Does anyone know what Hyde's enrollment is for 2008/09? Is it still declining? When I attended between 1970-74, there were always between 200-220 borders, and a few day students. It can't be very encouraging for the Gaulds if after 40 years they are continuously having to scramble to fill dorm rooms. I also find it curious that although the enrollment is going down, the endowment fund is rising. Very peculiar, indeed. One would think that they would decline in tandem.
And what is it with all the investment on campus improvements. They seem to spend a great deal of money on this. Is it because they feel obligated to spend the endowment money?
Any knowledgeable comments gratefully received.
FWB
Somehow I kinda doubt enrollment numbers were ever that high 'till they started admitting girls, which was 1971 or 72, if I recall correctly (which I may very well not). Plus there was/is that uniquely high attrition rate... I've heard anywhere from 20-40%, but it was/is probably more like 20-25% unless there's a big bust that year... and that would certainly skew the actual enrollment depending on when in the year you sampled.
Probably the most reliable figures (that is, hopefully consistent from year to year, by whatever means they employ) would come from one of the more mainstream boarding school guides, such as Peterson's Guides, sadly not yet up to date on the current academic year. Here are some stats:
2004-2005: Bath - 221, Woodstock - 210; total: - 431
From: Private Secondary Schools 2004-2005 by Peterson's, Peterson's Guides Staff; Published by Peterson's, 2004; ISBN 0768913640, 9780768913644; 1512 pages
2006-2007: Bath - 207, Woodstock - 158; total - 365
From Peterson's webpage on Hyde (specifically references the 2006-7 school year).
2007-2008: Bath - 200, Woodstock - 159; total - 359
From: Private Secondary Schools 2008 by Peterson's; Contributor Fern A. Oram; Published by Peterson's, 2007; ISBN 0768923999, 9780768923995; 1488 pages
Peterson's finally updated their web description of Hyde Schools a couple of days ago. Unfortunately, no data on the 2008-2009 school year; figures cited in the text are described as being of 2007-2008. They are pretty close to what is noted in their latest edition of Peterson's Guides (book form) in the case of Woodstock (
169), but not so for the Bath campus (
130).
Since these figures are based on voluntary reporting on the part of the schools themselves, my guess is that figures from the two campuses were called in separately, by two different people. This is pure conjecture on my part, but I have a feeling that the Bath campus figures are from
towards the end of the school year, rather than the beginning. The grade distribution argues against a mere typo. Since the book form of Peterson's Guides was published in 2007, it would reflect figures given at the
beginning of the school year.
This has caused me to
rethink the figure of
128 (Bath, 2008) posted by Non-achievement-oriented
above. To my mind, this is clearly an end-of-year figure, completely in keeping with the numbers cited by Peterson's.
Consequently, this then brings me to the issue of the great disparity between begin-of-year numbers and end-of-year numbers, assuming that is what we are seeing here. Clearly, the attrition rate is... well, quite high! James Traub cited an attrition rate of 40% in his article "
The Moral Imperative" in 2005. This current statistic would be roughly in that same ball park: 35%.
Here is what is currently on the Peterson site in its entirety:
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School Close-UpHYDE SCHOOLS
Bath, MaineContact Information:
Gene Devlin, Director of Admission
Hyde School at Bath
616 High Street
Bath, Maine 04530-5002
Telephone: 207-443-7101
Jason Warnick, Director of Admission
Hyde School at Woodstock
P.O. Box 237
Woodstock, Connecticut 06281-0237
Telephone: 860-963-4736
The School Educator Joseph Gauld founded Hyde School in 1966 in deliberate reaction to a system of education he believed had become overly preoccupied with students' abilities and insufficiently focused on their character.
For over forty years, Hyde has been developing its program in accordance with a simple premise: "Let us value attitude over aptitude, effort over ability, and character over talent." The program has evolved to focus on three emphases: character development, family renewal, and college preparation. Character development is fully integrated into School life. Family renewal results from real parent participation. Parents are not here to support the work of the faculty; they are here to develop their own character. Hyde has established a parallel curriculum for students and parents. This family-student partnership has, in fact, become the trademark of Hyde. More than 95 percent of Hyde's graduates attend four-year colleges.
The Bath campus has 145 acres of meadowland and forest that provide an inspiring background for athletics and outdoor challenges, as well as daily campus life. Bath's heritage as an important shipbuilding port provides an interesting historical environment. Bath is located on the Maine coast, just 40 minutes from Portland and 2½ hours from Boston.
