Darrow School’s Turnaround
Three years after teetering on the edge of fiscal collapse, Darrow School has not only avoided closure but has doubled its enrollment, swelling from 110 to 265 students.
The turnaround was anchored by the acquisition of a $15.3 million lakeside property on Queechy Lake, which now hosts dormitories, a theater and modern classrooms that supplement the school’s historic Shaker structures.
Renovating History
Renovations are underway to bring the 200‑year‑old Shaker buildings up to code, adding sprinklers and ADA‑compliant access while temporarily housing students in the renovated cottages during each construction phase.
Hockey and Hands‑On Learning
A partnership with the Atlantic Coast Hockey Academy allows the school to educate 165 hockey players, offering flexible afternoon and evening classes that accommodate training schedules.
Beyond athletics, Darrow’s curriculum embraces hands‑on projects such as sustainable farming, animal care and the restoration of stone walls, giving students tactile experience that complements traditional study.
Weekly Quaker‑style community meetings and nightly gatherings around a firepit replace solitary computer use, fostering a sense of shared purpose and dialogue among the student body.
Head of School Andy Vadnais envisions a campus where bike trails link the mountain and lake sites, allowing functions to be split between the two locations and creating a more integrated learning environment.
Despite the enrollment boost and new revenue streams, the school still faces a precarious financial outlook, with ongoing renovation costs and operational expenses demanding careful stewardship.