Present

When the Shipman family began Happy Hill Farm Academy in 1975, they had no way of knowing the complex needs that today’s young students from the United States and throughout the world would face. Traditional boarding schools existed — primarily for wealthy, East Coast families — for many years, but the residential school movement, that could provide the same opportunities for motivated, economically disadvantaged students, was a rarity. From meager beginnings, Happy Hill Farm Academy has transitioned, over almost four decades, into one of the country’s finest boarding and day schools. Its graduating classes, with a few exceptions for students preferring a military career, are scattered across the nation in many of the finest colleges and universities available.

Happy Hill Farm Academy is unique in that it is located on a 500-acre, working farm and campus. This rural campus setting allows for an active 4-H program, a horticulture center, and an equine program. In addition to sports, music, art, and drama, students may participate in these healthy, out-of-doors activities — most with high school credit. These amenities are particularly popular with the current day school and international boarding students, many of whom have never been on a working farm. This unique blend of Christian families, who desire a more classical, private Christian education for their K-12 students, along with international families, who want their children to receive an outstanding American boarding school education, are intermingled with a group of students from underprivileged homes, who are highly-motivated to move on with their lives in a positive manner. This unique social blending creates a dynamic, practical, learning environment that prepares students to be imminently successful as they move on to higher education and careers, but even as importantly, to be outstanding citizens of the world with a Christian world view.