More than one thousand schools, including Rowland Hall-St. Mark’s School, are accredited by the National Association of Independent Schools (N.A.I.S.), which maintains its high standards by way of a regular and thorough evaluation of its member schools. Most of these educational organizations are governed by a board of trustees and do not depend on church or tax dollars for their operation. An independent school is not a parochial school or a charter school.

Independent Schools are Different
Independent schools are different in that curriculum is faculty determined, different in that teachers are accorded great freedom to teach in individual styles and to choose materials they deem appropriate for the particular students they teach.

They are different in that they are self-regulating, actively promoting self-improvement through their member accrediting agencies.

They are different in that they are directly accountable to parents, and parents are personally involved in the governance of the school.

They are different in that they are free to seek the most effective ways to educate the particular children in their charge and in doing so provide for the needs of a diverse population. Different children learn in different ways. Different independent schools provide those ways.

Independent schools are different in that they are financed entirely by private means through tuitions, contributions, fundraising activities and investments. They do not seek public funding because they know that public funding brings bureaucratic regulations and with it the loss of the independence so vital to their academic success.

Rowland Hall-St. Mark’s School is an Independent School
Since 1880, Rowland Hall-St. Mark’s School has sought to provide an environment in which academic excellence and ethical development are equally important in a community that values and appreciates each individual. RHSM continues to have strong historical ties to its founder, the Episcopal Diocese of Utah, but is neither governed by nor chartered to any organized religious institution.

From preschool through grade twelve, the school offers a program of active learning which challenges our students’ intellectual curiosity and creativity, helps them develop character, and builds on strengths. We encourage our students to develop a commitment to lifelong learning and to remain, as alumni, a valued part of the school community.

While stressing cooperation and respect for others, RHSM challenges students to excel academically by offering a rigorous college preparatory curriculum. Dedicated teachers devote personal attention in small classes, providing students with the opportunity to become responsible, decision-making citizens who contribute to their adult communities.

RHSM is committed to the importance of a broad liberal arts education with English, social studies, mathematics, science, and foreign languages at the core of its academic program. Equally important are the arts and athletics. We want our students to love learning, appreciate the arts, and strive for healthy lifestyles.

RHSM values integrity and responsibility. We want out students to be committed to bettering our world. We encourage student to learn tolerance and strive for understanding through their education, role models, and service learning program.

RHSM values integrity and responsibility. Student should gain commitment toward bettering our world. We encourage student to learn tolerance and strive for understanding through their education, role models, and service learning program.

RHSM actively pursues an ethnically, religiously, and socio-economically diverse student body. This growing diversity enhances RHSM’s greatest strength, our community – a caring place where students, faculty, parents, and alumni work together to create an ethical and supportive learning environment.

(Sources: National Association of Independent Schools, RHSM Philosophy Statement)