabilities such as dyslexia, ADHD, and related differences. Located in DC and overlapping Auburn's Mid-Atlantic catchment area, it competes directly for private-pay families seeking individualized academic and social-emotional instruction.

Broad incumbents

• Kennedy Krieger Institute: Kennedy Krieger is a large, well-established Baltimore-based institution providing special education schools and clinics for children with developmental disabilities, autism, and learning challenges. It is a broader incumbent that overlaps with Auburn on the special education school and IEP-supported student populations but operates at significantly greater scale and breadth of services.

Regional players

• Camphill Special School: Camphill Special School is a private special education school in Glenmoore, Pennsylvania serving students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. While regionally distinct, its mission of individualized, therapeutic education for students with significant learning differences makes it a comparable special education day school model.

Others

• Specialized Education Services, Inc. (SESI): SESI is the parent organization operating Auburn and a broader network of specialized education schools and in-district classroom programs. As Auburn's operating parent, it is the enabling platform that provides shared marketing, district relationships, and operational infrastructure rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Specializededucationservices
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/specialized-education-services-inc-sesi-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Auburn School