Meher Schools

The Meher Schools (K-5) and its White Pony (preschool) division offer programs to the community for children two years old through fifth grade, with a focus on serving the needs of working parents by providing child care programs, even for very young children.
We feel most individual achievement is best fostered in an atmosphere of love and security, expressed through creative channels rather than through competition.
We encourage the children to strive for high standards of academic excellence while learning the enduring values of cooperation, community, and service to the world.
We staff to excellent ratios (6:1 in preschool and 12:1 in elementary) with teachers working in teams through fifth grade.

Quick Stats (2024)

  • Top Ranked CA School
  • Grades: Prekindergarten-5
  • Enrollment: 314 students
  • Application Deadline: None / Rolling
  • Source: Verified school update

Top Rankings

Meher Schools ranks among the top 20% of private schools in California for:

Category
Attribute

School Overview

Religious Affiliation
Grades Offered
Grades Prekindergarten-5
Year Founded
1975
Summer School Offered
Yes

Student Body

Total Students
314 students
Student Body Type
Co-ed
% Students of Color
46%
State avg.: 51%
Students by Grade
Meher Schools Student By Grade

Academics and Faculty

Total Classroom Teachers
21 teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
15:1
National avg.: 13:1

Tuition and Acceptance Rate

Admission Deadline
None / Rolling

Extracurriculars

Total ExtracurricularsTotal Extra-curric.
6 extracurriculars
ExtracurricularsExtra-curric.
Club or Organization:
Coding Class, Drama, Gardening, Spanish Language Program

Arts and Music Programs:
Art Classes, Chorus

School Notes

Preschool Program
  • Our emphasis is on developing and encouraging little children to experience happy interactions with their companions and their teachers. The children's day is filled with music, art, dance, and nurturing. They learn to focus on tasks, complete what they start, put things away, and clean up after themselves. They experience the joy of being able to do these things.We prefer teaching children in larger, mixed-age groups with an excellent teacher-student ratio because it easily simulates a natural environment with younger and older siblings and the special relationships that are engendered. While we have incorporated many of the principles and materials developed by Maria Montessori, we have created a curriculum that is uniquely our own, rising out of the shared talents and interests of our remarkable preschool staff and of the children themselves.
Elementary School Program
  • Our elementary school begins in kindergarten and extends through fifth grade. Here, the classes range from about 15 up to 28 students per class. We have two to three teachers in each classroom. We also have a school art teacher, science teacher, gardening teacher, and librarian. The children receive a high quality academic education. We strive to support each child's efforts individually. We integrate the arts to complement and stimulate academic education.
Explorations Programs
  • We offer afterschool enrichment programs through our Explorations program. Current courses present a wide range of subjects that include chorus, spanish language classes, coding, art classes, drama, cooking, gardening, crafts, touch typing and word processing.
Summer Programs
  • We offer summer programs for our children in preschool through our graduates entering sixth grade. Although our school remains open year round primarily to meet the needs of children of our working parents, summer school continues to attract many of our other students as well.
Drama Camp
  • The Drama Camp is an especially popular program with the students. It is also popular with our graduates who are in high school and college and who make up the faculty under the leadership of our professional staff. One exceptionally fun aspect of Drama Camp is the inclusion of mixed-age groups, opening the door to sweet, supportive relationships between the younger and older students.
Source: Verified school update

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Meher Schools's ranking?
Meher Schools ranks among the top 20% of private schools in California for: Largest student body.
When is the application deadline for Meher Schools?
The application deadline for Meher Schools is rolling (applications are reviewed as they are received year-round).
What neighborhood is Meher Schools located?
Meher Schools is located in the Condit neighborhood of Lafayette, CA.

