History

In 1929, a group of local parents established a progressive, independent school in Erie, Pennsylvania. Their goal was to provide a school with a new philosophy which would encourage freedom of movement in the classroom, learning through practical experience, and close cooperation between school and parents. Erie Day School founders felt if children were educated to know how and where to find the facts they needed, and if they acquired the ability to assemble and organize this information, they felt that school life should arouse the pupil to self-activity and to the development of self-discipline and community cooperation.

Erie industrialist Charles Hamot Strong donated the real estate for the campus and much of the funding for the first classroom building, the Spencer Building, which now houses Toddler and Preschool classrooms. The doors of Erie Day School opened for the first time on October 1, 1929 with fifty students.

Through the years, with the enthusiastic support of parents, past parents, grandparents, alumni and members of the Erie community, the school has grown in campus, programs, students, and spirit.

Consistent with its philosophical roots, Erie Day School continues to provide a place to learn where personal contact and human sensitivity prevail; where individual talents, traits and abilities are discerned and cultivated; where a student’s capability level takes precedent over designated grade level; where motivating students to both learn and appreciate learning assures they acquire tools and skills necessary for a lifetime of effective and rewarding learning.

In philosophy and curriculum, from the beginning up to today, Erie Day School provides its students with educational opportunities like no other school in the area.