The Vanguard School is an independent nonprofit boarding and day school community for students, grades 6-12, from around the US and internationally. It is accredited through FCIS and Cognia.

History

In 1960, Dr. Milton Brutten, an expert in dyslexia, and Dr. Henry Evans founded The Vanguard School in suburban Philadelphia. Elinor "Ellie" Carnill-Steinhilber (1924–2018) and her husband William "Bill" Carnill II (d. 1989) and friends founded The Vanguard School in Lake Wales, FL. Carnill-Steinhilber was a first grade teacher. One of her children attended the day program at The Vanguard School in Pennsylvania. Wanting to live in Florida full time, Ellie and Bill moved with their two children to Mt Lake in Lake Wales, Florida in 1958. In 1975, The Vanguard School was accredited by the Florida Council of Independent Schools, and the Vanguard School of Lake Wales, Florida was incorporated as an Independent Florida Nonprofit Organization. In 1983, the school was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

Controversy

A family sued the school for negligence in 2011 and settled out of court two years later. The settlement included a gag order for both the school and the family.