The Leelanau School

The Leelanau School is a small boarding and day high school in Glen Arbor, Michigan, serving fewer than 100 students in grades 9–12. Located on Michigan's Leelanau Peninsula near Lake Michigan, the school operates at a human scale where faculty decisions ripple visibly through campus life. Individual teachers shape curriculum, advise students in residence, and influence institutional strategy in ways that larger schools cannot replicate.

Students here tend toward self-directed learners who thrive outside conventional structures. The boarding and day model creates flexibility—some families live nearby, while others rely on residential placement. Teaching at The Leelanau School means knowing nearly every student by name and tailoring instruction to their needs. Faculty routinely wear multiple roles: classroom instructor, dorm advisor, and curriculum contributor all at once.

The Leelanau School offers Spanish language instruction as part of its academic program. Academic departments are lean but focused, allowing teachers to shape long-term initiatives instead of disappearing into a large bureaucracy. This is the teaching culture that draws educators to small boarding schools: genuine influence over what students learn and who they become.

Compensation packages include on-campus housing for residential staff, along with meals and professional development support. Northwest Michigan's cost of living differs markedly from coastal independent school regions, making institutional housing a substantial financial benefit. Salaries reflect the school's size and mission rather than metropolitan-area markets.

The Leelanau School hires for teaching positions, residential life staff, and administrative roles on a rolling basis, with peak hiring before fall term.