Our History

Founded in 1979, San Francisco Waldorf School serves families on an educational journey from Preschool through High School. A small group of parents and friends envisioned a local school based on Rudolf Steiner’s educational philosophy and modeled after over 1,000 Waldorf schools worldwide. Monique Grund, founding teacher and pedagogical director, welcomed the first kindergarteners into her class near to the present Grade School location in Pacific Heights with the Presidio forest as its backyard. The Preschool program has separate classrooms just a few blocks from the Grade School. The Parent-Child Program found its home at the historic Arts and Crafts Parish House of the Swedenborgian Church.

In 1997, the community realized its plans for a High School  at the West Portal location. This state-of-the art school campus is the first in San Francisco to be awarded the prestigious LEED Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. In 2020, the Bushnell Center for Athletics and Community, with its award-winning architectural design including an iconic curved edge and living wall, opened on the High School campus to welcome the whole community, neighbors, and friends for games, camps, special events, and gatherings.

San Francisco Waldorf School enrolls around 400 students from San Francisco and across the Bay Area, making it one of the largest Waldorf schools in North America. The school celebrated its 45th anniversary in the 2023-2024 school year