Hayground School

What Hayground School does

Hayground School is a private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) independent school founded in 1996 in Bridgehampton, New York, serving 70-90 students ages 3-14 on a 13-acre campus that includes a Culinary Arts Center (Jeff's Kitchen), gymnasium, athletic fields, three organic gardens, two greenhouses, and a heritage-breed chicken coop. The school delivers a progressive, individualized, mentor-based education inspired by John Dewey, structured around mixed-age groupings (Early Childhood ages 3-6, Middle Group ages 6-11, Senior Learners ages 12-14) and integrating academics with hands-on work in culinary arts, studio art, gardening, and science. Curriculum features include peer-mentorship, year-long interdisciplinary projects, 6-week rotations across Art, Culinary Arts, Science, and Gardening, apprenticeships with local businesses for Senior Learners, and dedicated Artists-in-Residence programs, including a Shakespeare & Company residency since 1997 and a Scientist-in-Residence appointed in 2025.

Name

Hayground School

Legal name

Hayground School

Website

https://hayground.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hayground School is a nonprofit, progressive independent school in Bridgehampton, NY, serving 70-90 students ages 3-14 via an individualized, mentor-based curriculum integrating academics with culinary arts, gardening, studio art, and science on a 13-acre campus.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Independent K-8 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (61)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

General Preschools (Play-Based) (EDACABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Play-Based Early Learning Academies (EDACADAE), Inquiry/Project-Based Early Learning Academies (EDACADAF)

Keywords

• Private progressive education
• Independent K-8 school
• Mentor-based learning
• Experiential education programs
• Summer camp programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Bridgehampton

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition: Tuition revenue from families paying for their children's education. $17,000 for ages 3-4 half-day, $22,000 for ages 3-4 full-day, $38,000 for ages 5 and up. Some families pay full tuition while 50-80% require financial assistance.
2. Hayground Camp Operations: Summer camp generates net surplus of $700,000-$1,000,000 annually, serving 550-650 young people and employing ~200 staff. This surplus helps fund the school's operating deficit of $1.1 million or more each year.
3. Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations, foundation gifts, grants, and special events like Chefs Dinner. The annual fundraising goal is $250,000. School raises money from several hundred donors each year giving between $25 and $25,000.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Hayground School provides an individualized, mentor-based progressive education for children ages 3-14 on a 13-acre Bridgehampton, NY campus. Core offerings include three age-based programs (Early Childhood ages 3-6, Middle Group ages 6-11, Senior Learners ages 12-14) supplemented by hands-on programs in Culinary Arts (Jeff's Kitchen), Garden, Art Studio, Science, and Artists-In-Residence, plus After School Enrichment and the Hayground Camp summer program.

Product overview

Hayground School is a private independent school offering an innovative educational experience for children ages 3-14. The school operates on a single unified platform combining individualized, mentor-based academics with hands-on work in professional disciplines. Core programs include Early Childhood, Middle Group, and Senior Learners groupings, supplemented by specialized programs in Culinary Arts (Jeff's Kitchen), Garden, Art Studio, and Science. The school also offers after-school enrichment and is expanding with a new Arts, Science & Library Center (groundbreaking Fall 2025). Founded in 1996 and serving 70-90 students annually, Hayground functions as a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Early Childhood Group (Ages 3-6)
• Middle Group (Ages 6-11)
• Senior Learners Program (Ages 12-14)
• Culinary Arts Program (Jeff's Kitchen)
• Garden Program
• Art Studio Program
• Scientist-In-Residence Program
• Artists-In-Residence Program
• After School Enrichment
• Hayground Camp (Summer Program)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100 graduates since 1998
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Parrish Art MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-year collaboration where Hayground students create gallery-size installations at the museum. Students investigate major living systems and bring them to life through art installations. Past projects include bacterial life totems, honey bee installations, coral reef displays, and seed installations.
• Watermill CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal cultural institution partnering with Hayground School community.
• Shakespeare & CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual Artist-in-Residency program since December 1997. Professional actors from the Berkshires lead entire student body (ages 3-14) through in-depth exploration of Shakespeare play culminating in two public performances.
• Hudson Music StudiosminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMusic education program providing instrumental and vocal instruction. Students learn piano, guitar, drums, vocals in classes exploring rock-n-roll, folk, and world music styles.
• Bridgehampton SchoolminorOthersLocal school district partnership for community collaboration.
• Hampton LibraryminorOthersLocal library partnership supporting Hayground's seed library program and student research activities.
• John Jermain LibraryminorOthersLocal library partnership where students participate in seed library activities and research projects.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Ross School: The Ross School is a progressive, individualized private school in East Hampton, NY — geographically adjacent to Hayground in Bridgehampton, serving a similar Hamptons-affluent demographic with a project-based, integrated curriculum that competes for the same families.
• Waldorf School of Garden City: Waldorf School of Garden City is a Long Island-area independent school using an alternative, arts-integrated, mixed-age pedagogical model that competes for the same progressive-education-seeking families as Hayground in the Hamptons region.
• City and Country School: City and Country School is a progressive, mixed-age independent school in Manhattan founded on similar experiential principles, serving ages 2-13 with individualized learning and authentic project work — directly comparable to Hayground's progressive K-12 pedagogy.
• Bank Street School for Children: Bank Street School is a progressive NYC independent school rooted in the same John Dewey-inspired, individualized, experiential learning tradition as Hayground, with a comparable mixed-age and project-based approach for young children.
• Green Acres School: Green Acres School is a progressive, John Dewey-inspired independent K-8 school in Rockville, MD, with mixed-age groupings and individualized, project-based learning — closely comparable to Hayground's foundational educational model.
• The Calhoun School: The Calhoun School is a progressive NYC independent K-12 school with project-based, individualized learning and a strong arts integration focus, closely mirroring Hayground's progressive educational philosophy and family demographic.
• The Dalton School: The Dalton School is a prestigious Manhattan progressive independent school using individualized learning (the "Dalton Plan"), serving similar ages (K-12) and affluent families with a similarly differentiated educational model.

Others

• The Hampton Library: Hampton Library is a local community resource partner of Hayground's seed library program; it is a relevant ecosystem participant and adjacent educational/community institution in the Hamptons, though not a direct competitor.
• Bridgehampton School District: Bridgehampton School is the local public school district that Hayground partners with for community collaboration; it is a relevant comparator for the local student population from which Hayground draws enrollment.

Emerging players

• Hayground Camp: Hayground Camp is the related-entity summer camp serving 550-650 campers with ~200 staff, operating as part of the Hayground ecosystem; comparable to other Hamptons summer camps competing for the same seasonal market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Hayground.School
• Instagraminstagram.com/hayground_school

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles23 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 Hayground School