Hello friends, welcome to the Tigerjek.com and today we are going to discuss the Best schools in Sacramento , Choosing the right school for your child is one of the most important decisions you’ll make as a parent — and in Sacramento, families have no shortage of options. From top-rated public schools and innovative charter programs to prestigious private institutions, the city offers a wide range of educational environments to fit different learning styles and goals.
Sacramento’s schools are known not only for their strong academics, but also for their diverse communities, dedicated teachers, and enriching extracurricular opportunities. Whether you’re new to the area or simply exploring your options, this guide highlights some of the best schools in Sacramento to help you find the perfect fit for your child’s future.
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Growth Public Schools – Best schools in Sacramento
Growth Public Schools (GPS) in Sacramento is more than just a place to learn—it’s a community that celebrates individuality, embraces diversity, and fosters a lifelong love of learning. Since opening its doors in 2017, GPS has grown alongside its founding families, and in spring 2025, it will proudly graduate its first 8th grade class.
At GPS, every child’s unique culture, background, learning style, and future goals are not only recognized but celebrated. Staff members know each student and their family by name, working together to create an education that meets students where they are and helps them reach their highest potential.
A Diverse and Supportive Community
The GPS community reflects the vibrant diversity of the Greater Sacramento area. Families choose the school for its smaller size, personal connections, and inclusive environment—one where students feel represented, supported, and loved.
Restorative Practices
Rather than relying on punishment, GPS focuses on restoring relationships and building trust. Families often remark on how their children are treated as people first—listened to, respected, and supported in their personal growth.
Social-Emotional Learning
GPS takes a whole-child approach to education, integrating social-emotional learning into daily life. Through the Valor Compass Model, students—and staff—develop skills in empathy, conflict resolution, resilience, and self-awareness. Weekly “Circle” gatherings provide a safe space for connection, reflection, and personal growth.
Project-Based Learning
Hands-on, real-world projects are at the heart of the GPS curriculum. Whether exploring math through problem-based learning, engaging with literature in EL Education, or collaborating on cross-disciplinary projects, students gain not only knowledge but also communication, research, and critical thinking skills.
Learner-Driven Education
GPS empowers students to take ownership of their learning, whether that means advancing quickly through challenging material or receiving extra support when needed. The goal is to make learning joyful and meaningful for every child.
HEROIC Values
The school’s core values—High Expectations, Empathy, Relationships, Optimism, Integrity, and Community—guide everything from academics to daily interactions.
Beyond the Classroom
Students enjoy a wide range of enrichment opportunities, from PE and music to electives like dance, guitar, art, and creative writing. Through “Explorations,” GPS partners with local organizations to offer unique experiences such as Lego engineering, yoga, and hip hop dance.
Before & After Care
GPS partners with EDMO to provide before- and after-school care that blends fun activities with academic support, making it easier for working families to balance their schedules.
The GPS Impact
By the time they leave GPS, students are not only prepared academically but also equipped with the empathy, confidence, and problem-solving skills needed to thrive in high school and beyond. The school’s mission is simple yet powerful: to prepare every student to have a positive impact on their community and the world
Shalom School
Shalom School is dedicated to providing each child with an outstanding education in a nurturing environment—one that is academically excellent, inclusive, innovative, and inspired by Jewish values and traditions. The school’s approach serves the whole child, helping students grow intellectually, socially, emotionally, and spiritually, while fostering a lifelong love of learning.
Educational Programs from Preschool to 6th Grade
Offering programs from Preschool and Pre-K through 6th grade, Shalom School combines a rigorous academic curriculum with outstanding faculty and innovative programming. Students benefit from early exposure to a second language and a deep immersion in the values, rituals, and traditions of Judaism. This foundation nurtures empathy, a strong sense of community, and the skills needed for future success.
A Diverse and Supportive Community
As an independent school and community Jewish Day School, Shalom School welcomes families from a variety of backgrounds across the Greater Sacramento region. The school takes pride in being both a supportive and inspiring educational institution, committed to academic excellence while nurturing each child’s individual strengths.
Why Families Choose Shalom School
Families are drawn to Shalom School for its values-based education, academic rigor, close-knit community, and well-rounded programming. Students enjoy a wide range of specials, field trips, and enrichment opportunities, along with a strong connection to Jewish heritage that is thousands of years old yet deeply relevant today. A Shalom School education fosters critical thinking, strong identity, and a lifelong commitment to making a positive difference in the world.
Commitment to Israel Education
Shalom School affirms its support for the state of Israel and its right to exist, making it an integral part of the school’s curriculum and Jewish identity. The school strives to create a thoughtful, respectful environment where students can engage with the complexities of Israel through age-appropriate lessons and open dialogue. While encouraging diverse viewpoints, the school maintains a firm stance against hate speech and harmful language.
Preparing Students for a Life of Meaning
Graduates of Shalom School leave with more than academic knowledge—they carry with them the values, confidence, and intellectual curiosity to live meaningful, connected, and purposeful lives. This holistic approach ensures students are ready to embrace challenges and contribute positively to their communities for years to come.
Sacramento Country Day School
Sacramento Country Day School combines the warmth and connection of a close-knit community with the academic rigor of one of the region’s most respected educational institutions. Each student is known, appreciated, and encouraged for their unique gifts, while also being challenged to reach their full potential.
Students consistently achieve top test scores, earn prestigious awards, and matriculate to leading colleges and universities across the nation. But at Country Day, success is measured by more than academic achievements—it’s also defined by the strength of the community, the diversity of perspectives, and the commitment to making a meaningful impact in the lives of others.
