A vibrant learning community for grades 7 -12 in Westminster, Vermont, Compass is a small school dedicated to the success of every student.

 
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The Coalition of Essential Schools : Common Principles

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Founded in 1997 as an innovative educational option accessible to all, our founding principles continue to guide everything we do.

For nearly 30 years, we’ve enrolled students from the surrounding towns in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts.

Our small school is the perfect place to get inspired, take risks, learn from mistakes, get invested in your education, and be surprised by what you can do.

Developing strong thinkers, problem solvers, communicators, and collaborative workers with the ability to adapt to changing conditions — that's our goal for all Compass students.

“At Compass, I learned to think laterally rather than just straight forward. Not how to think outside the box, but use the box to get something else later.
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— Compass Graduate
“Compass taught me to be self-directed, self-supporting, self- sufficient, independently curious, fiercely egalitarian, and sassy. This school, and the people I met there, changed my life.”
— Compass Graduate
 

Compass graduates have an excellent college acceptance rate at top schools and have won millions of dollars in merit-based scholarship awards.

 
 

Come See What School Can Be

Visit with us and get to know our unique learning community.

We have an open enrollment process with rolling deadlines for scholarships and financial aid, but earlier is always better.

Get in touch with us though phone, email, or through the link here, and we look forward to getting the conversation started.

 
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Meet our students and teachers in these videos . . . .

A 20th-anniversary overview of the school’s founding and continued growth.

Created by founder and Director Rick Gordon, this video features quotes from former and current students.

Submitted for the 2017 School Choice Awards, this video became our winning entry.

High School

A rigorous curriculum combined with support for creative problem solving and true independence, our high school prepares learners for college and career success.

Middle School

Innovative and dynamic curriculum, small classes, personalized instruction, and community involvement create a healthy and supportive middle school experience.

A rigorous, relevant, and respectful learning community for grades 7 -12 in Westminster, Vermont.