Saint James School

Founded in 1842, Saint James is a coeducational, Episcopal school that welcomes students of all backgrounds and faiths. Located in central Maryland on a 100-acre campus surrounded by 700 acres of school-owned farm land, Saint James is five miles south of Hagerstown and 70 miles from both Washington, DC and Baltimore.

Saint James is primarily a boarding school with a smaller day student program, and the school prides itself on offering a personalized approach to learning in a diverse and inclusive environment. As a result of the strong tradition of academic excellence, with competitive athletics and a full program in the arts, Saint James School challenges its students to grow academically, athletically, artistically, socially, and morally.

Saint James School takes special care to name the traits of moral and spiritual excellence and to infuse these ancient virtues into the full round of student activities. Recognizing that these good habits build lives that are noble and resilient, we teach the virtues not only in chapel but also through the residential life, athletics, the arts, and the academic curriculum. We stress, in particular, the theological virtues of faith, hope, and love; the cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, courage, and temperance; and such other crucial traits as honesty, kindness, humility, patience, generosity, loyalty, and gratitude.

Meet the Headmaster

Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Stuart Dunnan is an Episcopal priest who has been the Headmaster of Saint James School since July of 1992.

Father Dunnan graduated from St. Albans School, cum laude, and earned an AB, magna cum laude, and an AM with a major in history from Harvard University.  He also earned a BA and a D. Phil. in theology from Oxford University and a Certificate in Anglican Studies from the General Theological Seminary in New York.  Before coming to Saint James, he taught history and was a college counselor for two years at Harvard School in Los Angeles, and then later served as chaplain for an additional year.  At Oxford, he served on the Chapter of Pusey House, and then as the Chaplain and a junior research fellow in history at Lincoln College.

Since coming to Saint James, Father Dunnan has doubled the size of the student body from 120 to 240, making the school fully coeducational and greatly increasing its racial and demographic diversity.  During his 32 years as headmaster, Saint James has expanded and improved its academic, athletic, fine arts, music, drama, and residential programs, and built, purchased, and/or renovated every building on campus, while maintaining its distinctive Anglo-Catholic identity and its more traditional and community-oriented culture.  It has also increased its endowment tenfold and purchased an additional 435 acres of surrounding farmland to protect the setting of the school.

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Tour Saint James

Thank you for your interest in joining the Saint James School community! We look forward to getting to know your family and working with you through the application process.

Successful applicants have outstanding character, academic drive, curiosity, and wide-ranging interests in athletics, fine arts, and community service. Joining our small, close-knit community of leaders and learners gives each Saint James student the opportunity to stand out and the chance to be important.

Your first step towards admission at Saint James school is to complete the Inquiry Form. You will be added to our mailing list and will receive login information to access the application portal where you can begin the online application.

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