A K2–6 school, growing one grade at a time.
We're building an elementary school where children can learn, explore, and grow together from kindergarten through sixth grade. We're beginning with kindergarten and adding a grade as our founding students grow.
Now enrolling for Fall 2027: Kindergarten (K2) - 2nd grade
At the Douglass Ridley School, we learn through
Exploration
Our students leave us empowered to make sense of the world, and prepared with all of the skills necessary to make a difference within it.
Our Core Values
I am a Curious
Learner
I ask questions, explore new ideas, and embrace challenges because learning is a journey of discovery.
I Stand for
Justice
I recognize unfairness, speak up against injustice, and work to make my community a more fair and equitable place for everyone.
I Learn and Grow
with Others
I listen, collaborate, and respect different perspectives because we are stronger when we learn together.
Why launch a school - and why now?
A learning environment built on relationships, curiosity, and community — a place where children are known deeply, where their questions shape the curriculum, and where teachers co-create learning experiences with students instead of delivering them
So I am setting out to build a school — a place where kids are seen and heard, where curiosity drives the learning. A place that equips children not just to succeed, but to shape a more just and connected world.
Courtney Swartz, Founder
Courtney spent 20 years in urban public education, as a classroom teacher in D.C., Chicago, and Boston, then as Assistant Principal at Brooke Charter School and Academic Director at UP Education Network. She founded The Douglass Ridley School to build the kind of education she spent two decades pushing for from the inside.
The Douglass Ridley School
Tuition Equity Fund
Our mission is to ensure that every child has access to this kind of transformative education—regardless of their family’s income.
The Tuition Equity Fund makes this vision possible. Contributions to the fund directly support families who could not otherwise afford full tuition, ensuring that all children—across income levels, backgrounds, and neighborhoods—have the opportunity to thrive in our classrooms. By giving, you are helping us build a school community that truly reflects Boston and lives up to our mission of equity and excellence in education.
Donate directly from your Donor Advised Fund.