Founded in 1966, we are proud to be one of the oldest independent, coeducational day schools in San Francisco.
Welcome to The San Francisco School, a joyful place to learn and grow! When you enter the Gaven Street gates, our campus opens up to you as an oasis full of nature and an incubator for confident, curious, and enthusiastic leaders. Students learn through intellectually stimulating interdisciplinary experiences, guided by dedicated and creative staff. Students spill out of classrooms continuing conversations sparked by lessons and experiences, music cascades throughout campus, and students celebrate their progress with pride. We are a school where students are encouraged to embrace childhood, climb trees, pursue passions, and build authentic human connections. Learning at SFS happens because students feel seen and supported by the adults in their lives and classmates who cheer them on.
Our traditions and rituals influenced by world cultures bind the community in ways that deepen our sense of belonging and the humanitarian purpose that is at the heart of who we are. Our students and alumni remember the connections that are made through their favorite shared experiences like the ringing of the gong to open and close the school year, ice skating with their cross-grade level buddies, singing the Earth Day rap together, trying not to laugh to earn their mud pies while teachers try to make them laugh, or caring for the baby goats every spring in our Adventure Playground. These are the core memories that alums often reference with nostalgia and gratitude.
SFS graduates are prepared to meet their futures with academic and intellectual skills, but more importantly, they are equipped to lead with kindness. We believe character development is just as important as academic preparation. As you explore SFS, you will notice how mutual respect and embracing diversity have a direct and positive impact on the overall quality of the student learning experience. Whether partnering with the Portola neighborhood, practicing environmental sustainability, or celebrating different cultures, our community does it together.
Please be our guest and discover how SFS makes an impact locally and globally generation after generation. I look forward to welcoming you.
Juna McDaid
Head of School
SFS is a thriving school filled with student scholars and dedicated staff, parenting adults, and trustees, who prioritize the well-being of students and an inclusive community for all.
Coming out of college with an education degree, I started teaching high school English at a large public school outside of Boston. I have fond memories of colleagues and lasting connections with students from that time, but I longed to emulate my beloved independent school teachers in a progressive education approach with small classes of students and an advisory program. Finding an English teaching position at an independent school near Boston was a turning point in my career that has led me here. Throughout my journey, I taught English at the middle and high school levels, became an English department chair, then moved into full-time administration as a dean of faculty in San Francisco, head of middle school in Sonoma County, and assistant head of school for K-12 academics in northern Virginia.
As a career educator and leader, my work centers on students. We are because they are. With the students as our top priority, my role as Head of School will be to partner with and support the adults who make learning possible. I appreciate all of my mentors and guides, who have instilled in me a belief in the power of raising others up. I present at conferences, support professional development organizations in creating educational opportunities for educators, and mentor aspiring leaders to ensure there is a deep bench of leaders making educational experiences fulfilling for students.
I hold a Bachelor’s degree in English from Boston College, a Master’s degree in secondary education from Boston College Lynch School of Education, and a Master’s in English from Middlebury College Bread Loaf School of English. I am currently a trustee at the Gardner School of Arts and Sciences in Vancouver, WA, and a former trustee of Northern California People of Color in Independent Schools (PoCIS).
School Profile
2024-25 Enrollment
282 students, 26 zip codes
- Preschool: 43 students (average class size 22)
- Lower School (K-5th): 137 students (average class size 22)
- Middle School (6th-8th): 102 students (average class size 34)
Students & Faculty
1:6 Faculty to students ratio
55% Staff of color
Average teacher tenure: 11 years
67% Head teachers with advanced degrees
65% Students of color
- 35% White
- 40% Asian/Asian American/Multiracial
- 16% Latino/Hispanic/Multiracial
- 9% African American/Multiracial
School Hours
Preschool
9:00am - 3:00 pm
Lower School (K-5th)
8:30am - 3:15 pm
Middle School (6th-8th)
8:30am - 3:30 pm
Extended Day
7:30am (8:00am for Preschool) - 6:00pm
Indexed Tuition
- $10 million endowment
- $2 million in indexed tuition awards
- 29% of families pay reduced tuition through the indexed tuition program
- $3,600-$44,300 range in current indexed tuition awards
- $43,600 - Full 2025-26 Preschool-5th grade tuition
- $45,800 - Full 2025-26 6th-8th grade tuition
Campus
- 1.6 Acre Campus
- 52% outdoor space
- Dedicated play yards for Preschool, Kindergarten, and 1st Grade
- Adventure Playground featuring a 50 foot slide, gazebo, field station, fruit trees, chickens, and baby goats that visit each spring
- Community Center with state-of-the-art 350-seat theater and gym space, terrace, music rooms, and the Workshop.
- Learning Commons (including two sound booths) for library services and flexible space for meeting, activities, and hybrid space opening to the outside
By the Numbers 2024-25
- $12.3 Million Operating Budget
- $140,000 Professional Development Budget
- $2,900 Average Parent/Guardian Annual Fund Gift
