OUR HISTORY

  • 1960

    Dr. Milton Brutten, an expert in dyslexia, partnered with Dr. Henry Evans, and founded The Vanguard School in suburban Philadelphia. The private school was one of the first in the country to identify and serve children with learning disabilities.

  • 1966

    The Vanguard School Residential Program expanded to Lake Wales, Florida with six students at Bon Aire Lodge on Lake Pierce.

  • 1968-69

    The Vanguard School acquired 75 acres of property on US Highway 27 in Lake Wales, and began construction of the Upper School and other amenities.

  • 1971

    Campus was consolidated to the Highway 27 location where we currently reside.

  • 1975

    We were accredited by the Florida Council of Independent Schools. The Vanguard School of Lake Wales, Florida was incorporated as an Independent Florida Non-Profit Organization.

  • 1983

    Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

  • 2004

    Vanguard survived a direct hit from three hurricanes within a span of six weeks.

  • 2006-10

    Dormitories, classrooms, the dining hall, and administration building were just a few of the facilities overhauled during campus-wide renovations.

  • 2010

    The largest graduating class in the history of Vanguard, with a total of 42 graduating seniors.

The Vanguard School was established in 1966 in Lake Wales as one of the earliest schools to target their work with diagnosed learning disabilities. Vanguard originally began as an after-school tutorial program in suburban Philadelphia. The program quickly developed into a school serving students who struggled in traditional learning environments and benefit from teachers that understand how to serve students who learn differently, led by Dr. Brutten and Dr. Evans.

In the late 1960’s, Bill Carnhill, father of a Vanguard student, who is also a resident of Mountain Lake in Lake Wales, led the way to establish Vanguard as a residential and day school in sunny central Florida. Mr. Carnhilll’s neighbors at Mountain Lake supported the development of the current 76 acres of campus located on Highway 27. In 1975, The Vanguard School was accredited by the Florida Council of Independent Schools (FCIS) and in 1983, received additional accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).

Today, The Vanguard School provides a small and thriving community for diverse learners within a safe and welcoming environment to support their academic learning, social development, and path in a diverse world. Continuous self-evaluation, connection to our core values, and student-based mission propel The Vanguard School towards mindful progress by adapting to adversity.