The Circle School
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| The Circle School | |
|---|---|
 The Circle School, Harrisburg Pennsylvania, US, 2019 | |
| Location | |
| Information | |
| Founded | 1984 |
| Age range | 4-19 |
| Enrollment | 47[1] |
| Philosophy | Democratic education |
| Website | https://www.circleschool.org |
The Circle School is a self-directed democratic school located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, founded in 1984. It enrolls children of pre-kindergarten through high school age. The Circle School is one of three Sudbury-like schools in Pennsylvania, where students have complete responsibility for their own education, and the school is run by a direct democracy in which students and staff are equal citizens.[2]
Educational method
The school's model of schooling has two defining characteristics:
- First, the students are free to spend their time as they choose. During the hours they are in school students can spend their time engaging in any activity they wish (reading, playing video games, climbing trees, conversing, studying, playing harpsichord etc.). The only requirements placed on them are that they must follow the rules and that they must do a chore each day. There are no required grades or evaluations, the idea being that every activity students engage in, they engage in because they wish to do so.
- The second defining characteristic is that the school is run democratically on a one-person, one vote-model. All the "day-to-day" affairs of the school are governed by a democratic body called the School Meeting. There, decisions are made concerning such things as creating, repealing or amending rules, all aspects of managing the school, suspending and expelling students, etc. The School Meeting is composed of all students and staff members (teachers) and since the students greatly outnumber the staff members, most of the administrative power lies with the students. This model of education receives a great deal of skepticism as it is very different than the other methods of teaching.
History
Jim Rietmulder founded The Circle School in September 1984 with co-directors Beth Stone and Sue Harten-MacAdam, serving three students.[3] The school was founded as an innovative pre-school and elementary school, emphasizing children's social, emotional, spiritual and physical development as well as academics.[3]
In 1997 The Circle School added high school grades and has ever since included all grades, pre-kindergarten through high school.
In 2017 the school officially moved to its current location, a new 9,000 square foot building on an 8 acre campus in Harrisburg, PA.[4]
Research
A 2015 study found that 2% of former students were unemployed and 13% were self-employed.[5]
References
- ^ "Search for Private Schools - School Detail for". nces.ed.gov. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
- ^ Ellis, Arthur K. (2004). Exemplars of curriculum theory. Eye on Education. ISBN 1-930556-70-5.
- ^ a b Griffiths, Jo (September 30, 1984). "Circle School provides alternative education". The Patriot-News. p. 18. Retrieved July 24, 2025.
- ^ Binda, Larry (November 30, 2017). "Circular Motion: Settled in a new facility, the Circle School continues its educational mission". Sunday Patriot News. Retrieved July 22, 2025.
- ^ Matusov, Eugene (June 16, 2025). Post-Enlightenment Self-Education: Toward the Age of Human Dignity. Springer Nature. p. 147. ISBN 978-3-031-90675-6. Retrieved July 22, 2025.
