Established 1906 Teaching staff 33.3 (on a FTE basis) Phone +1 703-556-8200 Founded 1906 | Head Pilar Cabeza de Vaca Grades 9-12 Founder Lucy Madeira Wing Colors White, Red | |
Type Private Boarding and Day school Motto Festina Lente(Make haste slowly) Similar The Potomac School, Holton‑Ar School, Langley High School, Bullis School, Sidwell Friends School Profiles | ||
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Madeira School is a private, non-denominational college-preparatory boarding school for girls located in McLean, Virginia, United States.
Contents
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History
Originally located on 19th Street near Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C., it was founded by Lucy Madeira Wing (1873–1961) in 1906 and moved to the Northern Virginia suburb of McLean in 1931.
In 1980 the then Head Mistress Jean Harris was arrested for the murder of Herman Tarnower. Harris' testimony regarding her motive and state of mind at the time brought to light a tradition of hazing at the academy, which reportedly led to injuries and hospitalization of at least one student.
Demographics
The demographic breakdown of the 310 girls enrolled in 2013-2014 was:
Campus and facilities
The campus is on 376 acres (1.52 km2) overlooking the Potomac River (McLean, Virginia) and consists of 34 separate buildings.
Public access
The Madeira school has had many disputes over the use of its land. In 1966 Fairfax County proposed the turning of 208 of Madeira's privately owned 376 acres (1.52 km2) into public park land. In 1991 Madeira gave a trail easement along Georgetown Pike, as well as $89,000 for that trail construction to complete the Potomac Heritage Route without visitors entering the main area of the campus. However, this trail was never completed by the park officials. In 2008, the Fairfax County government attempted to obtain from Madeira an easement near the Potomac River to permit the completion of a 100-mile (160 km) loop of walking trails as a condition of approval for the school's proposed expansion plans. This one-mile (1.6 km)-long trail section through Madeira's property would connect the county's Scott's Run Park to Great Falls National Park. The Madeira School declined this easement, citing concerns about safety and environmental impacts.
Administration, faculty, and staff
The Madeira School is controlled by a board of directors, and the school is administered by a Head of School.