Virginia Association of Independent Schools (VAIS) is a non-profit, voluntary membership association of schools within the state of

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. The VAIS is a member of the

National Association of Independent Schools The National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) is a U.S.-based membership organization for private, nonprofit, K-12 schools. Founded in 1962, NAIS represents independent schools and associations in the United States, including day, boar ...

. Prior to its establishment in

Charlottesville, Virginia Charlottesville, colloquially known as C'ville, is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is the county seat of Albemarle County, which surrounds the city, though the two are separate legal entities. It is named after Queen Ch ...

on April 30, 1973, a small number of independent schools’ headmasters known as “The Baker’s Dozen” met informally, teachers at their independent schools held conferences, and development coordinators hosted their own meetings to discuss commonly held educational issues. While the Virginia State Department of Education accredits independent and other nonpublic pre-school, elementary and secondary schools via the Virginia Council for Private Education (VCPE), the VAIS is a service organization that promotes educational, ethical and professional excellence. According to their website, "the stated purposes of the Association have been to promote the well-being of and public regard for independent schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia; to safeguard the interests of these schools in matters of legislation and regulation; to act as an evaluating and accrediting organization for independent schools in Virginia; to foster mutually beneficial relations with the Virginia State Department of Education and other educational agencies; to assist member schools in maintaining standards of excellence; to encourage activities and to exchange information about new methodologies and practices; and to provide community service and leadership."

Members of VAIS

VAIS members are not only located all across the state, but also the list comprises all grade levels, and both secular and religious schools.

Hampton Roads

* Broadwater Academy *

Cape Henry Collegiate School Cape Henry Collegiate (formerly Cape Henry Collegiate School, also known as Cape Henry or CHC) is a private, college-preparatory, coeducational, day school located in Virginia Beach, Virginia. History Cape Henry Collegiate is the oldest accred ...

Chesapeake Bay Academy Chesapeake Bay Academy (founded in 1989) in Virginia Beach, Virginia is an educational institution that educates and guides students with learning disabilities, including attention disorders (ADHD), dyslexia, and dysgraphia. ReferencesChesapeake ...

* Christopher Academy *

Hampton Roads Academy Hampton Roads Academy is a private, independent, co-educational, day school in Newport News, Virginia serving 644 students in grades Pre-K through twelve, and part of the Tidewater Conference of Independent Schools. HRA is accredited through the ...

Hebrew Academy of Tidewater Virginia Beach is an independent city (United States), independent city located on the southeastern coast of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The population was 459,470 at the 2020 United States cen ...

Nansemond-Suffolk Academy Nansemond-Suffolk Academy (NSA) is a private school, founded as a segregation academy in 1966 in Suffolk, Virginia. NSA has two campuses. The Main Campus (adjacent to downtown Suffolk) includes 166,000 square feet of educational space situated ...

Norfolk Academy Norfolk Academy (NA) is an independent co-educational day school in Norfolk, Virginia. Chartered in 1728, it is the oldest private school in Virginia and the eighth oldest school in the United States. In 1966, Norfolk Academy merged with Country D ...

Norfolk Christian Schools Founded in 1952, Norfolk Christian Schools (NCS) is a private, coeducational Christian day school serving Grades K3 through 12. The school is recognized by the Virginia State Board of Education as an accredited school and is accredited by the V ...

Norfolk Collegiate School Norfolk Collegiate is a coeducational independent day school in Norfolk, Virginia for students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. Norfolk Collegiate is accredited by the Virginia Association of Independent Schools (VAIS). It's also a member ...

Southampton Academy Southampton Academy is a small, private school located in Courtland, Virginia. Southampton Academy, also known locally as "SA" provides education for students from pre-kindergarten through the 12th grade. Southampton Academy was founded in 1969 ...

* St. Andrew's Episcopal School * Tidewater Academy *

Virginia Beach Friends School Virginia Beach Friends School (VBFS) is an independent life-skills and college preparatory day school A day school — as opposed to a boarding school — is an educational institution where children and adolescents are given instructions du ...

