Mission, Core Values, & History

Triangle Day School was founded in 1991 by a group of teachers, administrators, and parents. This group sought to challenge students who had demonstrated that they were “ready for more” in small classes within a comfortable environment, while also keeping tuition low.

For the first two years, the school was called Trinity School of Durham, and it served students in pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade. In 1993, the name was changed to Triangle Day School, and the population narrowed to pre-Kindergarten through 8th grade.

Located on Neal Road and within walking distance to Bennett Memorial, the school site began as a converted John Deere tractor facility. The school has seen numerous capital improvements over the past 35 years, including an addition to the main academic building (now more than 16,000 square feet) that opened in 1997, construction of a second academic building that began in 2004 and opened in 2005, and construction of a gymnasium that began in 2002 and opened in 2003. In 2008, the school acquired twelve acres of land across the street, which was subsequently developed into baseball and soccer fields. More recently, the Hardin Academic Center opened in 2018, the Betty Klapper Academic Center became home to the Middle School in 2025, and the O’Donnell Performing Arts Center opened in 2026.

Today, TDS remains connected to its proud history and focused on the future. The school continues to enroll students of the highest caliber, both academically and personally, and to attract students of different religious, racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Children graduate from TDS armed with intellectual curiosity, 21st-century skills, and healthy self-confidence that all prepare them to lead a life of purpose.