History
The Sharon Academy (TSA) began as a dream of its founder, Judy Moore, one afternoon on her back porch overlooking the White River. The idea was to open a school with high academic standards where students would feel safe; a place where students came first, were able to be themselves, to be accepted socially, and to be challenged academically. TSA would be a place where students were able to take responsibility, and to thrive.
The Academy opened as a middle school with 12 students in one classroom of an old schoolhouse in September of 1996. When students in the first class approached 8th grade graduation, and the prospect of transferring to high school, they expressed a desire to continue their education at TSA. The Vermont Department of Education approved the Academy's application to expand to include grades 9 – 12 and The Sharon Academy was firmly established.
As The Academy's good reputation spread throughout Central Vermont and New Hampshire, students continued to transfer to Sharon, and enrollment numbers grew annually until the school reached its full capacity of 156 students. The school had outgrown the old schoolhouse, and construction began on a new facility on a hill overlooking the same White River of its inception. The middle school continues to offer integrated studies at The Old Schoolhouse in Sharon, while the high school occupies the new facility, complete with a full size gym, a yurt village, and newly constructed art room, library, and science lab. The common area hosts large windows allowing students to take in the beauty of the river, valley, and mountains that continue to inspire new thoughts and ideas.
Teachers of The Sharon Academy work in a supportive atmosphere with small class sizes -- where they are an integral influence on students' lives. Because The Academy is a member of the Coalition of Essential Schools, teachers are committed to offering personalized instruction, maintaining small class sizes, performing authentic tasks, encouraging equitable student outcomes, following democratic governance practices, and partnering closely with the surronding community. The fruits of their labors are evident in the impressive list of colleges and universities that TSA graduates now attend.
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