History of Hickory Day School

Hickory Day School is an independent, non-sectarian, college preparatory, co-educational school in the Greater Hickory area offering instruction to students in transitional kindergarten through ninth grade. The founders of the Green River Preserve, a nature camp for academically gifted students first proposed the idea for Hickory Day School in 1991. A steering committee was formed to guide the establishment of a school that combined a nurturing environment with a curriculum enriched by hands-on learning experiences. The school, called Hickory Day School, opened in the fall of 1993.

In its tenth year, Hickory Day School applied for candidate status with the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO). Having successfully completed the candidate phase, the school hosted the visiting IBO authorization team in April 2005. In July, the school received notification of the committee’s decision, and Hickory Day School became the fourth school in the state to become an authorized International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme.

The small, multi-age classes are integral to our students’ success at Hickory Day School. A myriad of opportunities exist for individualized instruction to ensure that students remain engaged in our academically rigorous interdisciplinary program. The student-teacher ratio at Hickory Day School is approximately 7 to 1.