The Leelanau School

A Better Way to Learn

At The Leelanau School, we offer day and boarding students in grades 9-12 an educational experience where integrated learning support, individualized attention, small classes, and a commitment to whole-person wellness are at the center of what we do. Students discover and develop their strengths as both students and citizens, guided by engaged faculty committed to cultivating a school where students know and embrace themselves as learners, no matter how your child learns. We are an intentionally small high school community, with an average class size of 6 and a 3:1 student-to-staff ratio. Every student is known, seen, and heard at Leelanau.

Community-Driven Post-Therapeutic Environment

A licensed counselor on our team has extensive experience supporting adolescents from diverse backgrounds. As a boarding school, we emphasize independent living skills and readiness for the social and executive demands of adult life—even for day students. We're not a therapeutic school, but we are able to build on established frameworks to meet each student where they are and help them grow further.

We prioritize year-round outdoor learning and activities on our beautiful 42-acre campus, which includes the Crystal River and Lake Michigan shoreline. Every student is assigned a learning specialist and participates in a learning skills curriculum focused on executive functioning, strengths identification, learning supports, and college preparation—all embedded into the daily schedule.

We offer rich experiential learning opportunities, with strong arts integration and a focus on whole-person health and wellness. We welcome conversations about students navigating ADHD, anxiety, school avoidance, executive functioning challenges, social difficulties, or a general mismatch with their current educational setting. Our community is safe, joyful, inclusive, attentive, and spirited. 🌲 🛶 🌅 🎭 🎹 🌱 📚 🧠