What Is The Circle School on circleschool.org?

Updated

The Circle School is an independent, self-directed democratic school in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, serving students from about age 4½ through 19 — roughly preschool through high school. Founded in 1984, it describes itself as an alternative to both public and traditional private schools, built around a balance of freedom, responsibility, and community. It is a fit for families looking for a non-traditional education model rather than a conventional classroom-and-grades setting.

The basic facts

Item Detail
Type Independent self-directed democratic school
Location Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (minutes from downtown)
Founded 1984
Ages served About 4½ to 19 (preschool, elementary, high school)
Enrollment size Approximately 70–90 children
Campus 8 acres with woods, creek, sledding hill, play fields
Building 9,000 sq ft, no classrooms or rows of desks
Spaces inside Art room, science area, playroom, computer lab, library, cooking kitchen
Enrollment status Now enrolling for the 26/27 school year

What "self-directed democratic" means here

The school's own framing is that students "practice life" — learning academics alongside how to navigate their world, advocate for themselves, and contribute to a community. Two features stand out from the description:

  • Self-directed learning. The building is designed without classrooms or rows of desks, which signals that students aren't organized into traditional teacher-led class groups.
  • Democratic community. The school lists democracy as one of its core values alongside freedom, responsibility, and community, and says students share in responsibility for the school.

The site also positions the model within a broader movement, comparing itself to Sudbury Valley School and "dozens of other self-directed democratic schools."

Practical details for families

  • Bus service: Free bus service is offered from 12 school districts, and the campus is minutes from downtown Harrisburg.
  • Cost: The school states it offers financial aid for most families, describing itself as "affordable." Specific tuition figures are not given on the page, so you'd need to contact the school directly for current costs and aid terms.
  • Track record: It cites operation "since 1984" as evidence of a proven approach.

Who it may suit — and who it may not

This model tends to appeal to families who want their child to have significant control over what and how they learn, and who value a democratic, community-centered environment over a standard curriculum-and-grading structure.

It may be a poorer fit if you're specifically seeking:

  • Traditional grade levels, report cards, or GPA-style measures
  • A conventional classroom format with teacher-directed instruction
  • A religious or highly structured academic program

The school's own blog titles hint at its philosophy — for example, "Why Your GPA Won't Save You in a Zombie Apocalypse" and "Live Your Life Now" — suggesting it deliberately de-emphasizes conventional academic metrics.

How to take the next step

If the model matches what you want, the concrete actions are:

  1. Visit circleschool.org to read the school's own explanations of its purpose and approach.
  2. Check the enrollment page, since it is currently enrolling for the 26/27 school year.
  3. Contact the school to ask about tuition, financial aid, bus-route eligibility for your district, and whether your child's age fits the 4½–19 range.

Because pricing and aid specifics aren't published on the page, treat cost as something to confirm directly rather than assume.