Located across the Delaware River from Bristol, Burlington, New Jersey’s Doane Academy has seen a multitude of changes over the past two centuries, and Erin Mayo is one of them, writes Melanie Burney for The Philadelphia Inquirer.  

Mayo started her role as head of the academy in July, making her the first woman in that position in the last 50 years, and the ninth woman in the school’s overall history.  

Doane Academy, formerly known as St. Mary’s Hall, was an Episcopal boarding school established in 1837 for white girls only.  

In the present day, 55 percent of the 235 the co-ed pupils in grades K-12 are students of color.  

Once a school that excluded other demographics, Doane is now seen as a beacon of inclusion.  

“The real pleasant surprise was the diversity. That totally sold me on it,” said Lloyd Freeman, a diversity and inclusion officer and member of Doane’s trustee board. 

“We got there, and there were so many Black and brown kids,” he tells The Philadelphia Inquirer.  

Freeman enrolled his daughter at Doane Academy in 2020 as a first grader  

Tuition ranges from $15,000 to $23,500 depending on the grade, but over half of the student body receives need-based financial aid.  

Read more about the history of Doane Academy and how it came to be an inclusive academy in The Philadelphia Inquirer.  

Doane Academy introduces first female head of school in 50 years at traditional event