The Waldorf School of San Diego began in 1981 with a small and enthusiastic group of individuals studying the educational philosophy of Rudolf Steiner.

The first school site was a small house on 3rd Street, there were 18 children in the first class. In the spring of 1983 the house was sold, and the school moved to a temporary site in La Jolla for the remainder of the school year. Over the summer another site was selected, a house on 29th Street in North Park. At that time the community faced another decision — many of the kindergarten children would outgrow the class at the end of the year and a decision was needed on whether the school was prepared to begin a first grade. The Board of Trustees and the Faculty decided that the school was ready to expand, and a search committee was formed to recruit a first grade teacher as well as locate a new site with more room.

In September, 1984, the first grade opened with 12 students, the kindergarten filled again, and there was a waiting list. Over the next five years the school moved several more times, graduated three third grade classes and hired additional teachers to accommodate its growth.

In April, 1991, the school (consisting of Grades 1 & 2 and 1 Kindergarten) relocated to  Spring Valley. The campus was on a large piece of land with several buildings, ample room for the expansion of classes, a basketball court, a large playground and enough land for gardening. Prior to the Waldorf school’s acquiring the site, the campus had been vacant for several years and required much attention. And attention it received—with parents, board and faculty working to renovate it effectively and efficiently. The school stayed at this site for seven years and grew to be two Kindergartens, grades 1-8, and a parent-tot program.

The 1998-99 school year saw the school looking for a more central site and finally nestling into a beautiful, well cared for campus in Oak Park. Up on a hill, the school is blessed with a steady pleasant breeze and a panoramic view reaching to the mountains. Again parents, board and faculty rallied to move the school’s possessions, clean, paint and ready the campus for the first day of school. On Michaelmas Day, in the fall of 1999, the school closed escrow on this beautiful site. It had been a long journey to set permanent roots for our school, our children and our community.

In 2002 the school undertook a major remodeling and renovation in the main building. The results were a major improvement and many smaller projects followed and are ongoing to beautify the school environment for the benefit of the children and the community. In the summer of 2002, The Waldorf Institute of Southern California (WISC) created a San Diego extension, which is hosted at the school. The Institute offers part-time teacher training, as well as courses of interest to the community.

In January of 2005, a nursery program was added for 3 and 4 year olds, as a gentle transition to the Kindergarten program, and the 2006-07 school year ushered in our fourth Kindergarten. The recent acquisition of neighboring properties will allow for future expansion, with plans underway for a new Early Childhood Center as well as a high school.

The Waldorf School of San Diego is a nonprofit 501(3)c organization; it receives guidance from The Rudolf Steiner Foundation, and it is a developing member of The Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA).