A New School Year- and 20 Years of Bayhill

There is always a special energy at Bayhill at the beginning of a new school year. New students are finding their way around campus, returning students are reconnecting with friends and teachers, and our classrooms and hallways are coming back to life. 

This year, we have even more to celebrate: Bayhill is beginning its 20th year. 

Bayhill was founded in 2006 in response to a need that will sound familiar to many of our families today: more options for bright, capable students with learning differences who needed something different from a traditional school environment. What began as a small high school in Oakland has grown into the community we know today on our Berkeley campus. 

And twenty years later, we're still growing. 

This fall marks our second year serving students in grades 7 and 8 alongside our high school program. We're welcoming new faculty members, adding Ethnic Studies to our curriculum, and launching Bayhill's first soccer team. 

We're excited about where Bayhill is headed. We also know that our growth reflects a real need. More families are looking for schools where students who learn differently can be understood, supported, challenges, and given room to discover their strengths. We're working thoughtfully to find ways to reach more of those students while holding onto something that has been central to Bayhill from the beginning: the closeness of a small community. 

At Bayhill, students are known. Teachers understand how their students learn, what interests them, where they need support, and where they're ready to stretch. Students and families know one another. Those relationships are a big part of what makes this place feel like Bayhill- and they'll continue to guide us as we grow. 

We'll celebrate this milestone together in April at our 20th Anniversary Spring Gala, bringing together the many people who have been part of Bayhill's story. More details will be coming soon. 

For now, we're happy to have our students back, excited about what's ahead, and grateful to begin our third decade together. 

Welcome to year 20!