Castilleja School

Castilleja School is an independent school for girls in grades six through twelve, located in Palo Alto, in the U.S. state of California. Castilleja is the only non-sectarian all-girls middle and high school in the San Francisco Bay Area. The faculty consists of approximately 70 full-time and part-time women and men. Castilleja is a member of the California Association of Independent Schools[2] and the National Coalition of Girls' Schools.[3][4]

Castilleja School
Location
Palo Alto
,
California

United States
Information
TypePrivate, College-prep
MottoWomen Learning – Women Leading
Established1907
FounderMary Ishbel Lockey
HeadNanci Z. Kauffman
Grades6-12
GenderGirls
Enrollment434
Average class size15
Student to teacher ratio6:1
Campus size6 acre
Campus typeSuburban
Athletics conferenceCIF Central Coast Section
(West Bay Athletic League)
MascotGator
Tuition$44,000[1]
Websitecastilleja.org

History

Castilleja was founded in 1907 by Mary Ishbel Lockey.[5] Originally from Montana, Lockey graduated from Stanford University in 1902, where she majored in English.[6][7] She was a charter member of Alpha Phi and was the first Stanford Alpha Phi elected to Phi Beta Kappa.[8] She was encouraged by Stanford's first president, David Starr Jordan, to start a school that would offer girls a comprehensive, college preparatory education.[9] In its early years, some boys were allowed to take classes at Castilleja.[10]

The school's core values, known as "the 5 Cs," include conscience, courtesy, character, courage, and charity.[5]

In 1910, the school moved to its present location at 1310 Bryant Street, and the first structure was the administration building, designed by architect Roy C. Heald in American Craftman style.[11][12] In 1926, the Castilleja chapel was designed by architect Birge Clark, in a complimentary design to the existing administration building.[12]

In 2007, Castilleja celebrated the 100th anniversary of its founding.[11]

Expansion proposal

In 2016, Castilleja announced its intentions to build an underground parking garage and new buildings to increase enrollment to 540 students. Because of the scale of the proposed development in an R1 zoned neighborhood, the project has experienced considerable opposition among neighboring residents.[13][14] One concern has been traffic impact.[15] As of 2020, the school has still not yet been able to find a compromise regarding the expansion.[16]

Recognition

Castilleja is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools, the National Coalition of Girls' Schools, and the College Board. In late 2007, the Wall Street Journal identified Castilleja School as one of the world's top 50 schools for its success. In 2009, Castilleja was given the highest accreditation rating by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Castilleja was named one of the Bay Area's Best Private Schools by San Jose Magazine.

Castilleja was also recognized as the 5th best private high school in the United States by Niche.com in their 2015 rankings.[17]

Notable alumnae

References
  1. Financing a Castilleja Education
  2. "Home". California Association of Independent Schools. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  3. "Home". National Coalition of Girls Schools (NCGS). Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  4. Bay Area's Best Private Schools | San Jose Magazine
  5. "Castilleja School". The Almanac. September 22, 1999. Retrieved 2020-11-09.
  6. "Kappa". Alpha Phi Quarterly. XXVII (4): 418. September 1915.
  7. "Retiring Class Gets Diploma". California Digital Newspaper Collection (CDNC). The San Francisco Call. 27 May 1902. Retrieved 2020-11-09.
  8. Alpha Phi Quarterly, vol. 17, p. 194.
  9. Sargent, Porter (1998). The Handbook of Private Schools (79 ed.). Boston: Porter Sargent Publishers. p. 679. ISBN 9780875581392.
  10. "Castilleja School". Western Journal of Education. XXVII (7): 6. July 1921.
  11. "Castilleja School Celebrates" (PDF). The Tall Tree, Palo Alto Historical Association. November 2007.
  12. "1310 Bryant Street". www.pastheritage.org. Retrieved 2020-11-09.
  13. Sheyner, Gennady. "As Castilleja plans its expansion, city seeks firm assurances on traffic impacts". www.paloaltoonline.com. Retrieved 2020-11-09.
  14. "City offers compromise in controversy over Castilleja expansion". Palo Alto Daily Post. 2020-11-01. Retrieved 2020-11-09.
  15. "Exclusive Palo Alto school redevelopment plan would cause significant traffic issues, report says". The Mercury News. 2019-07-17. Retrieved 2020-11-09.
  16. Sheyner, Gennady (August 27, 2020). "Castilleja School struggles to find compromise in expansion plan". www.paloaltoonline.com. Retrieved 2020-11-09.
  17. "2016 Best Private High Schools - Niche". K-12 School Rankings and Reviews at Niche.com. Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  18. Hailey, Gene (1937-01-01). California Art Research, Volume 16 (Abstract) (PDF). W.P.A. Project 2874.
  19. Helft, Miguel. "Commerce Secretary Pritzker: On Diversity, Silicon Valley Can Learn From Washington". Forbes. Retrieved 2020-11-09.

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