Lake Forest Academy

Lake Forest Academy sits on 140 wooded acres about 30 miles north of Chicago, serving roughly 430 students in grades 9 through 12. The school is coeducational, non-sectarian, and combines a boarding and day program — a relatively uncommon structure in the Midwest, where most independent schools are day-only.

Teaching at Lake Forest Academy means working with a genuinely international student body. English as an Alternative Language sits alongside Mandarin, Spanish, French, and Latin, and the advisory system and all-school meetings give faculty frequent contact with students outside of class. Class sizes are small, and Advanced Placement courses run across the disciplines, so department members shape curriculum directly rather than inheriting it.

The financial picture is stable and improving. The Academy reported about $80.5 million in net assets and $36.4 million in revenue in 2023, with fundraising up nearly 18 percent year over year. That kind of donor momentum typically translates into program investment, professional development budgets, and predictable hiring cycles — useful signals for a candidate weighing a long-term move.

Hiring at Lake Forest Academy spans the usual academic departments — English, math, sciences, history, world languages, and arts — along with athletic coaching, residential life positions tied to the boarding program, and periodic openings in admissions, advancement, and student support. Boarding roles often include housing on or near campus.

For teachers who want an independent high school with international reach, a wooded campus, and easy access to Chicago, LFA is worth a close look.