A second boarding campus opened in the summer of 1996 in Woodstock, Connecticut, located in the northeastern corner of the state, 1 hour from Boston and Hartford and ½ hour from Providence, Rhode Island. Located near five cities, Providence, Rhode Island; Worcester, Massachusetts; Boston, Massachusetts; Hartford, Connecticut; and New Haven, Connecticut, the Woodstock campus offers extensive cultural and historical opportunities. Hyde owns and operates a fully staffed wilderness education program located in Eustis, Maine, on 600 acres at Flagstaff Lake. Both Hyde campuses utilize this property for outdoor challenges.
Hyde is governed by a self-perpetuating Board of Governors, which meets regularly.
The School plant at Bath is valued at $35 million, and the facilities at Woodstock are valued at $41 million. Annual operating expenses are approximately $15.5 million.
Both campuses are accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc. (NEASC), and the school at Bath is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), the Maine Association of Independent Schools, and the Independent School Association of Northern New England. Hyde's Woodstock campus is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) and the Connecticut Association of Independent Schools.
Academic Program The academic curriculum at Hyde is designed to help a student think critically about the world and examine his or her moral and physical development. Emphasis is placed on critical writing and the discipline of mathematics as fundamental tools for each student's academic growth. Creative focus in the areas of science, history, and foreign language impresses upon the student the importance of breadth as well as depth of knowledge. Special emphasis is placed in the classroom on the ties between the academic program and character development.
Advanced students may choose from a variety of courses, such as physics, advanced biology, AP composition, AP US history, and AP calculus. A high level of faculty involvement creates an academic atmosphere that combines challenge, diversity, individuality, and support.
Perhaps the most important aspect of Hyde's academic curriculum is the emphasis placed upon effort and growth. A student receives separate evaluations each term for effort and achievement. The final grade reflects a factoring of the year's effort and achievement grades. Students at all class levels are closely supervised academically and receive special help and independent study as needed.
The academic program is divided into trimesters. Grade reports are released three times a year. Vacations are scheduled at Thanksgiving, at Christmas, and in the early spring.
The Hyde graduate has taken four years of English, three years of history, three years of mathematics, three years of science (two of which must be lab courses), and two years of foreign language, plus electives in the areas of art, computer science, and performing arts.
Senior responsibilities include tutoring, serving as mentors for students, attending faculty meetings, proctoring, and meeting with faculty candidates.
The student-faculty ratio is 5:1. The average class size is between 10 and 16. Grades are determined on a 100-point scale; 65 is a passing grade. In the evening, there is a 2-hour study hall; the privilege of independent study must be earned.
Faculty and Advisers The Bath campus faculty consists of 8 women and 17 men; 9 hold advanced degrees. There are 10 Hyde alumni and alumni parents on the faculty. The Woodstock campus faculty consists of 10 women and 16 men; 10 hold advanced degrees. There are 13 alumni and alumni parents on the faculty. Nearly all of Hyde's faculty members live on campus and are responsible for counseling and supervision in the dormitories. All serve as advisers to students and their families and share coaching, performing arts, and community action responsibilities.
Donald McMillan, Head of School of the Bath campus, received an A.B. from Bowdoin College in 1983, an M.Ed. from Harvard Graduate School of Education in 1996, and an M.A. from Antioch Graduate School of New England in 2005. He has worked for over twenty years as a teacher, coach, and administrator at both Hyde School boarding campuses and the Hyde Public Charter School in Washington, D.C.
Laura D. Gauld '76, Head of School of the Woodstock campus, was an undergraduate at Beloit College and University of Southern Maine, studying early American history. In 1998, Laura established The Biggest Job Program, which evolved into the book The Biggest Job We'll Ever Have (Scribner, 2002). Her efforts to affect the parenting culture in this country have been recognized through such honors as Maine's Mother-of-the-Year Award and the 2005 Maine Media Women President's Award.
College Admission Counseling Hyde's graduates traditionally attend four-year colleges. The College Counseling Office works closely with each junior and senior in planning postsecondary study. The office maintains an extensive library of college and university admissions materials and uses software programs to help students choose colleges that will best further their growth.
College applications are supervised and processed by the office. At least three faculty recommendations, the student's personal statement, an academic transcript, College Board scores, and an explanation of Hyde's curriculum accompany applications.
