What Nantucket Lighthouse School does

Nantucket Lighthouse School is a non-profit independent school operating a single campus at 1 Rugged Road, Nantucket, Massachusetts. Founded in September 2000 by Lizbet Carroll Fuller and Elizabeth Edwards Sundell, the school serves children from 2.9 years through 8th grade, currently with a staff of approximately 22 including Head of School Emily Miller, lead teachers, specialists, and administrative personnel. The institution's product is a screen-free, project-based, whole-child curriculum ("Head, Heart, Hands") inspired by Rudolf Steiner/Waldorf education and Antioch New England's Integrated Day approach, supported by a 12-bed educational garden, a hoop house, a Monarch Waystation, handwork instruction, weekly field trips, and specialist teaching in music, physical education, horticulture, Spanish, and learning support including Orton-Gillingham reading instruction.

The school generates revenue primarily through annual tuition ($16,900 preschool, $18,600 kindergarten, $22,200 grades 1-7 for 2026-2027), a pay-as-you-go Extended Day program at $29 per session, and donations raised through the Yuletide Fair, Nantucket Garden Festival, and other giving vehicles. The go-to-market motion is direct admissions: prospective families schedule personal tours, complete a no-fee online application, attend observation days, and receive decisions on published dates with a maintained waitlist. Over 40% of families participate in a need-based tuition assistance program processed through Blackbaud Financial Aid Management, with average awards covering approximately 35% of tuition; the supplemental Head, Heart and Hand Scholarship Fund (established 2015) provides additional support. The school also runs Camp Lighthouse as a seasonal extension under a separate brand.

Operationally, the school has expanded from a 12-student launch in a NISDA barn to a multi-building campus including The Chace Schoolhouse (2007) and Starbuck Cottage (2021, housing the Andy Bullington Music Room, art/maker space, literacy center, and administrative offices). It is governed by a Board of Trustees with co-chairs, treasurer, secretary, and 13+ members, and is led by Emily Miller, who holds a Harvard Graduate School of Education certificate in Early Education Leadership. The school is geographically constrained to Nantucket Island, has no parent company, no external investors, and operates as a standalone 501(c)-style educational non-profit.

Name

Nantucket Lighthouse School

Legal name

Nantucket Lighthouse School

Website

https://nantucketlighthouseschool.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Nantucket Lighthouse School is a non-profit independent school on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts, serving children 2.9 years through 8th grade with a screen-free, whole-child, project-based curriculum. It operates a single campus, enrolls island families through direct admissions, and funds operations via tuition, extended day fees, and community fundraising.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent K-8 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Nonsectarian Independent Day Schools (EDAJABAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Waldorf/Steiner K–12 Schools (EDAJABAE)

Keywords

• Private school education
• Early childhood education
• Project-based learning
• Whole child education
• Independent elementary school

Headquarters

HQ city

Nantucket

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Tuition Revenue: Annual tuition payments from enrolled families for preschool through 8th grade education. Tuition varies by grade level: Preschool $16,900, Kindergarten $18,600, Grades 1-7 $22,200 (2026-2027 school year).
2. Extended Day Program: Afternoon childcare program running 2:30-5:10 p.m. at $29 per session, offering hands-on activities, artistic projects, and homework support for preschool through Grade 7 students.
3. Tuition Assistance Program: Need-based financial aid processed through Blackbaud Financial Aid Management. Over 40% of families participate, with average award covering approximately 35% of tuition costs. Additional Head, Heart and Hand Scholarship Fund for families needing more than standard assistance.
4. Donations and Fundraising: Annual giving program including Yuletide Fair (19-year tradition), Nantucket Garden Festival sponsorship revenue, and general donations supporting tuition assistance, educational programming, and campus infrastructure.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Nantucket Lighthouse School is an independent, non-profit private school delivering screen-free, project-based education for children from age 2.9 through 8th grade on Nantucket Island. Its core offering is a whole-child (Head, Heart, Hands) academic program anchored by an educational garden/greenhouse, handwork curriculum, weekly field trips, music, Spanish, horticulture, and physical education, supplemented by an Extended Day after-school program and Camp Lighthouse summer programming.

