The Odyssey School

The Odyssey School is a coeducational independent day school in the Greenspring Valley of Baltimore County, Maryland, serving students ages 5 to 14 (roughly kindergarten through grade 8) who have been diagnosed with dyslexia or other related language learning differences. A group of parents founded the school in 1994 on Roland Avenue in Baltimore, and it moved to its current 42-acre campus in June 2002. Enrollment runs around 160 to 166 students, drawn from private, public, parochial, and home-school backgrounds across area counties and Baltimore City. Dr. Tim Lightman is Head of School.

Instruction is multimodal, language-intensive, and built around proven, evidence-based methods. Class sizes average 8 to 9 students with a 3:1 student-teacher ratio, and the faculty numbers 52. Every student receives daily reading and writing tutoring in a 2:1 setting, and math is taught in small groups averaging 4 students. The academic core covers language, math, science, social studies, reading and writing tutoring, and creative writing, with specials in art, library, music, guitar and ukulele, physical education, technology, drama, Genius Hour, and mindfulness. The school day runs 7:55 a.m. to 3:10 p.m., and the Coppermine at Odyssey afterschool program runs until 5:45 p.m. with drop-in service available.

The program is organized around four pillars (Kindness, Honesty, Respect, and Hard Work) and emphasizes character education and self-advocacy so students can build the language skills to transition back to mainstream schools. The 42-acre campus includes a stream, meadow, woods, an organic community garden, a playground, and two athletic fields, with a main building designed to feel like a home that houses a theater, gymnasium, library, computer lab, science labs, and tutoring rooms. Enrichment includes community service, outdoor and environmental education trips, an artist residency program, and student clubs such as robotics, rocketry, and 3-D printing.

Tuition is $44,050 for the 2026-2027 school year. The school provides need-based financial aid, and about 32% of families receive an award. The application fee is $75. Odyssey is accredited by the Association of Independent Maryland Schools (A.I.M.S.) and holds memberships in the International Dyslexia Association, the National Association of Independent Schools, and several regional education organizations.