Letter from Ray Wilson, Head of School
Dear Northwest School Community,
I am writing to share that the 2026–27 school year will be my final year as Head of School at The Northwest School.
Serving Northwest has been both a privilege and a responsibility that I have held with great care. I am grateful for the opportunity to lead a school with such a distinctive mission and to work alongside our students, faculty, families, alumni, trustees, and school leaders.
Throughout my time as Head of School, I have been committed to advancing the vision of Northwest’s founders: a school grounded in the liberal arts, strengthened by an international community, and committed to helping young people engage thoughtfully and courageously with the world. That vision has guided my work while also providing me with opportunities to consider how Northwest must continue to evolve to meet the needs of today’s students.
Together, we have accomplished a great deal. We successfully completed our most recent accreditation cycle and are bringing our current strategic plan to a close. We created the Academic Resource Center (ARC), providing a more coordinated approach to learning support and student success, and launched Academic Pathways, giving Upper School students new opportunities to pursue their interests through focused, interdisciplinary study. We developed a Social Justice Statement that more clearly expresses an essential part of who we are and what we believe. We improved student retention, strengthened the partnership between the school and families, and moved the school toward a more focused and strategic advancement model. We have also strengthened our approach to enrollment and positioned Northwest for growth in the years ahead.
This progress reflects the commitment of people across the school. It belongs to the faculty and school leaders who bring Northwest’s mission to life each day; the families and trustees who have invested in the school; and the students whose curiosity, creativity, and humanity remain at the center of our work; and the alumni who have returned to the House to share how their wisdom and life has been shaped by the Northwest experience.
This is a natural point for a transition in leadership as Northwest prepares to develop its next strategic plan and begins its next accreditation cycle. The next Head of School will have the opportunity to help shape that plan, guide the school through accreditation, and lead Northwest into its next exciting chapter.
There is still important work ahead of us this year, and I remain fully committed to ensuring that Northwest continues to thrive. This includes advancing our enrollment and fundraising priorities, strengthening trust and partnership across the community, and helping to ensure a thoughtful and successful transition.
I believe deeply in Northwest and its future. I am looking forward to the year ahead and to working with all of you to achieve our shared mission.
With gratitude,
Ray Wilson, M.Ed.
Head of School
Letter from Frances Merenda,
President of the Board of Trustees
As you just read, Ray has said that the 2026-27 school year will be his last serving as the Head of The Northwest School, following six years of dedicated leadership. On behalf of the entire Board of Trustees, I express our gratitude for everything Ray has done for our community during his tenure.
Ray embodies a core tenet of Northwest’s philosophy and an important element of our strategic plan: an agile mindset. He assumed the headship in July 2021, when NWS was navigating how to keep community members safe from the pandemic while providing a top-notch education. Ray advocated for curiosity, creativity, and courage to develop workable solutions to complex challenges.
Over the years, Ray and our exceptional faculty built new programs and strengthened existing systems, always keeping students at the center of every decision. The Northwest School remains steadfast in its purpose to foster a learning environment that cultivates a sense of wonder, purpose, and agency.
As Ray continues to lead throughout this school year, the board will embark on a national search to recruit a successor. With the help of an executive search firm, the search committee will review applications and conduct interviews throughout the fall with the goal of announcing a new Head of School in the late winter. The full community will have opportunities to contribute input to the search for NWS' next leader in the weeks ahead. The new Head of School will begin work on July 1, 2027.
For 47 years, the Northwest School has provided an interdisciplinary liberal arts education that helps students learn, grow, inspire and innovate. Our school, like our students, is constantly growing and innovating around the enduring human themes of global perspective, social justice, and environmental sustainability. While a leadership transition is a significant moment for any school, I’m confident that Northwest will continue to thrive through the partnership of our dedicated faculty and broader community as our next Head builds on the school’s recent accomplishments.
Thank you for being part of the Northwest School community.
Sincerely,
Frances Merenda
President, Board of Trustees