Product overview

Nantucket Lighthouse School is an independent private school offering a unified, whole-child educational program spanning preschool through 8th grade. The school operates a core academic program emphasizing project-based, screen-free learning, supplemented by Extended Day care services, Camp Lighthouse summer programming, and enrichment modules including an Educational Garden and Greenhouse, Horticulture Classes, Handwork Program, and specialized curriculum areas. The school also engages the broader community through the annual Yuletide Fair, Nantucket Garden Festival, and Educational Speaker Series. Financial support programs include a Tuition Assistance Program utilizing Blackbaud Financial Aid Management and the Head, Heart and Hand Scholarship Fund.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Camp Lighthouse: Summer camp program operated by Nantucket Lighthouse School for island children.
• MySchool App

Products and services

• Core Educational Programs (Preschool through 8th Grade) Developmentally appropriate, whole-child education program serving children from 2.9 years through 8th grade, delivered through a screen-free, project-based, interdisciplinary curriculum organized around the Head, Heart, Hands philosophy. Annual tuition: Preschool $16,900; Kindergarten $18,600; Grades 1-7 $22,200 (2026-2027 school year). School day runs 8:20 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
• Extended Day Program After-school care program running 2:30 p.m. to 5:10 p.m. for preschool through Grade 7 students, offering hands-on activities, artistic projects, imaginative play, and homework support. Priced at $29 per session with pre-registration required via Sign-Up Genius; complimentary shuttle to Nantucket Boys & Girls Club available for Grades 1-7.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 40% of families receive tuition assistance, with average award covering 35% of tuition
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Nantucket Boys & Girls ClubminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorComplimentary shuttle service available for Nantucket Lighthouse School students in Grades 1-7, transporting them from NLS to the Boys & Girls Club after the regular school day ends.
• Blackbaud Financial Aid ManagementcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerThird-party financial aid processing service used by the school to evaluate tuition assistance applications. Uses comprehensive formula evaluating all aspects of family financial profile. The school ID is 14559.
• Nantucket Land CouncilminorOthersGenerously funded 12 raised cedar beds in the school's educational garden used for growing vegetables, herbs, and flowers.
• Nantucket Garden ClubminorOthersFunded the Pollinator Garden at the school, which is certified as a Monarch Waystation by MonarchWatch.org.
• 2014 Nantucket Garden Festival Soirée GuestsminorOthersCommunity supporters who funded the 17'x28' hoop house in the educational garden through event donations.
• Nantucket License Plate CommitteecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool serves as principal non-profit sponsor for Massachusetts specialty license plate benefiting island children's charities. Over $1 million raised. Super Partners receiving perpetuity allocations: A Safe Place, First Congregational Church, Nantucket Community Sailing, St. Mary's Church. Additional Partners include Children's House of Nantucket, Fairwinds, Friends of Nantucket Public Schools, Nantucket Booster Club, Nantucket Dreamland Foundation, Nantucket Ice, Nantucket Music Center, Nantucket New School, Small Friends on Nantucket, Strong Wings Adventure School, and Unitarian Universalist Meeting House.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Brookwood School: Independent pre-K through Grade 8 school on Boston's North Shore with comparable size, screen-light philosophy, and project-based learning ethos. Closely parallels NLS in operating model and target segment.
• Fenn School: Established independent boys' elementary/middle school in Concord, MA. Comparable as a small, New England-based independent K-9 school with strong community traditions and differentiated programming.
• Green Meadow Waldorf School: Long-established Waldorf school (Nursery through Grade 12) in Rockland County, NY. Directly comparable as a Waldorf-inspired, screen-free, project-based independent school with similar philosophical roots.

Regional players

• Strong Wings Adventure School: Island-based alternative education program on Nantucket, also a License Plate Partner. Competes for alternative-education-seeking families on the same island.
• Waldorf School of the Berkshires: Regional Waldorf-inspired independent school in western Massachusetts. Shares the Steiner/Waldorf pedagogical foundations and similar screen-free, hands-on approach for early childhood through Grade 8.

Others

• Antioch University New England: NLS explicitly cites Antioch New England's Integrated Day approach as an inspiration for its curriculum. Related as the philosophical birthplace of NLS's holistic education model.

Emerging players

• Pine Hill Waldorf School: New England Waldorf-inspired early childhood and elementary program. Comparable on pedagogy and screen-free learning model, with a smaller scale than NLS.

Direct peers

• Nantucket New School: Another independent K-8 private school on Nantucket Island, listed alongside NLS as a Nantucket License Plate partner. Directly competes for the same island families seeking alternative private education.
• Children's House of Nantucket: Montessori-based early childhood education provider on Nantucket, also a License Plate program partner. Competes directly with NLS's preschool and kindergarten programs for island families.
• Small Friends on Nantucket: Nantucket early childhood program and License Plate partner. Overlaps with NLS's preschool/kindergarten age range and shares the same island customer base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/nantucket_lighthouse_school
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nantucket-lighthouse-school

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 Nantucket Lighthouse School