School Reviews

  5.00 out of 5  (9 reviews)
5  
This deceptively modest school offers an extraordinary atmosphere of love & care that nurtures students, draws parents into rewarding participation in school programs, and breeds exuberant art of every kind. The staff are dedicated, with an unusual blend of warm and generous competence. A wide variety of extra-curricular activities are offered, supplementing an already broad curriculum.Our daughter has attended since she was old enough to do so, and has thrived, both academically, and socially. Her continued affection for all her teachers and caretakers, and theirs for her, attests to the kindness and care of the staff.We are particularly grateful to the school for having developed a thoroughly researched and highly effective response to COVID 19, which earned them a special dispensation from the county to provide in class instruction during much of the pandemic (though with reduced class sizes, of course). The school has carried out this plan with meticulous consistency, keeping parents informed of health developments, and reinforcing guidelines with frequent reminders. It has been so successful that it was adopted as a model for other schools.It's hard to imagine another school quite like The Meher Schools. Or a child who wouldn't respond to all it has to offer.
- Posted by
5  
I am an alumni of the Meher Schools. I had a great experience there.
- Posted by
5  
What an extraordinary school. They use the Nurtured-Heart Approach, which means that discipline is achieved by reinforcing and encouraging desired behavior, as opposed to putting the focus on punishing undesirable behavior. The atmosphere on campus is therefore very safe and loving. In my experience, it's a place where the child's individual strengths are emphasized, and their most elevated qualities allowed to bloom.
- Posted by
5  
My child currently attends the Meher School. I would recommend the school to all parents. There are myriad opportunities for the children to develop. The teachers really focus on ensuring the best results for the children at the school. More than academics, they want to develop the whole child in all facets. Due to the small class sizes, the teachers have these opportunities to help educate the students the best.
- Posted by
5  
Some of my favorite childhood memories are from the years I spent at the Meher School. The nurturing and creative environment there helped shape the person I am today, and I will be forever grateful. Over the years, the school has fostered a special atmosphere of compassion and acceptance and built upon its unparalleled arts programs with high quality visual arts instruction as well as a drama department that would rival many high schools. What is extraordinary is that the school has also increasingly excelled in academics? The Meher School truly merges head and heart in a beautiful balance that offers the best it can for each child. I look forward to the day I can bring my own child to the Meher School.
- Posted by
5  
I went to the Meher School from preschool all the way through fifth grade, and it was an incredibly valuable experience. The teachers and faculty care about the students and focus on an individualistic approach. The values they teach have molded me into who I am today. They focus on treating others with kindness, accepting everyone, and exploring your creativity. I can't recommend this school highly enough.
- Posted by
5  
I am the parent of a Meher School graduate and now am the grandparent of a White Pony preschooler. I have been associated with the school as a volunteer since my son graduated in 1998 because I have never found an environment that actually lives their values as much as The Meher Schools does. It is truly a supportive, loving environment! The staff is incredibly dedicated and talented. They manage to provide rich experiences in the arts (drama, fine arts, music) without sacrificing academic excellence. The fact that so many graduates come back to work as staff or volunteers and enroll their own children there as soon as they are old enough to attend, is an indication of how special this school is. And a note about our current situation: The Meher Schools has been a model for other schools during this pandemic. They obtained a waiver and remained open to serve children of essential workers when many schools were still trying to figure out what to do or were closing for good.
- Posted by
5  
This is a truly spectacular school! My wife and I both went here as children, and it had a huge impact on our lives. The staff is super kind and dedicated. They create a supportive atmosphere where the children come first and everyone is treated with love. When it was time to send our daughter to preschool, we knew she had to go here! The preschool (White Pony) is non-academic, and they focus on developmentally appropriate tasks and fostering kindness and compassion. When she has a tantrum, they help her learn tools to deal with her emotions instead of punishing her. We plan to keep her there through the oldest grade, 5th grade. The elementary still has the same focus but also has a solid academic program, so I know she'll be ready to go to middle school. We're also really excited about the enrichment options, both for preschool and elementary. They have great programs in art, chorus, drama, gardening, and more! Somehow, the tuition is always super low, too. It's less than half of the price of most other nonsectarian private schools in the area!
- Posted by
5  
Love the school, especially their open support of BLM and other liberal political groups. They are very liberal but encourage kindness when correcting children with conservative beliefs.
- Posted by

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Quick Stats (2024)

  • Top Ranked CA School
  • Grades: Prekindergarten-5
  • Enrollment: 314 students
  • Application Deadline: None / Rolling
  • Source: Verified school update

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Did You Know?

The average private school tuition in Contra Costa County, CA is $14,925 for elementary schools and $20,316 for high schools (read more about average private school tuition across the country).
The average acceptance rate in Contra Costa County, CA is 82% (read more about average acceptance rates across the country).

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