Washington Academy (Maine)
| Washington Academy | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
66 Cutler Road , 04630 United States | |
| Coordinates | 44°44′03″N 67°23′19″W / 44.7343°N 67.3885°W |
| Information | |
| School type | Private, boarding |
| Motto | Virtute de Regno Certam (The Virtue of the Kingdom is Certain) |
| Founded | 1792 |
| Head of school | Richard Olivares |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Enrollment | 392 |
| Student to teacher ratio | 10:1 |
| Campus type | Rural |
| Color(s) | Maroon White |
| Mascot | Raider |
| Nickname | Raiders |
| Accreditation | New England Association of Schools and Colleges |
| Publication | WA Today |
| Yearbook | The Washington Record |
| Tuition | $40,500 |
| Website | washingtonacademy |
Washington Academy (WA) is a private preparatory high school in East Machias, Maine. Founded in 1792, the Academy has an enrollment of 438 boarding and day students.[1][2]
The Maine Department of Education pays the school to take high school students from Cathance Township and Edmunds, unorganized territories in Washington County.[3] Due to the school taking public tuition money, Joyce Kryszak of the Maine Monitor stated that it is a "public-private" school.[4]
History
In the beginning, classes were held in Machias at the Burnham Tavern and the Masonic Hall. It wasn’t until much later that the school got its own building. After deliberation between neighboring towns, the first school building was built in East Machias, opening its doors on September 8, 1823.
Washington Academy is co-educational with about 50% of each gender. It has over 350 day students and about 90 residential students- representing more than 20 surrounding communities. In 2017, the school had 96 international students from 24 different countries.[5]
After the high school in Lubec closed in 2010, this school took some Lubec students.[4] The academy had, in the period prior to the closure of Lubec High, given scholarships to some Lubec students.[6]
Washington Academy completed construction a new Health and Wellness Center, and improvements in athletic fields, classroom space, and digital infrastructure in 2011.
Notable alumni
- John C. Caldwell, American Civil War general and diplomat
- Austin Cary, forester
- George S. Grimmer, Canadian politician
- Alexander Hamilton Handy, judge
- George Harris, theologian
- Martha Seavey Hoyt, biographer, newspaper correspondent, businesswoman
- Frederick A. Pike, politician
- James Savage, banker
- Alfred Stone, architect
- Frederic Talbot, businessman
See also
Other private high schools in Maine which take students with public funds:
Connecticut private academies acting as public high schools:
New Hampshire private academies acting as public high schools:
References
- ^ "Washington Academy". Archived from the original on February 7, 2005.
- ^ "Washington Academy". washingtonacademy.org. Retrieved September 8, 2015.
- ^ "Education in the Unorganized Territory - Find Your School". Maine Department of Education. Retrieved July 13, 2025.
- ^ a b Kryszak, Joyce (February 11, 2023). "Small schools struggle, thrive, and fight to stay open". The Maine Monitor. Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting. Retrieved July 13, 2025.
- ^ Groening, Tom (May 6, 2017). "After 225 years, this Down East school is having an international impact". The Working Waterfront. Bangor Daily News. Retrieved May 6, 2017.
- ^ Idlebrook, Craig (July 13, 2010). "The Working Waterfront". The Working Waterfront. Island Institute. Retrieved July 13, 2025.