On September 15, 2025, trustees at Valley Forge Military Academy in Wayne, Pennsylvania, announced that the school will close after the 2025-26 academic year. They cited rising tuition costs, falling enrollment, soaring liability insurance premiums, and general financial stresses in a difficult economy.
For families invested in the value of military boarding school education, this closure raises two questions: How are other schools evolving to avoid the spate of closures that have affected some military boarding academies nationwide? And, more urgently for VFMA families, where can cadets at Valley Forge Military Academy complete their secondary education?
Military Boarding Schools Must Evolve to Survive
When St. John’s Military School in Salina, KS closed in 2019, many SJMS families turned to Army and Navy Academy as a second home for their cadets. They were shaken by what they viewed as the sudden closure of a school that had stood the test of time since 1887. One of the foremost questions from St. John’s Military School families was “are all military boarding schools struggling?”
The answer is no. Military boarding school enrollment has dropped across the country, driven by some of the same factors that VFMA cited in their closure announcement, but several venerable military boarding schools are thriving. Enrollment in military schools hasn’t fallen because what we offer no longer has value. It is because many military boarding schools have struggled to meet the moment for their students, especially boys. Army and Navy Academy has demonstrated that a school can thrive if it stretches past the baseline promise of a structured, disciplined environment and delivers on a unique value proposition.
For Army and Navy Academy, that value proposition is our singular focus on meeting the needs of boys. Boys are facing unprecedented educational challenges across the globe. Statistics show that boys are
- 52% as likely to earn a top 10 percent academic GPA as girls
- 67% as likely to go to college as girls
- 149% as likely to drop out of high school as girls
- 267% as likely to be expelled from public schools as girls
Numbers like these are why Army and Navy Academy has exhaustively honed its focus on boy brain science. As a Gurian Center for Excellence, we use science-backed methods to propel boys to new heights, academically and personally. Cadets at the Academy aren’t just gaining the benefits a military boarding school environment, they’re being innoculated against the systemic failures afflicting boys across the nation. The end result is that our graduates are well-prepared to find success in college and life.
As much as we prize success for our graduates, it is equally essential to us that Army and Navy Academy alumni be good men. Our mission is to forge virtuous young men for life. That’s why we have a unique virtue development program centering around interactive seminars throughout the school year and practical activities for developing virtuous habits. The end result is a whole-person development environment that helps young men no matter their starting point, from top scholars to students who are still finding their way in middle school and high school. Thanks to our unique value proposition, Army and Navy Academy offers a learning community that is better for every boy.
Where to Go After Valley Forge Military Academy
Army and Navy Academy represents a seamless transition for Valley Forge Military Academy cadets and families seeking their next educational home. Life at Army and Navy Academy has many hallmarks that will be familiar to VFMA cadets. We also offer an extraordinary college preparatory academic program, leadership and character development through JROTC classes, capacity for college-level courses, and a highly structured day engineered toward cadet success.
We also offer some benefits that might be unfamiliar to VFMA families. Our school has its own private beach front and surf team. We offer 18 varsity and intramural sports, including Raider Team. Our classes are built for boys’ brains, and we have a proven track record of getting the academic best out of every student. We are excited to share the joys of California weather with you: the Academy is located in Carlsbad, CA, which experiences more than 263 beautiful sunny days annually.
Whether you are planning to remain at VFMA until the year’s end or are looking for immediate placement, the Academy stands ready to help. We will work with every Valley Forge Military Academy family on tuition assistance, translation or transfers of cadet rank and awards, and matching course progress to ensure a smooth adjustment to Army and Navy Academy. If your VFMA cadet is looking for a new home, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at 888.762.2338. You can also submit an application for your cadet at armyandnavyacademy.org/apply-now/.