Mission and History

Since 1894, we've been dedicated to empowering girls.

We remain at our core the intellectually charged, forward-thinking Kent Place that opened its doors in the 19th century. Our mission statement cements our core values, highlights what makes KPS unique in our marketplace, and purposefully articulates the power of being a school that raises brave and brilliant girls. Dr. Jennifer Galambos, Head of School

Woven tightly into the mission of Kent Place School today is the story of its founding.

It was the spring of 1894, a time when independent primary and secondary schools for boys were opening across New Jersey. Feeling strongly that their daughters should have access to the very same educational opportunities, six Summit families met to discuss the establishment of a school for girls. Just a few months later, in the former summer home of New York State Chancellor James Kent (1763-1847), Kent Place School opened its doors. Sixty girls were welcomed that first year, and for generations of young women to come, the course of their education — indeed, their life journeys — would be forever altered.

THE EARLY YEARS

THE EARLY YEARS

In the fall of 1896, as the school began its third academic year, its trustees — then known as shareholders of the Summit School Company — announced the appointment of Mrs. Sarah Woodman Paul as principal and her sister, Miss Anna Sophia Woodman, as assistant principal. For 28 years the women remained in these roles, providing essential leadership during the school’s formative years. During their tenure, Kent Place began accepting boarding students, a tradition that continued until 1968.

As enrollment steadily grew, so too did the need for a larger campus. By 1913, the Phraner Gymnasium (part of which is now the Arts Center) and The School House (also known as the Main Building, now the Middle School) were constructed. In March 1917, Board members donated their shares in the Summit School Company, and Kent Place School was reorganized as a non-profit corporation, one of the first of its kind in the nation.

A MISSION TAKES HOLD

A MISSION TAKES HOLD

By its 30th year, Kent Place had proven itself a preeminent college preparatory school, sending hundreds of girls to more than 20 different colleges, including Vassar, Smith, Wellesley, Mount Holyoke, Radcliffe, and Wells. Throughout the middle of the 20th century, it continued to grow in number of students and facilities (Field House and Hyde & Watson Theater, 1985; Primary School building, 1993) as well as reputation.

A particularly pivotal moment arrived in 1973, when then-Headmaster Macdonald Halsey P ’69 — the school’s first male head — and Trustees put an end to merger talks with the nearby Pingry School, upholding the school’s founding vision as an educational institution devoted to girls. Their decision was an auspicious one: In 1991, Kent Place became a founding member of the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools, while 1995 saw the launch of the school’s renowned K-12 summer program, the Girls’ Leadership Institute. One year later, Karan Ashford Merry, former Board Chair of the National Association of Independent Schools, was appointed Kent Place’s first Black Head of School.

LIMITLESS POSSIBILITIES

LIMITLESS POSSIBILITIES

Research on girls’ leadership styles, which informed cutting-edge curriculum development and programming at Kent Place, flourished under Susan Collins Bosland P ’03 ’06, who became Head of School in 2000. Leading the school through two major capital campaigns during her 18-year tenure — the second of which was aptly named “Limitless Possibilities” — Mrs. Bosland also oversaw an addition (2009) and renovation (2010) to the Main Building, which became home to the Middle School, as well as the construction of a 32,000-square-foot Center for Innovation (2017), a state-of-the-art STEAM-focused learning center.

In 2007, The Ethics Institute at Kent Place School (EIKPS), a first-of-its kind program among primary and secondary schools, also launched and, just 10 years later, won the National High School Ethics Bowl Championship.

EMPOWER GIRLS. ADVANCE THE WORLD.

EMPOWER GIRLS. ADVANCE THE WORLD.

With the investment of Dr. Jennifer C. Galambos in the fall of 2017 as the 11th Head of School, Kent Place’s longstanding and far-reaching impact as a leader among all-girls schools nationwide continues. In addition to the Girls’ Leadership Institute and the Ethics Institute, signature programs such as Global Service Learning, Economic & Financial Literacy, Sustainability, and STEM reflect the school’s ongoing commitment to providing challenging yet meaningful learning experiences for students, faculty, and staff, both within and beyond the Kent Place community.

Anchoring these experiences is an intentional, multidisciplinary, holistic focus on student well-being — the Live. Learn. Health & Wellness Program — which balances a robust academic curriculum with a focus on physical, emotional, and social wellness. Crystalizing Kent Place’s enduring commitment to exceptional female education was the launch, in 2021, of its most recent Strategic Plan: Empower Girls, Advance the World.

HEADS OF SCHOOL

Amelia S. Watts, Principal (1894–1896)
Sarah Woodman Paul, Principal (1896–1924)
Harriet Larned Hunt, Headmistress (1924–1952)
Florence Wolfe, Headmistress (1952–1965)
Macdonald Halsey, Headmaster (1965–1980)
Archibald R. Montgomery III, Headmaster (1980–1986)

Dorothy H. Dillon, Head of School (1986–1987)
Arlene Joy Gibson, Head of School (1987–1996)
Karan Ashford Merry, Head of School (1996–1999)
Susan Collins Bosland, Head of School (1999–2017)
Jennifer C. Galambos, Head of School (2017–Present)

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