The Orme School

In 1929, Charles H. Orme, Sr. and Minna Vrang Orme left their dairy farm in Phoenix and bought a ranch in the high grassland of central Arizona. To educate their three children and those of the ranch employees, they opened a one-room school in an old ranch house that year.[2] That ranch house, called "Old Adobe", is still in use as an English classroom.[3]

Charles H. Orme, Jr. became the school's first headmaster in 1945; he accelerated the growth of the institution when he made the school a college preparatory boarding school. In 1962, the school was incorporated as a not-for-profit institution governed by a board of trustees.

Horses are still an important part of campus life at Orme

The school's symbol is the historic brand of the Orme Ranch, which surrounds the school on three sides. Called the "Quarter Circle V Bar", it has been the brand of the ranch and the symbol of the school since their founding. It is a registered brand with the State of Arizona's Department of Agriculture.[2][4] The students and staff of the school participated in two annual roundups of the cattle on the 26,000 acres of the greater ranch property, wherein students would assist the ranch hands with the normal business of cattle management, including branding. The roundups would be followed by a fall and spring rodeo wherein the students would compete in calf roping, barrel racing, and other rodeo events staged for parents and guests of the school. Horsemanship, chores, and an appreciation of the environment continue to be woven into the academics and school life today.

Traditional programs include Fine Arts Festival and Caravan. In 1969, the school began The Orme Fine Arts Festival under the direction of teacher Dorothy Swain Lewis who had arrived at the school in 1952, a program which is a part of the Orme curriculum to the present day. The 55th anniversary of the festival was celebrated in 2022.

Caravan is an outdoor adventure and academic experience that exposures students to the landscapes, cultures, and history of the Southwest. Class-sized trips led by faculty members camp out in National Parks or wilderness regions to develop outdoor skills and learn the natural and human history of the region. Caravan earns academic credits required for graduation.

In 1987, the school experienced an on-campus shooting incident. After being caught drinking and facing suspension, a student went on a shooting spree, wounding several teachers with a shotgun and another teacher with a pistol which was owned by the school. The student was confronted by police officers while still on campus. After dropping the shotgun, he drew his sidearm and pointed it at police, who shot and killed the student.[5][6][7]

The Orme School has a 300 acre campus

The Orme School campus, amidst the ranch, is set on 0.5 square miles (320 acres). The campus consists of the Phillips Library, the Willits Gymnasium, Student Commons, Founders' Dining Hall, the Old Main Administration Building, Welcome Center, Buck Hart Horsecollar Theater, Morton Vrang Orme Memorial Chapel, Lecture Hall, Burns Health Center, Mosher Math and Science Center, and seventeen residence halls.[3]

Athletic facilities include the Willits Gymnasium, a lighted athletic field, baseball, softball, and soccer fields, tennis courts, paintball arena, weight training center, and an outdoor heated swimming pool. The school's equestrian facilities include a lighted 150x300 rodeo arena, a 100x200 outdoor arena, round-pens and smaller arenas, 15 fenced grazing pastures, 25 private stall barn, a modern tack barn, and several miles of riding trails.[2]

The academic program at The Orme School emphasizes mastery in all subjects mixing progressive and traditional learning settings. Classes often utilize the greater campus for hands-on learning with the Burpee Garden as a key example. Instruction in fine arts, culinary arts, horsemanship and music provide balance to a college preparatory course of study. Small classes aim to offer individualized attention and more direct involvement with faculty. The average class size is eight students, with opportunities throughout the day and evening for students to meet one-on-one with their teachers.

Orme offers additional student support through the Academic Resource Center and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESL) programs.

Orme School team sports include swimming, volleyball, cross country, basketball, softball, baseball, soccer, track and field, barrel racing, and equestrianism.

The school's athletic programs have been within the Arizona Independent Athletic Association of independent and private schools and later in the Arizona Interscholastic Association. The boys' football team won the CAA State Championship in the fall of 2013. The boys' basketball team went undefeated and won the AIA 1A state title in 2011,[8] with a starting lineup composed of all international players.[9] The use of international players at Orme and at Westwind Preparatory Academy, another basketball school that won a state title in 2011, resulted in the AIA changing its rules about those students.[10] In response, Orme left the AIA and joined the Canyon Athletic Association (AZCAA).[11]