Sheridan, WY · Independent K–8 Day School · Est. 2003(307) 673-4218 · Schedule a Tour
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Ridgemont Preparatory AcademyHome of the Ravens · Sheridan, Wyoming
About the Academy

A small school with a long view.

For more than two decades, Ridgemont has served Sheridan-area families who want a challenging, character-driven education for their children.

Our Mission

Ridgemont Preparatory Academy educates children in kindergarten through eighth grade to think carefully, write clearly, act with integrity, and love learning for its own sake. We combine a rigorous, sequenced classical curriculum with the wide horizons of northeastern Wyoming, cultivating young people who are prepared for the finest secondary schools and, more importantly, for a life well lived.

Our History

Ridgemont was founded in 2003 by a group of Sheridan-area parents and educators seeking an independent, academically ambitious option for local families. The school opened its first classrooms in the historic Coffeen Building with 34 students in grades K–4. Over the following two decades, Ridgemont has grown to 142 students in kindergarten through eighth grade, added a dedicated middle-school wing in 2011, and completed the Halloran Science & Maker Center in 2019.

Guiding Principles

We hold five commitments that shape every day at Ridgemont:

  • Every student is known. With an average class size of sixteen and a 9:1 student-to-teacher ratio, our faculty know each child’s strengths and stretches.
  • Rigor with warmth. Ridgemont students read widely, write often, and think hard — supported by teachers who set high expectations and stand beside them as they meet them.
  • Character is curriculum. Honor, humility, curiosity, and courage are taught deliberately through weekly advisory, service work, and the daily habits of a small community.
  • The mountains are our classroom. Outdoor education is woven through every grade, from kindergarten nature walks in Kendrick Park to the eighth-grade Bighorn expedition.
  • Preparation, not prestige. Our graduates are ready — for Sheridan High School, for boarding schools across the country, and for the demands of a thoughtful life.

Leadership

Dr. Margaret A. Halloran, Head of School

Dr. Margaret A. Halloran has served as Head of School since 2018. She holds a doctorate in education from the University of Denver, an M.A. in English from Middlebury College, and a B.A. from Whitman College. Before joining Ridgemont, she was Head of the Lower School at Kent Denver.

“A small school is a covenant among adults to know each child well. That is the work we do here, every day.”

Non-Public School Status

Ridgemont Preparatory Academy operates as an independent, non-sectarian, non-public educational institution in the State of Wyoming. The school files annually with the state as required and welcomes families of every background.

Non-Discrimination. Ridgemont Preparatory Academy admits students of any race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or family composition to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally made available to students at the school.