The Leelanau School
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Leelanau School is a coed non-profit boarding high school located in Glen Arbor, Michigan. The school was founded in 1929, and is a small, college-preparatory school with 42 acres of land with 13 year-round and 9 seasonal building structures. The school has a high teacher-to-student ratio, although the listed value varies from 1:6 to 1:10 depending on the source. It attracts average to above-average students.
The school is nestled on the shore of Lake Michigan just outside of Glen Arbor, and boasts the Crystal River (really more of a stream) running through the property as well as the Lanphier Observatory. It is bordered by The Homestead Resort.
The school has had a fluctuating enrollment between 60 and roughly 100 (the latter being its nominal capacity) over the last 20 years. During the last few years the school has suffered declining enrollment and resulting increasing encumbrance on its financial structure, which some speculate may lead the school to close. Challenges facing the school include a lack of "legacy" students (students whose parent(s) also attended Leelanau) and a severe shortfall in charitable giving.
In response to these challenges the school has undertaken a realignment of its core competency, choosing to emphasize "learning differences", and has boosted tuition levels to in excess of $40,000 annually. The success of this realignment in stabilizing the school's fiscal status is yet to be determined.
An organization called "The Leelanau Alumni Organization" was formed in late 2005 by alumni concerned over the lack of alumni contributions to the school and the potential of closure. This organization is independent from the school and intends to serve alumni interests, and hopes to facilitate the school's growth as well.