The Williams School The Williams School is a private co-educational secondary school in New London, Connecticut, that offers classes from 6th grade to 12th grade. It was founded as the Williams Memorial Institute (WMI) by Harriet Peck Williams in 1891, following the ...

Northern Virginia

* Alexandria Country Day * Browne Academy *

Burgundy Farm Country Day School Burgundy Farm Country Day School is an independent school on a campus in the Rose Hill census-designated place of Fairfax County, Virginia, with an Alexandria postal address, and in West Virginia. It serves students in grades Junior Kinderga ...

Commonwealth Academy A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with " republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from th ...

Congressional School A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

* Episcopal High School *

Flint Hill School Flint Hill School, founded in 1956, is a private, co-educational, college preparatory school, in Oakton, Virginia, serving grades JK– 12. The school has separate upper and lower school campuses about a mile apart in Fairfax County, approximatel ...

Gesher Jewish Day School Gesher ( he, גֶּשֶׁר, ''lit.'' Bridge) may refer to: * Gesher (2019 political party), an active political party from Israel *Gesher (political party), a defunct political party from Israel *Gesher Theater, a theater in Tel-Aviv *Gesher – Z ...

Grace Episcopal School Grace may refer to: Places United States * Grace, Idaho, a city * Grace (CTA station), Chicago Transit Authority's Howard Line, Illinois * Little Goose Creek (Kentucky), location of Grace post office * Grace, Carroll County, Missouri, an unin ...

Green Hedges School Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by a combina ...

* The Langley School *

Linton Hall School Linton Hall School is a Catholic coeducational day-school occupying a 120‑acre campus in Bristow, Virginia, in Prince William County about west of Washington, D.C. It is located within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Arlington. History Ea ...

The Madeira School The Madeira School (simply referred to as Madeira School or Madeira) is an elite, private, day and boarding college-preparatory school for girls in McLean, Virginia, United States. It was established in 1906 by Lucy Madeira Wing. History Or ...

* The Potomac School * St. Stephen's & St. Agnes School *

Virginia Episcopal School Virginia Episcopal School (VES) is a private, co-educational college preparatory, boarding and day school for students in grades 9 - 12, located in Lynchburg, Virginia, United States. The school was first conceived in 1906 by the Reverend Rober ...

Trinity School at Meadow View Trinity School at Meadow View is a private, Blue Ribbon Award-winning Christian school in Falls Church, Virginia. It was founded in 1998 by the People of Praise and provides classical Christian education to students in grades 7-12. Since then it ...

Westminster School (God Gives the Increase) , established = Earliest records date from the 14th century, refounded in 1560 , type = Public school Independent day and boarding school , religion = Church of England , head_label = Hea ...

Northwest Virginia

* Foxcroft School * Fredericksburg Academy * Highland School *

The Hill School The Hill School (commonly known as The Hill) is a coeducational preparatory boarding school located on a campus in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, about northwest of Philadelphia. The Hill is part of the Ten Schools Admissions Organization (TSAO). ...

Loudoun Country Day School Loudoun Country Day School (LCDS) is an accredited, independent, coeducational pre-school through eighth-grade school located in Leesburg, Virginia. History The school was founded in 1953 by Mrs. William J. McDonald and Mrs. J. Churchill Newcomb ...

* Massanutten Military Academy * Powhatan School *

Randolph-Macon Academy Randolph-Macon Academy (R-MA) is a coeducational private boarding school with an elite Air Force JROTC component. R-MA serves students in grades 6-12 and maintains 100% college acceptance rate every year with each class averaging over $14 million ...

* Saint James' Episcopal School *

Wakefield School Wakefield School is an independent day school located in The Plains, Virginia, with classes ranging from junior kindergarten to 12th grade. It was founded in Huntly, Virginia in 1972 as Wakefield Country Day School, and changed its name to Wakef ...

