Curriculum Corner: 'Growing Toward the Future,'

By Blue Mountain School Board of Directors

At Blue Mountain School we spend a lot of time thinking about education as a holistic collection of experiences that engage all the pieces of a child’s growth and development. The ultimate hope is that children who attend the school for any amount of time will leave with a deeper relationship with the world we live in, an intrinsic understanding of people and their relationship to the environment, and an innate desire to continue learning well beyond the walls of any formal institutions.

It is in that spirit that we are overjoyed to share some news with our Floyd neighbors: The Endowment for Lifelong Learners at Blue Mountain School, is a permanent fund made possible through a series of private donations by a generous Blue Mountain School alumnus and a new partnership with the Community Foundation of the New River Valley (CFNRV).

For those less familiar with Blue Mountain School, our small, 44 year old nonprofit institution, is a contemplative progressive school serving children ages 2.5 through 14. Every day, our teachers and students show up to explore the joy and wonder of learning in a space that celebrates community, patience, the natural world, and both our differences and our similarities. It is a special place — and it has always been a financially scrappy one.

Like many small, mission-driven schools, Blue Mountain has operated year to year on a blend of tuition, donations, and deep commitment. Our tiered tuition system ensures that families who cannot afford full tuition can still access the school, and in 2024, our Board made the decision to give the largest staff pay raise in the school's history — because our teachers deserve it.

Together, these values create what we call a tuition gap: the difference between what the school would receive if every family paid full tuition and what families actually pay. For the 25/26 school year, that gap is nearly $140,000 — money the school works each year to recover through fundraising, grants, and community support.

The endowment changes the horizon, if not the day-to-day. Initially funded at $1.75 million and invested through CFNRV, the fund is designed to generate approximately $93,000 annually for the school — meaningfully closing the gap between what we receive through tuition and what it actually costs to run the school. It won't eliminate fundraising entirely, and families will still pay tuition, but it offers something the school has never had before: a foundation. Security. A future that doesn't have to be rebuilt from scratch each year.

That the primary gift came from a former Blue Mountain School early childhood student is perhaps the most meaningful part of this announcement. It tells us that the work we do — the patient, joyful, community-rooted work of educating children — leaves a mark that lasts a lifetime. We now have a new and exciting way for anyone who has ever believed in this school, or in the kind of education we offer, to invest in its future. Donations to the endowment, large or small, will compound over time contributing to the school's stability for generations of learners yet to come.

To donate to the Endowment for Lifelong Learners, visit cfnrv.org, click "Give Now," choose your amount, and under "Give to a specific fund or purpose," type "Blue Mountain School Endowment."

Thank you, Floyd, for being the kind of community where a school like ours can take root and grow.

Blue Mountain School is a progressive, contemplative school in Floyd, where intentional curriculum planning is part of the everyday. “Curriculum Corner” is a bi-weekly column written by Blue Mountain School teachers to share insight and school happenings.