The Walpolean

The Grammar School (TGS) has secured multiple scholarship gifts, totaling over $185,000 from current families, alumni parents, former faculty, Board members, and other friends of the school, ensuring continued access to area families seeking an exceptional education experience for their children. 

“During my 10 years at The Grammar School, I have been continually inspired by the generosity of our community,” said Nick Perry, TGS’s Head of School. “This year, that generosity has been especially powerful as families and supporters have stepped forward in response to the loss of town vouchers due to Act 73. From current families and alumni to trustees and former faculty, there is a deep, shared belief in the value of a TGS education—and a collective commitment to making it accessible to as many children as possible.”

At the end of December, a $25,000 gift founded the school’s new Catalyst Fund, which was created in direct response to the passage of Act 73, new legislation restricting access to funding for area students to attend independent schools like TGS. The gift came from the Kane Barrengos Foundation, via John Barrengos, a TGS Board member and parent of a TGS alumna. Families of highly engaged middle school students are encouraged to apply for this scholarship for the 2026-2027 school year. 

The Catalyst Fund’s founding gift has been joined over the course of the year by a $65,000 gift and a number of multi-year pledges to the school’s longest-running scholarship, The Marcia Leader Scholarship Fund. Named in honor of longtime TGS employee and alumni parent, this fund provides financial aid for everything from tuition to learning support, programming fees, and more, for preschool through eighth grade students.

These recent gifts join a long history of community support at The Grammar School, including the founding of the Otis Fund in 2022. Established by an alumni family whose son experienced a deep sense of belonging at TGS, the Otis Fund provides scholarship support for BIPOC students and reflects TGS’s enduring commitment to building a diverse, inclusive, and welcoming school community.

“We are deeply grateful for the generosity of the TGS community,” said Melanie Brubaker, Director of Admissions. “These scholarship dollars will be put to immediate and meaningful use, opening doors for more area students to access the kind of transformative, whole-child education that families have loved at The Grammar School for 65 years. This support ensures that curiosity, confidence, and a deep sense of connection remain within reach for TGS students, now and in the years ahead.”

Families interested in learning more about The Grammar School are encouraged to contact the Admissions Office at (802) 387-5364 or admissions@thegrammarschool.org or visit www.thegrammarschool.org.