In the class of 2007, 53 students graduated from the Bath campus, with 51 attending colleges and universities, including Colgate, McGill, Notre Dame, Mt. Holyoke, Reed, and Rochester Institute of Technology. On the Woodstock campus, 47 members of the class of 2007 graduated, with 44 attending such colleges and universities as Berkeley, Colgate, Dickinson, NYU, Pitzer, and Skidmore.
Student Body and Conduct In 2007–08 on the Bath campus, there were 8 students in grade 9, 19 in grade 10, 55 in grade 11, and 42 in grade 12 and 5 post grads. On the Woodstock campus, there were 10 students in grade 9, 28 in grade 10, 74 in grade 11, 54 in grade 12, and 3 post grads. Between both campuses, twenty-seven states were represented in the student body, as were Bermuda, Canada, China, England, Japan, Korea, Nigeria, Rwanda, and Spain.
Students and faculty members share in maintaining discipline. A traditional student government does not exist at Hyde; instead, the entire student body establishes and maintains the ethics that govern the community. These ethics encourage individuals to live by conscience rather than rules.
Academic Facilities On the Bath campus, The Mansion houses faculty offices, a computer lab, a darkroom, the College Counseling Office, the Family Education Office, and administrative offices. A new academic wing and library were completed in early 2007 (8,600 volumes and Internet access to the News Bank Curriculum Resource and facts.com). It also contains a media room. Additional classrooms are located in The Mansion, its annex, and in the Carriage House; and a renovated barn serves as a spacious art studio. Students have access to Bath's Patten Free Library, and responsible students may conduct research at the Hawthorne-Longfellow Library at nearby Bowdoin College. The Student Union houses facilities for the School's performing arts program, the bookstore, mailroom, and a dining hall.
On the Woodstock campus, the Cultural Center contains a 1,100-seat state-of-the-art theater, classrooms, a lecture hall and science labs, a computer lab, and administrative offices. The Student Center houses classrooms, the student coffee house, the dining hall, and the bookstore. Annhurst Hall, which was recently renovated, contains a new library, the media center, classrooms, the College Counseling Office, the admissions office, and the Family Learning Center. Westhaver Hall houses classrooms and administrative offices, as well as dormitory rooms. In 2008 a state-of-the-art track and field complex was completed. The field turf athletic surface is permanently lined for soccer, football and men's and women's lacrosse. The six-lane urethane track has an eight-line sprint and hurdle space, pole vault, high jump, long and triple jump, discus and shot put areas.
Boarding and General FacilitiesOn the Bath campus, seven dormitories provide the living quarters for boarding students. Five dorms have been built since the School was established. Each dorm has faculty members in residence, and older students share in dormitory responsibilities. A health center is located on campus, and 1 full-time and 3 part-time nurses are employed. A student union was built to accommodate community activities and rehearsal and stage space for the performing arts program. The Family Renewal Center provides conference rooms and dormitories for family weekends and retreats. Some recent additions include a new dining room, a weight-lifting room, a student activities barn, and a 600-seat theater.
On the Woodstock campus, two large three- and four-story dormitory buildings house boarding students; one is for boys and one is for girls. Each dorm has faculty members in residence. Additional faculty housing was completed in late 2006. A health center is located in Warren Hall and is staffed by nurses. The Cultural Center is a 1,100-seat state-of-the-art facility, providing optimal space for the performing arts curriculum, as well as for the local community's cultural events. Annhurst Hall was recently renovated to house a new library, a computer lab, classrooms, and administrative offices; it also provides housing for families participating in retreats and family weekends.
Athletics All Hyde students participate in interscholastic athletics regardless of their experience or skill level. Students learn the value of competitive sports and share the accomplishment of a genuine team effort.
On the Bath campus, a modern field house, playing fields, and a locker-room center at the track and field complex offer excellent facilities for a successful athletics program; a major renovation and expansion of the field house and construction of a new student center and health facility was completed in spring 2006. A new academic building was also completed in the spring of 2007; the focal point is the Chan Wheeler Library. On the Woodstock campus, the Krebs' Family Gymnasium was constructed in 1998–99 with new basketball courts, fitness and training rooms, wrestling rooms, and athletic offices. New athletic fields have been built as well, and a new outdoor track complex was completed in 2007.
