A long and storied history…
Lincoln Academy is an independent secondary school that serves students from Midcoast Maine communities, New England, the U.S., and the world.
LA was founded in 1801 to serve local students who wanted to continue their education past elementary school, because towns were not required to provide education past the primary level. At this time, Maine was still part of Massachusetts. While the Commonwealth of Massachusetts gave a grant of land to fund the school, tuition was paid by the students’ families.
This early version of school choice remained until 1904, when the Maine legislature required municipalities to provide secondary education. Since Lincoln Academy had been operating successfully for 100 years, towns in the Damariscotta-Newcastle area chose not to establish a new public high school, but to continue to pay tuition to L.A. The Academy has continued to be the ‘secondary school of choice’ for the area.
In 1957, the Sinclair Act was passed, which ‘consolidated’ many school systems. At this time, many independent schools closed their doors, became independent schools or became public high schools. L.A. is one of the ten independent schools that continued to serve students from their area towns and beyond.
A sketch of the LA campus by Disney artist and Lincoln Academy graduate Jake Day ’10
Comprehensive Education
The Academy has expanded its program and its campus to serve the growing populations in the Midcoast. The curriculum provides courses in all subjects and on all levels from introductory to Advanced Placement. Clubs and sports teams offer opportunities for service, leadership, team-building, public speaking, and creativity.
Lincoln Academy’s mission is to be a comprehensive high school that serves the needs of all students. This means that LA maintains a wide range of courses in all disciplines at all levels. Â The majority of the students come from the local area. Â However, the school has added a boarding program and is now also welcoming students from all over the world.
Lincoln Academy is governed by an independent Board of Trustees. As established by the charter granted in 1801, trustees are not elected officials but are selected for their knowledge, skills, and dedication to the mission of the school. Lincoln Academy is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and belongs to the Maine Association of Independent Schools, the Association of Independent Schools in New England, and the National Association of Independent Schools.
All students who attend Lincoln Academy choose to do so. Students in towns that do not have a public high school may choose to attend any high school they wish, and their tuition is paid from the towns to that school.
Contact:
burroughs@lincolnacademy.org
Jeff Burroughs started his work at Lincoln Academy in July 2019 as our 44th Head of School. Jeff was the Assistant Headmaster for Academics at St. Johnsbury Academy in Vermont, a ninth-grade through postgraduate town academy of 970 students which shares the town academy structural and funding model with Lincoln Academy.  An engineer by training, Mr. Burroughs worked for seven years as an IBM program manager before beginning his tenure at St. Johnsbury Academy. Preceding IBM, he spent a number of years at the Hyde School in Bath, where Mr. Burroughs had a number of roles, including math teacher, Director of Admission, and Assistant Headmaster. Jeff lives in Newcastle with his wife, Melissa, also an educator. The couple has three children: Jeb, 30, is an independent film editor living in NYC,  Andrew, 28, is a copywriter in advertising also living in NYC; and Eliza, 26, works in executive recruiting and lives in London.
duffy@lincolnacademy.org
Kelley Borg Duffy became a social studies teacher in part because it was the only discipline where she felt she could integrate all her academic loves: science, literature, data and history. A native Vermonter and daughter of educators, Kelley went to boarding school in Massachusetts and college in Pennsylvania. After college, she went on to teach in Philadelphia PA, Albuquerque NM, Switzerland, and Venezuela. She met her husband while taking a Wilderness EMT class in Maine, and found herself drawn back to New England. Before joining Lincoln Academy's social studies department, Kelley taught at Wiscasset High School. She and her husband are raising two daughters, two dogs, and a cat, and she spends most of her free time hiking, paddling, camping, and gardening - while always looking for opportunities to travel.
Academic Affiliations:
B.A. Political Science, Swarthmore College
M.A. Muskie School of Public Service, University of Southern Maine
National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT)
crosby@lincolnacademy.org
Raised in Belfast, Maine, Maya is a passionate educator with degrees in Microbiology and Journalism from the University of Rochester. She pursued a graduate degree in Marine Science from the University of Maine and hopes to engage in further research in learning sciences. Sprinkled in between, she has been a cook, biotechnologist, editor, shellfish biologist and instructional designer. Her diverse education and experiences reflects her multifaceted interests, blending the realms of biology, journalism, and human cognition. As the Director of Applied Learning at Lincoln Academy, she bridges theory and real-world applications, fostering authentic learning experiences and creativity among faculty and students. Outside of school, she explores nature, travels and enjoys culinary experiments. Maya strives to embody a cephalopod-like spirit of curiosity and resourcefulness, and hopes to leave a lasting impact on her students and community.
jonason@lincolnacademy.org
Trish joined the LA team in 2023, starting in Residential Life before earning a seat on the Admin team in 2025. When she isn't wrangling schedules and spreadsheets, you’ll find her traveling, reading, baking, or tracking every strategic pit stop during a Formula 1 race. A proud dual US-German citizen, she seizes every excuse to fly back to Europe for family and real bread. Trish lives in Bristol with her husband and their two children, Oliver ('27) and Edith ('32). You can also spot her having a laugh with friends and bringing music to the area as a founding member of the Shucktown Community Band.
pierpan@lincolnacademy.org
Deanna Pierpan grew up in Massachusetts and spent a lot of time visiting her husband's parents and her grandparents and cousins all over Maine. It was a natural progression and long time goal of moving to Midcoast Maine with her husband and children that was realized in 2018. Deanna spent much of her professional career managing software development projects for various consulting firms and asset management companies in New England and Europe, but more recently has been an office manager in real estate and healthcare. Combining these experiences with a desire to engage with her community, led her to being a part of the Lincoln Academy community as Mr. Burrough's assistant. Her son, Harrison is in the class of 2023 and her sons, Hamilton and Anderson are in the class of 2026.
