About us

Education is the way to lasting peace, and there can be no peace without justice. Lancaster Friends School was born out of a leading from Quaker Friends with a mission to create a school in Lancaster with social justice at its core. A small group formed and as our purpose gained attention, more community members became involved. Lancaster Friends School will open to students, kindergarten through 8th grade, in Fall 2021.

As a Quaker school, we also hold the belief that there is “that of God,'' or an inner light, in each of us. This serves as a foundation on which to build and support our mission. The Quaker testimonies (SPICES) are Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality/Equity, and Stewardship/Sustainability. Each year we will hold up one testimony for a theme for the year, but every day we will be guided by these values. You can learn more about Quakerism here and at lancasterpaquakers.org. To learn more about Quaker Education visit Friends Council on Education.

Lancaster Friends School has a relationship with Lancaster Monthly Meeting which provides spiritual guidance and clarity. The community affirmed their support through the approval of the following minute:

Lancaster Monthly Meeting affirms the leading of a group of its members to further Friends education by joining with local educators and community members who share this desire to seek to establish an independent Friends School, located in Lancaster county, and serving south-central Pennsylvania. This school may be called Lancaster Friends School (LFS).

We affirm the prospective mission of LFS, its commitment to social justice with a particular emphasis on antiracism, and its desire to be grounded in Quaker values and Quaker process. We welcome the addition of an organization dedicated to Quaker ideals in our community.

Lancaster Meeting will have no financial obligation for Lancaster Friends School. LFS, should it successfully form, shall be organized as a separate self-incorporated legal entity, with membership in Friends Council on Education (a national organization of Friends schools), and with its primary purpose to provide a Quaker education to school-age children.

Lancaster Meeting also recognizes that having a relationship with an established Friends meeting will be helpful to LFS and to its leadership as they seek to establish practices that are consistent with Quaker tradition and wisdom. We express our willingness to be a supportive partner and resource to LFS in creating and maintaining a strong and true Quaker orientation for the school. We recognize that having a Friends School in our community can enrich and strengthen our Meeting.

Our Mission

Lancaster Friends School celebrates childhood, community, and the inherent value and dignity of every person. We provide a joyful, challenging and holistic educational program grounded in Quaker values, spirituality and discernment of truth. Students develop strong academic and social skills, mindful self-awareness, and intense personal interests in order to participate in our diverse and complex world and build inclusive, just and peaceful communities.

Our Vision

Lancaster Friends School will be a school with an inclusive and diverse student body and faculty led in spirit to seek truth through study and action. LFS will include 50% non-white or marginalized students and employees, reflecting the fulness of diversity of the wider Lancaster community. We will maintain a focus on social justice and antiracist education. We will have established supportive relationships with organizations within the Lancaster community, including the surrounding school districts. Students that leave our school to attend public or private schools will be prepared to succeed academically, socially, and emotionally, and lead in the pursuit of social justice.

At Lancaster Friends School, we embrace a student-centered educational philosophy and we are guided by the Quaker testimonies as we support the social, emotional, physical, and intellectual development of each child. We embrace...

Non-Discrimination Policy

The business of Lancaster Friends School shall be conducted with appreciation for and without bias against race, color, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, religion, ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, genetic information, military or veteran status, family structure including marital or parental status, and socioeconomic status, in a spirit of inclusivity with respect to the full diversity of our local community, and in full accord with the principles of the Religious Society of Friends.

What current students say about LFS:

"LFS is open and flexible of any kind of people. It’s a secure place to express yourself. We learn and have fun by exploring Lancaster with community projects and field trips to Harrisburg and DC where we talked to our representatives about the Equality Act. Like Quakers, we don’t force our opinions on others but we sit down and talk things out. We have open minds.

LFS has the best teachers I’ve ever been with. They are good people, passionate about things and they are there to help you. As people, I really admire my teachers." - Middle School Student

What current families say about LFS:

"Finding LFS was serendipitous for our family. At LFS, my child is able to receive a high-quality education in a small classroom and be taught by adults who are truly invested in her academic, emotional, and social growth. LFS recognizes and celebrates the Light present in each child, and helps students to discover their own Light and recognize this in others as well. I have especially appreciated LFS's commitment to creating a safe space for all students and families, regardless of their diverse backgrounds, special needs, or individual learning styles." - Elementary Parent

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