Grace Church School was founded in 1894 by Grace Church as the first choir boarding school in New York City. In 1947 Grace became a co-educational school and was admitted to the Guild of Independent Schools of New York City. In the following decade the school began to expand its facilities to accommodate a growing student body. From the original sixteen choristers, Grace has grown to its current enrollment of over 400 boys and girls drawn from a wide variety of ethnic, economic and religious backgrounds. While the school has continued its close relationship with Grace Church, since 1972 it has been governed by an independent Board of Trustees, and it is a fully accredited member of the New York State Association of Independent Schools and the National Association of Independent Schools.