Bozeman, Montana offers a variety of private school options for children in elementary, middle and high school. In 2016 Gallatin County reported a record 1,669 students attending private schools and home schools. That included 270 teens in private high schools, 751 students in private elementary or preschools, and 648 home-schooled students, according to the county superintendent of schools office. When is comes to Bozeman private schools, there are both secular and religious options in the Gallatin Valley.
Petra Academy
Petra Academy was established in 1995 and is the largest and oldest classical school in Montana, serving the Bozeman community and greater Gallatin Valley with quality education students ages PreK through 12th grade.
As a Bozeman Private School, Petra Academy is a cross-denominational Christian school. All board members, faculty and staff ascribe to the historic creeds of the Christian Faith. The school offers open enrollment and does not require profession of faith from student or parent(s) to be considered for admission.
Year established: 1995
Total student enrollment: 192
Number of families involved: 121
On-time graduation: 100%
Class of 2017: 10
Average ACT score: 26
Local churches represented: 29
Petra Academy is a member in good standing and accredited by the Association of Classical and Christian Schools, “organized for the mission of promoting, establishing, and equipping member schools committed to a classical approach to education in the light of a Christian worldview grounded in the Old and New Testament Scriptures, commonly known as the Bible.” ACCS offers an extensive array of services and provides accountability through accreditation.
Heritage Christian School
Heritage Christian School is a non-denominational, evangelical Christian school in Bozeman Montana. Heritage has an enrollment of approximately 180 students and is accredited in grades Kindergarten through twelve by the AdvanED and the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI), of which it has been an accredited member since 1994.
As a Bozeman private school, the mission of Heritage Christian School is to educate students by integrating academic excellence with a biblical worldview, helping Christian families to impact the world for Christ.
The schools mission statement reads:
“In educating students with a biblical worldview…Heritage Christian School provides an education that is grounded in academic excellence and is thoroughly and distinctively Christian, challenging each student to grow in Christ-likeness in all areas of their life. It is our goal through teaching and training to prepare students to function as individuals who can reason and relate all issues of life to the doctrinal foundation of the Christian faith.
To impact the world for Christ…As a school in partnership with the home, Heritage Christian School strives to equip its students with the tools to develop a Christian world and life view that they may mature spiritually, mentally, socially, and physically in accordance with God’s design and impact their sphere of influence for Christ. “
Headwaters Academy
Headwaters Academy is an independent middle school in Bozeman focusing on developing students who possess great independence, strong self-advocacy, good decision making skills, and a solid set of personal values. They place a strong focus on who the students are becoming as much as what they are learning.
While providing an academically rigorous and project-based curriculum, students are entrusted with the freedom to explore and share their thoughts in an environment based on mutual respect. This Bozeman private school’s faculty comes from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines, but they all have passion for education and dedication to the cultivation of academic excellence in middle school students.
Divine Mercy Academy
Divine Mercy Academy is an independent Catholic school serving students in Preschool through Grade 9 in the Gallatin Valley. Established in 2012, the school seeks to provide their students an excellent academic experience with a strong focus on moral formation and religious instruction. The curriculum at Divine Mercy Academy challenges students to think critically, speak effectively, write proficiently, and grow in their Faith.
Mount Ellis Academy
The academic program at Mount Ellis Academy is designed to prepare students for college. The school has high standards and makes learning activity engaging and fun. The school focuses on spending a lot of time outdoors in “God’s classroom”. This Bozeman private school offers small class sizes that guarantee a personal learning experience. The school is spiritually and religiously affiliated.
Students score above average on standardized tests, but even more important is that, in many cases, students use their academic accomplishments to serve others. Graduates can be found all over the globe working in engineering, education, medicine, and more.