ESBR’s mission is to educate students to be intellectually curious, resourceful, and confident in themselves for a life of personal fulfillment and civic engagement. In order to to accomplish this, ESBR utilizes the approach of Expeditionary Learning in which topics are studied in depth and learning utilizes the community to be an extension of the classroom.  ESBR is committed to graduating well-rounded and confident young adults who desire to be productive and active members of their communities. What distinguishes ESBR’s culture from that of other schools is that we pride ourselves on teaching the communication skills needed to thrive in any setting. ESBR is equally focused on developing the mind habits needed to embody a productive and healthy work ethic along with  honing students’ academic knowledge and skills.

In June of 2023, the State Board of Education designated the Expeditionary School at Black River to be an Approved School. Why is approved status important? “Approved” status is the designation which allows state Education Fund tuition dollars to follow students who wish to attend ESBR from school choice towns.   Although we now collect state funded tuition money, it funds, on average, about 75% of our students. The tuition rate does not cover all of our expenses. From its inception, the ESBR Board wanted to make the school accessible to all students and offers scholarships to non-choice town students. By doing this, we are building a diverse student body that can access education.

ESBR is now funded by a combination of philanthropic donations, fundraising and state funded tuition .  ESBR’s goal is that no family should be turned away based on an inability to pay. This is why your financial support today and going forward is necessary. We are so grateful for all of the financial support of the past three years and ask that you continue to support our school as it grows. Your donation counts. Thank you.