Hyde boys compete in basketball, crew (Bath), cross-country running, cross-country skiing (Bath), football, lacrosse, soccer, tennis, track, and wrestling. Hyde girls compete in basketball, crew (Bath), cross-country running, cross-country skiing (Bath), lacrosse, soccer, tennis, and track. The Woodstock campus also has martial arts.
Extracurricular Opportunities Some activities that are traditionally regarded as extracurricular are conducted at Hyde on a cocurricular basis. These activities include the performing arts, community action, and outdoor education.
The community action program enables Hyde students to serve as volunteers in area nursing homes, local elementary schools, the animal shelter, and other community projects.
The performing arts program involves all Hyde students and faculty members in the research, development, and choreography of a musical presentation. In addition, everyone participates at the performing level, either singing, dancing, or acting. Hyde also has formal instruction in music, drama, and dance.
Outdoor education activities include wilderness trips to explore the rivers, mountains, and coastline of Maine, the majority of which are conducted at Hyde's 600-acre property in northern Maine near Sugarloaf ski area. The addition of high- and low-ropes courses on both the Bath and Woodstock campuses provides group and individual challenges for students, faculty members, parents, and alumni.
Hyde offers many opportunities for students to pursue interests beyond the scope of the usual academic program. The visual arts program offers an opportunity for students to be involved with sculpture, pottery, ceramics, art history, film, painting, sketching, and photography.
Students are encouraged to contribute to various publications created on both campuses.
Daily Life Breakfast is served at 7 a.m. After daily jobs for all students, classes begin at 8 and continue until 2:45 p.m. Sports practices are conducted after the academic day and are followed by dinner at 6. Evening study hall is from 7:30 to 9:30. Wednesday and Saturday afternoons are reserved for interscholastic sports competition.
Weekend Life Weekends provide an opportunity for students to relax and interact on a social level. On Sunday mornings, brunch is served. Activities organized by students may include dances, movies, coffeehouses, camping, and trips into town and the surrounding cities. All facilities are open to students during their free time, and the School provides time and transportation for attendance at religious, civic, and social functions in the area. Day students are encouraged to participate in weekend activities.
Summer Programs The Summer Challenge Program is an opportunity for students to experience a character-based educational program, as well as an orientation for students interested in developing their character and leadership, and for new students who will attend during the following regular school year. Most students begin their Hyde education with this program. There are 2 four-week programs in the summer. The curriculum addresses excellence through individual and group challenges in academics, athletics, performing arts, and outdoor education.
Costs and Financial Aid For 2008–09, the cost of tuition, room, and board was $41,500 for boarding students; day school tuition was $23,950. The Summer Challenge Programs cost $4800 per four-week session.
Hyde offers a financial aid program and grants-in-aid based on need. In 2008–09, a total of $1,500,000 was awarded to students on both campuses. Hyde attempts to offer its varied educational programs to as many students as possible. Inquiries about financial aid should be addressed to the Admission Office.
Admissions Information Hyde School seeks to enroll students who have the character, potential, and enthusiasm to challenge and develop themselves within the School's diverse curriculum. While consideration is given to a candidate's past performance, the admissions process concentrates on the prospective student's hopes and desires for the future.
The SSAT is not required but is recommended. Evaluation of past academic performance is important, but acceptance is based on effort and potential, not on grades. A student should have the interest and capacity for a college career.
An in-depth family interview is the main criterion for admission and must be scheduled with the Admissions Office.
Hyde School does not discriminate on the basis of sex, handicap, race, creed, color, or national or ethnic origin. A family's income must be considered in determining financial aid allocations, but it does not have a bearing on admissions status.
Application Timetable The Admissions Office has a March 1 deadline and then operates on a rolling basis and interviews candidates throughout the balance of the year. Families of prospective students should contact the Admissions Office in order to discuss an appointment for an interview. Candidates can expect notification of the Admissions Committee's decision within two weeks after the interview. Interviews for the Summer Challenge Programs are completed by June 20.
Admissions Correspondence Gene Devlin, Director of Admission
Hyde School at Bath
616 High Street
Bath, Maine 04530-5002, United States
Telephone: 207-443-7101
Jason Warnick, Director of Admission
Hyde School at Woodstock
P.O. Box 237
Woodstock, Connecticut 06281-0237, United States
Telephone: 860-963-4736
Last updated: 01/14/2009