About

Wheeling Country Day School engages students to think, to create, and to communicate in nurturing environments so resilience builds character and learning remains paramount.

Established in 1929, Wheeling Country Day School is a non-profit, independent school for children ranging from preschool through eighth grade.

Wheeling Country Day School’s purpose is to nurture the intellectual, creative, and ethical growth of children from diverse backgrounds. A balanced program of academic basics, fine arts, physical development, and critical thinking develops and enhances students’ individual and cooperative abilities. In a positive environment, children learn to be self-reliant, self-motivated, and resourceful learners. A supportive faculty challenges students to learn independently and within a group, with and without direct instruction, and the faculty rewards the students’ best efforts, ambition, and accomplishments. A wide variety of activities beyond the classroom enrich learning opportunities. Personalized instruction using various methods and materials contributes to the total experience.

It is fully accredited by the Independent School Association of the Central States (ISACS) and is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), and Independent School Management (ISM).

Mission

WCDS engages students to think, to create, and to communicate in nurturing environments so resilience builds character and learning remains paramount.

Diversity

WCDS seeks to purposefully build an environment that reflects and honors diversity. We honor the dignity of every human being, and we respect and value differences including but not limited to socioeconomics, race, ethnicity, religion, nationality, culture, sexual orientation, gender identity, and family composition. Our community is committed to ongoing dialogue, education, and reflection to develop understanding and inclusion of every member.

Our Values

Kindness

Embracing each moment with a generous spirit, modeling KINDNESS and compassion without expectation.

Belonging

Offering a sense of BELONGING and building a community that is part of something bigger.

Purpose

Using our independence as a private school with a public PURPOSE to do what’s best for learners while instilling them with the belief that they can impact the world.

Growth

Infusing GROWTH into each opportunity to learn something new with an eye towards the future and deep respect for our roots.

Curiosity

Encouraging CURIOSITY to reveal the potential and the possibilities in every learner and every moment.

Wheeling Country Day School is a safe place to try a new skill that could become a life’s passion, to connect with an adult who will forever believe in you unconditionally, to balance the vulnerability, to lead with the empowerment of being part of a team and something greater than yourself.

Programs & Academics

Wheeling Country Day School bases its curriculum on a compilation of learning research, current theory and practice, national guidelines from content area associations, and the accumulated wisdom and creative talent of a unique, dedicated, professional faculty.

Community

Yet you never know how much you need Wheeling Country Day School until the moment you need this school. Students, parents, grandparents, siblings, teachers, board members, and supporters of WCDS understand that WCDS is so much more than a school. When life untangles at home, WCDS remains the necessary constant for your family.

Tuition & Affordability

Wheeling Country Day School offers Need-Based Flexible Tuition to enroll students who could not otherwise afford to attend. No qualified student should be deterred by financial restraints from applying to Wheeling Country Day School, and families who feel they need assistance are encouraged to apply.

Staff & Faculty

Every member of our team strives to enrich your child’s education. We understand that teachers make a huge impact on students’ lives and their learning paths. Our instructors are trained, experienced, and most importantly – they care about your child as if it were their own.

Reputation

Wheeling Country Day School is a non-profit independent school. We would not exist if we weren’t able to carry out our mission and provide students with an exceptional education.

WCDS Branches

Learn everywhere! Wheeling Country Day School brings new experiences and opportunities for all students. We’ve branched out and now offer classrooms throughout Wheeling. Wheeling Park, West Virginia Northern, Scottish Rite, and more – we really do Learn Everywhere.

Dear Friends,

You and I both know this school is a special place – a first step in a full life.

Yet you never know how much you need Wheeling Country Day School until the moment you need this school.

When another school tells you your son cannot learn like others and has no future, WCDS unlocks his potential.

When you hear the diagnosis that changes the imagined trajectory of your daughter’s life, WCDS rallies full support.

When life untangles at home, WCDS remains the necessary constant for your family.

So much more than a school, Wheeling Country Day is a safe place to try a new skill that could become a life’s passion, to connect with an adult who will forever believe in you unconditionally, to balance the vulnerability to lead with the empowerment of being part of a team and part of something greater than yourself.

I am grateful to be but a small part of that which is the essence of WCDS.

Elizabeth Hofreuter, Head of School

Our History

Growing from a student body of seven young ladies in 1929, today the school now has more than 160 students that is more socioeconomically and culturally diverse and enrolls boys and girls in junior kindergarten through eighth grade. Today the school offers six buildings that feature new, state-of-the-art learning spaces where students develop their creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, communication, and character. The campus occupies six acres in the Woodsdale area of Wheeling, West Virginia, and serves families in western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio as well.

Learn more about the history of WCDS

Wheeling Country Day School Facts

School Founded

July 15, 1929

Accreditation

Wheeling Country Day School is fully accredited by the Independent School Association of the Central States (ISACS).

Affiliations

Wheeling Country Day School is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), and Independent School Management (ISM).

Number of Faculty

Total Enrollment

249

Student/Teacher Ratio (FTE)

12:1

Philosophy

Wheeling Country Day School’s purpose is to nurture the intellectual, creative, and ethical growth of children from diverse backgrounds. A balanced program of academic basics, fine arts, physical development, and critical thinking develops and enhances students’ individual and cooperative abilities. In a positive environment children learn to be self-reliant, self-motivated, and resourceful learners. A supportive faculty challenges students to learn independently and within a group, with and without direct instruction, and the faculty rewards the students’ best efforts, ambition, and accomplishments. A wide variety of activities beyond the classroom enrich learning opportunities. Personalized instruction using various methods and materials contributes to the total experience.

Board of Trustees

The school takes great pride in the fact that the Head of School meets with each family to engage in a mission/philosophy conversation. Admissions Events offer this group opportunity or you can contact the Admissions Office for special arrangements.

Experience WCDS by coming to the campus for an age-appropriate visit with faculty and peers.

Learn More