Richmond

* Anna Julia Cooper School * Aylett Country Day School *

Benedictine College Preparatory Benedictine College Preparatory is a private Roman Catholic military high school in Goochland, Virginia. It is owned and operated by the Benedictine Society of Virginia, part of the American-Cassinese Congregation. Benedictine offers educatio ...

* Chesapeake Academy *

Christchurch School Christchurch School is a private college-preparatory coed boarding school in Christchurch, Virginia, founded in 1921 by the Episcopal Church Diocese of Virginia. Near the colonial port town of Urbanna, Virginia and located on a 125-acre waterf ...

* Collegiate School * Good Shepherd Episcopal School * Millwood School * The New Community School * Orchard House School * Richmond Montessori School * Rudlin Torah Academy * Sabot at Stony Point *

Saint Gertrude High School Saint Gertrude High School is an independent Catholic college preparatory day school for young women grades 9–12 in Richmond, Virginia. It was founded in 1922 by the Benedictine Sisters of Virginia, of Bristow Monastery, and is still owned and ...

* St. Andrew's School * St. Catherine's School * St. Christopher's School * St. Margaret's School * St. Michael's Episcopal School * The Steward School * Trinity Episcopal High School * Ware Academy

Southwest Virginia

* Carlisle School *

Chatham Hall Chatham Hall is a grades 9-12 girls' boarding school in Chatham, Virginia, United States, founded in 1894 as Chatham Episcopal Institute. Tuition for the 2022-2023 school year is $25,725 (day students), $53,025 (5-day boarding), and $61,425 (7 ...

Hargrave Military Academy Hargrave Military Academy (HMA) is a private, all-male, military boarding school located in the town of Chatham, Virginia. Hargrave is affiliated with the Baptist General Association of Virginia emphasizing Christian values that focuses on a col ...

* James River Day School * New Vistas School * North Cross School * Oak Hill Academy * Sullins Academy *

Valley

Blue Ridge School Blue Ridge School is a private, all-male boarding school for students grades 9-12 located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Saint George, Virginia, near Charlottesville and the University of Virginia. The school was originally ...

* The Covenant School * Eastern Mennonite School *

Fishburne Military School Fishburne Military School (FMS) is a private, military boarding school for boys in Waynesboro, Virginia, United States. It was founded by James A. Fishburne in 1879 and is one of the oldest military schools in the country. History James A. ...

Fork Union Military Academy Fork Union Military Academy (abbreviated as FUMA) is a private, all-male, college preparatory military boarding school located in Fork Union, Virginia. Founded in 1898, Fork Union is considered one of the premier military boarding academies in th ...

Fuqua School Fuqua School is a private primary and secondary school located in Farmville, Virginia. It was founded as Prince Edward Academy in 1959 as a ( Whites only) segregation academy and renamed after businessman J. B. Fuqua made a large contributio ...

* Grymes Memorial School *

The Miller School of Albemarle The Miller School of Albemarle is a co-educational private University-preparatory school, preparatory school located in Albemarle County, Virginia. The school was founded in 1878 with a bequest from Samuel Miller, who provided for the majority o ...

* Mountaintop Montessori School * St. Anne's-Belfield School *

Stuart Hall School Stuart Hall School is a Staunton, Virginia, co-educational school for students from Grade 4 to Grade 12, and it offers a boarding program from Grades 8 to 12. Stuart Hall School was established in 1827. The head of the school is Jason Coady. In ...

* Tandem Friends School *

Woodberry Forest School Woodberry Forest School is a private, all-male boarding school located in Woodberry Forest, Madison County, Virginia, in the United States. Woodberry's current enrollment is 405. Students come from 28 U.S. states (plus the District of Columbi ...

References

{{Reflist

External links

Virginia Association of Independent Schools
Private and independent school organizations in the United States United States schools associations 1973 establishments in Virginia