Across all divisions—Lower School, Middle School, and High School—students know they are part of a safe, inclusive environment where respect and appreciation are the norm. This foundation allows them to grow not only as scholars, but also as compassionate, engaged citizens. Faculty and staff are dedicated to nurturing each child, believing in their potential, and guiding them to accomplish what they once thought impossible.
A Mission That Inspires
The mission of Sacramento Country Day School is to inspire intellectual discovery and engage a diverse community to think critically, live creatively, and act compassionately. This vision is at the heart of every classroom discussion, extracurricular activity, and service opportunity.
The Independent School Advantage
As a non-profit, fully accredited independent school, Sacramento Country Day sets its own mission, curriculum, and teaching philosophy, free from government mandates. Governed by a Board of Trustees, the school maintains a long-term strategic vision while allowing administrators and faculty to focus on day-to-day excellence. Accreditation by the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS), the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), and membership in the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) ensures the highest educational standards.
Independent school graduates nationwide are more likely to complete undergraduate and graduate degrees, pursue ambitious career paths, and remain active, engaged citizens. Country Day students are prepared not only for academic success, but for a lifetime of meaningful contribution.
A Rich History of Academic Excellence
Founded in 1964 with just 12 students, Sacramento Country Day has grown into the region’s only pre-kindergarten through 12th grade independent school, now serving nearly 600 students across 14 grades. From its earliest days, the school was envisioned as a place that valued intellectual rigor, the fine arts, scientific inquiry, and cultural understanding.
Over the decades, the campus has expanded to include state-of-the-art science centers, libraries, athletic facilities, and creative learning spaces. The academic program has grown to offer more than 30 advanced placement and advanced topic courses, along with robust co-curriculars such as Mock Trial, Solar Regatta, and immersive field experiences from Sutter’s Fort to Catalina Island. Nearly 40 athletic teams give students the chance to develop teamwork, discipline, and school spirit.
Looking Ahead
In 2024, Sacramento Country Day celebrated its 60th anniversary, marking six decades of educational excellence and community impact. Today, it remains the premier independent, college preparatory school in the Sacramento region—continuing to guide students toward selective colleges and universities while nurturing the character, curiosity, and compassion that define true success.
Sacramento City Unified School
Founded in 1854, Sacramento City Unified School District (SCUSD) is one of the oldest public school districts in the western United States. Today, it stands as California’s 11th largest district, serving thousands of students across 81 K–12 public schools, including 15 dependent and independent charter schools.
SCUSD has a long history of breaking barriers. In 1894—six decades before the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision—the Board of Education voted to abolish segregation. That same year, Sarah Mildred Jones made history as the first Black woman to serve as principal of a fully integrated elementary school, Fremont Primary School.
Today, the district continues its commitment to equity, working to close opportunity gaps and ensure every student has the support, resources, and encouragement needed to succeed. This enduring dedication to fairness and excellence remains central to SCUSD’s mission.
Sacramento Waldorf School
Sacramento Waldorf School offers a developmentally aligned, experiential, and academically rigorous approach to learning. From Preschool through Twelfth Grade, the school integrates the arts and hands-on experiences into all academic subjects, fostering creativity, critical thinking, and a deep connection to learning. The goal is to inspire lifelong curiosity and help each student fully develop their unique talents, bringing their individual gifts into the world.
Waldorf education, founded in 1919 and based on the insights of Austrian artist and scientist Rudolf Steiner, is grounded in an evolving understanding of human development. This holistic philosophy meets the intellectual, emotional, and physical needs of children at every stage.
Learning as a Lived Experience
At Sacramento Waldorf School, education goes beyond textbooks and tests. Mathematics, science, music, dance, theater, writing, and literature are experienced through active engagement rather than rote memorization. Students explore legends, myths, and stories in ways that spark imagination and build critical connections.
This immersive approach produces graduates who can think independently, integrate ideas across disciplines, and approach challenges with creativity and flexibility. College professors consistently note that Waldorf alumni are confident, ethical, and willing to take intellectual risks—qualities that make them sought-after in higher education and beyond.
An Inspired and Inclusive Community
Teachers at Sacramento Waldorf School are committed to nurturing an inner enthusiasm for learning in every child. While students often score within the top 8% nationally on standardized tests such as the SAT and ACT, the school’s curriculum is not driven by these metrics. Instead, assessment is personalized, focusing on meaningful feedback that fosters authentic motivation and a love for learning.
Waldorf education is inclusive, independent, and deeply connected to its local community. With more than 1,000 Waldorf schools worldwide—and over 300 in the United States—each school reflects the culture and values of its own region. Sacramento Waldorf School embraces this mission, practicing culturally responsive teaching and maintaining a learning environment that values individuality, creativity, and social responsibility.
Mission and Values
The school’s mission is to recognize each student as a unique individual—body, soul, and spirit—and to provide a holistic education that addresses the needs of the whole child. Through a balance of academic, artistic, and experiential learning, Sacramento Waldorf School cultivates a culture of community, reverence, and lifelong learning.
Merryhill Elementary and Middle School
Merryhill Elementary and Middle School in Midtown Sacramento is dedicated to transforming the way children learn and grow. Recognized as one of the area’s top private schools, it offers an educational experience that blends exceptional academics with a strong focus on student-centered learning.
Fully accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Schools, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), Merryhill provides a vibrant and supportive environment where students feel safe, motivated, and eager to learn. Teachers work closely with each child, fostering independence, curiosity, and a lifelong love of learning.
Through engaging, hands-on activities, innovative lessons, and the integration of modern technology, students are prepared not only to meet academic expectations but to surpass them—equipped with the skills, confidence, and motivation to succeed in the future.
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