Park at a Glance

Founded in 1912, Park School is a non-sectarian, independent, gender-inclusive day school for children in pre-kindergarten through grade twelve. Daniel J. Paradis was appointed the tenth Head of School in July 2008. The school’s core values, rooted in the progressive educational philosophy of John Dewey, sustain an unshakable belief in children’s capacity to enjoy learning, to act rationally, and to grow when inspired by highly qualified, caring teachers. A fundamental commitment to inclusiveness and equity guides all programs and activities.

Quick Facts

GENERAL INFORMATION

Founded 1912
Grade Levels Pre-Kindergarten (Age 4) through Grade 12
Student Gender Inclusive
Mission Devoted to intellectual inquiry, a collaborative spirit of learning, and an appreciation for the diversity of human experience, The Park School of Baltimore is a community founded on positive expectations of our students and respect for individual differences. We cultivate children’s innate curiosity by nurturing their interests and engaging them as active participants in their own education. We support young people in becoming confident questioners and responsible citizens of the world.
Philosophy Progressive
• Learn more about the Park philosophy by clicking here.
• Learn more about the principles of progressive education by clicking here.
Religious Affiliation None. Park is non-sectarian and, from the time of its founding, has welcomed religious diversity.
Dress Code Park School does not have a formal dress code. Students wear clothes that are comfortable and appropriately respectful of a learning environment. Casual clothes (t-shirts, sweaters, jeans) and a range of footwear (sneakers, sandals, etc.) are all acceptable.

Campus & Facilities

Location 2425 Old Court Road
Baltimore, MD 21208
• Just off the Greenspring Ave exit from 695
• Minutes from I-83, the Jones Falls Expressway (Old Court Road exit)
• Located in Baltimore County, just three miles from the City line
Campus Features 100 acres including interconnected academic buildings, rooftop observatory, freestanding Kindergarten building and adjacent playground, 44,000 square foot arts center, 42,000 square foot athletic center, playing fields (including a state-of-the-art AstroTurf field), student-designed lower school playground, woodlands, tributary, pond, Appalachian Challenge ropes course, trails, gardens, and more. Additional acreage at the nearby Sugar Campus includes open meadows and athletic fields that include regulation NCAA baseball field maintained in partnership with Stevenson University.

Hours

School Hours 8:30 a.m.–3:15 p.m.
Early Arrival Early drop-off begins at 7:30 a.m.
After School & Extended Day Available until 6 p.m.

Student Body

Enrollment Total Enrollment: 846
  • Upper School Students (9-12): 352
  • Middle School Students (6-8): 192
  • Lower School Students (Pre-K-5): 302

Academic Administration

Head of School Daniel J. Paradis (2008)
AB Princeton University
MAT Brown University
Associate Head of School Priscilla Morales (2016)
BA Yale University
MA The Klingenstein Center, Teachers College – Columbia University
Upper School Principal Traci Wright (1997)
BS Towson State University
MA Bowie State University
Interim Upper School Dean of Students Elliott Huntsman (2004)
BS Yale University
MA Teachers College, Columbia University
Middle School Principal Joshua Wolf (1994)
BA University of Pennsylvania
MA The Klingenstein Center, Teachers College – Columbia University
Middle School Dean of Students Alpana Chhibber (2018)
BA York College of Pennsylvania
MA University at Albany
MAT Union Graduate College
Lower School Principal Malika DeLancey (2018)
BA University of Maryland
MS Johns Hopkins University
Lower School Assistant Principal Matt Doyle (2005)
BA Canisius College
MEd Loyola University Maryland
Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Courtney Rollins (2016)
BA University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
MA University of Mississippi

Faculty

Total Faculty
  • Full-time Faculty: 108
  • Part-time Faculty: 11
Advanced Degrees 74% hold advanced degrees
  • 88 hold master’s or other advanced degrees, with
     9 Ph.D.s, 1 Ed.D., and 1 J.D. among them. 
Average teaching experience 21 years
Average tenure at Park 11 years
Diversity 22% of the faculty and 28% of our administrators identify as people of color.

