Hackley School

Hackley School is an independent, college-preparatory, nonsectarian, day and boarding school for students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. Founded in 1899, Hackley became co-educational in 1970. Enter Here to Be and Find a Friend. These words are emblematic of our core values, they inform our sense of community, and they shape the experience of both students and adults on the Hilltop. Carved over the entrance to the school, they welcome and remind us each day of our commitment to one another.

Although visitors to the Hilltop often remark on the beauty of our campus, they are frequently more impressed by the warmth of the school, a characteristic that stems from the genuine sense of community present here. As a K-12 independent school on a single campus, we believe deeply in the importance of community: as learners, artists, and athletes; as friends and peers; and as a school focused on developing student character. At Hackley, students build lifelong relationships with one another and with faculty members, whether they enter in Lower, Middle, or Upper School. These relationships enrich the educational experience and are central to our mission to help students “learn from the varying perspectives and backgrounds in our community and the world.”

Hackley retains a vibrancy that extends well beyond the academic day, contributing to the strength of our community. Faculty live on and near campus, raising their families and participating in the life of the school throughout the day. They offer extra help, coach athletic teams, run clubs and extra-curricular activities, serve as dorm parents, and are present to serve as mentors and advisors. Additionally, our unique 5-day boarding program allows Upper School students the chance to experience the best of both boarding and day school: living at school during the week and returning to home on the weekend. Day and boarding students easily build friendships and benefit from the presence of Hackley faculty well after the last class ends. All of these factors create a home-like feeling on Hackley’s campus, because for many of us, it is.

The Hackley community embraces four mottos that weave throughout our culture and shape our journey, K-12 and beyond. First, we “Enter here to be and find a friend.” Once here, “United, we help one another.” We learn and share a commitment that “Character is higher than intellect.” And ultimately, the journey prepares us to “Go forth and spread beauty and light.” These ideals are embedded in our history, our collective identity, and even our architecture.

Our mission states: "Hackley challenges students to grow in character, scholarship, and accomplishment, to offer unreserved effort, and to learn from the varying perspectives and backgrounds in our community and the world." This mission challenges us to leave ourselves open to new possibilities--intellectual and interpersonal--with the option to change our minds. Learning from the perspective of others requires a community effort, the type born of the journey framed by our mottos.

At Hackley, learning occurs inside classrooms, art studios, libraries, and practice rooms, on the boarding corridor, playground, practice fields, and dining hall. It grows out of our strong sense of community and thrives on the perspectives discovered through daily contact between members of our K-12 community. Our mission seeks to bring different voices and experiences into the conversation so we may learn from one another and build an inclusive community.

Hackley School adheres to a long-standing policy of admitting students of any race, color, religion, gender identity, sexual identity, and national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender identity, sexual identity, or national or ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship or athletic and other school-administered programs.