Verde Valley School

What Verde Valley School does

Verde Valley School (VVS) is an independent private boarding and day high school located on a 140-acre campus in Sedona, Arizona, serving students in grades 9-12. Founded in 1948, the school delivers the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum through an integrated program branded 'IB + Dirt,' which pairs rigorous IB academics with experiential learning in the surrounding natural environment. Total enrollment stands at 114 students, split between 66 boarding students and 48 day students, supported by 21 faculty members of whom 86% hold advanced degrees. Academic outcomes include a 100% IB diploma pass rate sustained over three consecutive years.

The school's product offering spans five interconnected program areas: the IB Diploma Program, a 9th/10th Grade Foundation curriculum anchored by guiding questions on identity and community, an Arts Program (music, theater, 2D and 3D art), College Counseling (including dedicated international student support via EduBookings.com), and Experiential Education. Students can pursue either the IB Diploma, the IB Certificate, or the VVS diploma. The school positions itself explicitly as an alternative to high-pressure, technology-saturated mainstream education.

VVS operates as a nonprofit, tuition-driven institution with two primary revenue streams — boarding tuition and day student tuition — billed annually. Distribution is direct-to-consumer through a traditional admissions funnel (inquiry, application, campus visit) supplemented by digital channels including the school website, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Google Ads lead forms, and Niche.com listings. The institution is governed by a Board of Trustees with no disclosed parent company, PE/VC ownership, or acquisition activity.

Name

Verde Valley School

Legal name

Verde Valley School

Website

https://vvsaz.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Verde Valley School is an independent private boarding and day high school in Sedona, Arizona, offering International Baccalaureate education for grades 9-12 to approximately 114 students on a 140-acre campus.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Sedona

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. Boarding Tuition: Revenue from residential students who live on campus, covering both academic instruction and boarding facilities
2. Day Student Tuition: Revenue from day students attending the school for academic instruction only

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Verde Valley School is an International Baccalaureate boarding and day high school serving grades 9-12 on a 140-acre campus in Sedona, Arizona. The school delivers the IB curriculum alongside its signature 'IB + Dirt' experiential learning approach, integrating classroom academics with hands-on outdoor and community-based learning. Programs include the IB Diploma Program, Arts, 9th/10th Grade Foundation, College Counseling, and Experiential Education.

Product overview

Verde Valley School is an International Baccalaureate boarding and day high school (grades 9-12) offering a unified educational program anchored by the rigorous IB curriculum. The school combines academic rigor with experiential learning ('IB + Dirt'), offering five interconnected program areas: the IB Diploma Program (with 100% pass rate), The Arts (music, theater, 2D and 3D art), 9th/10th Grade Foundation, College Counseling, and Experiential Education. Students can earn both the VVS diploma and the internationally recognized IB diploma.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• IB Diploma Program International Baccalaureate diploma program with a 100% diploma pass rate for three consecutive years, offering both the IB Diploma and Verde Valley School diploma options, for students in grades 11-12.
• The Arts Program Comprehensive arts education including Music (with recording studio), Performing Arts (theater), Art 2D (drawing, painting, printmaking), and Art 3D (ceramics, sculpture) taught by Master Teacher Jeff Perkins.
• 9th and 10th Grade Foundation Foundation curriculum built around three guiding questions (Who am I and how do I know that? How do I fit into the world around me? What is my responsibility to my community?) that prepares students for the IB curriculum.
• College Counseling One-on-one college counseling for juniors and seniors, with dedicated international student support through EduBookings.com partnership, plus SMARTTRACK College Funding tools for financial aid optimization.
• Experiential Education / IB + Dirt Experiential learning combining IB curriculum with hands-on activities in the red rock environment including Oak Creek explorations, off-grid classrooms, and community projects.
• Boarding Program Residential boarding program for 66 students in grades 9-12, providing academic instruction and on-campus residential facilities on the 140-acre Sedona campus.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% IB diploma pass rate for three consecutive years
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• SMARTTRACK College FundingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSMARTTRACK College Funding provides VVS families with tools and guidance to maximize grants, scholarships, and financial aid for college funding. Families get access to free resources, webinars, and personalized college funding evaluations to minimize college debt.
• EduBookings.comminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEduBookings.com provides international students at VVS with comprehensive college admission services including dedicated advisors, centralized applications, downloadable apps, access to unique scholarships, and guaranteed admission to partner universities in USA, UK, or Australia.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Holderness School: Small Episcopal boarding school in Plymouth, NH with a strong outdoor program (Out Back program) and a comparable enrollment profile. Similar in scale and its integration of outdoor experiential learning with college-prep academics.
• Proctor Academy: Small private boarding and day school in Andover, NH with a well-known experiential/immersion learning model (Mountain Classroom, Ocean Classroom). Highly comparable to VVS in its integration of off-campus experiential programs with college-prep academics.
• The Mountain School: Semester-based experiential program in Vershire, VT that combines academic coursework with farm and wilderness work. Comparable to VVS's 'IB + Dirt' experiential component, though focused on a single semester rather than a multi-year diploma.
• The Athenian School: Small private day and boarding school in Danville, CA with a comparable experiential learning focus and similar student body size (~500). Comparable in its emphasis on combining rigorous academics with real-world and outdoor learning.
• Southwestern Academy: Small private boarding school with campuses in San Marino, CA and Rimrock, AZ (notably close to VVS's Sedona location). Comparable in small scale, college-prep focus, and individual attention model.
• The Thacher School: Small private boarding school in Ojai, CA with a comparable intimate scale (~250 students) and a strong outdoor/experiential learning program (mandatory horsemanship, camping). Closest analog to VVS in ethos, scale philosophy, and experiential curriculum emphasis.
• Northfield Mount Hermon: Private co-educational boarding school in Gill, MA with a comparable experiential work program and similar ethos around global citizenship. Larger than VVS but closely aligned in mission and program design.
• Indian Springs School: Small private boarding and day school in Indian Springs, AL with a similar commitment to experiential learning, small cohorts, and progressive pedagogy. Comparable in scale and institutional philosophy to VVS.
• Besant Hill School of Happy Valley: Small private boarding school in Ojai, CA with a progressive experiential curriculum and a comparable enrollment profile (~80-100 students). Closely aligned with VVS in scale, ethos, and experiential pedagogy.
• Peddie School: Private boarding and day school in Hightstown, NJ with a comparable enrollment size (~550), strong international student population, and similar college-prep focus with experiential components.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCzQdBU_iEDWmVoLucjQmQWw
• Facebookfacebook.com/vvsaz
• Instagraminstagram.com/verdevalleyschool

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Verde Valley School