Milton Hershey School

Milton Hershey School
Address
Map
1201 Homestead Lane

, ,
17033

United States
Coordinates40°16′12″N 76°37′36″W / 40.27000°N 76.62667°W / 40.27000; -76.62667
Information
Former nameHershey Industrial School
School typeIndependent boarding school
Religious affiliation(s)Nonsectarian[1]
Established15 November 1909 (1909-11-15)
FounderMilton Hershey
StatusOpen
CEEB code391760
NCES School ID01200519[1]
PresidentPeter G. Gurt[2]
PrincipalsPK–4: Amanda Smith[3]

5–8: Tara Valoczki[4]

9–12: Bob Ebert[5]
Faculty222.1 (on an FTE basis)[1]
GradesPK12[1]
GenderCoeducational
Enrollment2,171[1] (2019–2020)
 • Pre-kindergarten10[1]
 • Kindergarten31[1]
 • Grade 154[1]
 • Grade 289[1]
 • Grade 3104[1]
 • Grade 4128[1]
 • Grade 5154[1]
 • Grade 6181[1]
 • Grade 7205[1]
 • Grade 8226[1]
 • Grade 9261[1]
 • Grade 10268[1]
 • Grade 11257[1]
 • Grade 12213[1]
Student to teacher ratio9.8[1]
Hours in school day7.3[1]
Campus size7,500 acres (3,000 ha)
Color(s)Brown & gold[6]    
NicknameSpartans[6]
Endowment$15.91 billion[7]
Revenue$1.44 billion[7]
AffiliationsThe Hershey Company, NAIS, & TABS
Websitewww.mhskids.org

The Milton Hershey School, formerly the Hershey Industrial School, is a private boarding school in Hershey, Pennsylvania for K–12 students. The institution was founded in 1909 by chocolate industrialist Milton Hershey and his wife, Catherine Hershey.

The school began with four students in 1910. Initially for only white male orphans, the school expanded in the 1960s and 70s to include girls, racial minorities, and "social orphans"—those with impoverished parents. About 2,000 students attended the school in 2020. Admission is restricted to low-income individuals aged 4–15 without intellectual or behavioral problems. Students live in group homes of uniform sex and similar age, with set schedules for elementary, middle, and high school students. The school has Christian elements but is officially non-sectarian.

The school is free for students and is funded by a trust containing most of Hershey's fortune, valued at about US$15 billion, making it the wealthiest U.S. private school. Nearly half of the trust's money comes from its controlling interest in Hershey's eponymous chocolate company.

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u "Search for Private Schools – School Detail for Milton Hershey School". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  2. ^ "Office of the President - Peter Gurt '85". Milton Hershey School. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  3. ^ Schad, Ben (17 August 2021). "Milton Hershey School starts off school year with pep rally". ABC27.
  4. ^ Maisel, Matt (15 April 2020). "Family First with FOX43: Parents helping students with online learning". Fox43.
  5. ^ Singleton, Brent (9 November 2020). "Milton Hershey School celebrates the Hersheys' legacy and educational vision on its 111th anniversary". Fox43. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  6. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference statues-greet was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ a b "Form 990" (PDF). Return of Organization Exempt from Taxation. Internal Revenue Service. 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2023-07-19. Retrieved 5 May 2022.