Academics

Average Number of Course Offerings Per Year
Average Test Scores Middle 50% SAT scores for the class of 2021:
  • Math 590-710
  • EBRW 640-730
Advanced Placement Scores for 2021:
  • 96 tests taken
  • 85% scored 3, 4, or 5.
A score of 3 or above is a qualifier for college placement out of a requirement or into an advanced-level course.
Average Class Size 15
Student-teacher ratio 7:1

Athletics

Teams 53 in Lower, Middle, and Upper School
Facilities The 42,000 square foot athletic center contains three basketball courts, the Lyn P. Meyerhoff Fitness Center, visiting and home team locker rooms, and an outdoor swimming pool. Two additional basketball courts are located in the Blaustein wing of the main building. There are five playing fields on Park’s main campus – including a state-of-the-art Astroturf field – and four on the nearby Sugar Campus.
Mascot Bruin
Sports
  • Cross Country
  • Soccer
  • Tennis
  • Field Hockey
  • Squash
  • Basketball
  • Indoor Soccer
  • Lacrosse
  • Softball
  • Baseball

Arts

Arts and Arts Integration Park offers experiences in theater, music, and visual art at all grade levels. In addition to Park’s tradition of dynamic arts programming, we have a long history of integration of the arts into our curriculum, and we recognize the role creativity plays in all aspects of academic excellence.
Facilities The 44,000 square foot Wyman Arts Center includes two galleries, an outdoor amphitheater, Meyerhoff Theater, Macks-Fidler Black Box Theater, practice rooms, rehearsal space, ceramics, 3-D sculpture, woodworking, jewelry, painting, photography, digital graphics studios, recording studio, and keyboard lab.

Accreditation & Affiliations

Accreditation

Association of Independent Maryland & DC Schools (AIMS)

Malone Schools From 2000 to 2012, just 50 independent schools throughout the United States were selected to receive a $2 million endowment grant by the prestigious Malone Family Foundation on the basis of their academic caliber; the quality of their staff; excellent accommodations for talented students; strong enrichment programs; attention to the individual student’s needs, interests, and talents; financial strength and stability; a commitment to financial aid; and an economically, culturally, ethnically, and socially diverse population. (malonefamilyfoundation.org)

Park is one of two Maryland schools, and the only Baltimore school, to be so recognized.

The endowment funds tuition assistance grants supporting academically talented students entering Grades 7-10.  parkschool.net/malone
Additional Memberships

Admission

Deadlines
  • Pre-Kindergarten (Age 4), Kindergarten (Age 5),
    and Grades 1-5 – December 1
  • Grades 6-12 – December 15
Common Entry Points
  • Pre-Kindergarten (Age 4)
  • Kindergarten (Age 5)
  • First Grade
  • Sixth Grade
  • Ninth Grade

Financial Information

Tuition Assistance 49% of Park’s students receive tuition assistance.
  • 40% through the Tuition Assistance Program
  • 9% through the Employee Tuition Remission Program

Cafeteria

Highlights The Cafeteria prepares its menu using locally sourced, whole food ingredients when possible.
Upper & Middle Schools Students may purchase hot or cold lunches.
Grades 2-5 Children may bring lunch from home or purchase items from a limited menu.
First Grade First graders eat in their homerooms but may purchase whole, 2%, or skim milk.

Transportation

Routes Park offers bus transportation to and from many neighborhoods in Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Howard County, and Harford County.
Fees Transportation fees are based on one-way or round-trip travel, and the number of children per family being transported. Families may select a.m. and p.m. options, and may do so for individual trimesters or for the whole year.

 

Graduates

College Matriculations
  • 99% of our graduates enroll in a four-year college within one year of graduation.
College Selections
Total Alumni
  • 4793
  • Learn about Park alumni as they pursue further academic achievement, develop professional pursuits, and continue the process of choosing for themselves from the wide range of possibilities life offers: parkschool.net/about/outcomes/

 

Get to Know a Park Student
Click above to hear real students in their own words share the ways in which our inspiring faculty and student-centered learning help create engaging experiences, both inside and outside the classroom.
Park By The Numbers
Download this synopsis of some illuminating facts and figures about our school.
College Choices
Park students are encouraged to consider a wide range of possible colleges with the aim of having college choices that suit their personal preferences and goals.