The Marin School

The Marin School (TMS) was a private high school located in San Rafael, California. The school was named after Marin County in which it is located.[1][2][3] The school closed permanently at the end of 2022-23 school year, citing a drop in enrollment.[4][5]

The Marin School
Address
150 N. San Pedro Road

San Rafael
,
Marin County
,
California
94903

United States
Coordinates37°59′56.01″N 122°31′27.27″W
Information
TypePrivate
MottoSmall School, Big Impact.
Established1980
StatusClosed
Closed2023
PrincipalBen Griggs
Grades9-12
Student to teacher ratio8:1
Color(s)Green and Black
SportsSoccer, Basketball, and Track
MascotNighthawks
NicknameTMS
AccreditationWestern Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)
WebsiteTheMarinSchool.org

History

The Marin School, formerly known as North Bay Secondary School then as North Bay Marin School, was founded in 1980 and originally included both a middle school and high school. The school accepted a wide range of students with varying levels of creativity, academic ability, and motivation. The school was characterized by small classes, close monitoring, and personalized attention given to each individual.[6]

Two Schools

In the mid 1980s, the North Bay Marin School split into two schools (North Bay Marin School[7] and North Bay Orinda School (now known as Orinda Academy)), but remained a single corporation with a single Board of Directors.[6] In 1995, the former Head resigned, and the Board of Directors asked Barbara Schakel (a part-time English teacher hired in 1989) to assume the responsibilities of Head of School. In 1998, the North Bay Marin School legally separated from the North Bay Orinda School, established a separate non-profit corporation, and created a new board of directors.[6]

Transformation

The Marin School, formerly classified as an alternative school, transformed into a college-preparatory school. The school's unique schedule of alternating tradition classroom education and a discussion workshop remained a key feature of the educational program. Barbara J. Brown, EdD, appointed at the beginning of the school year 2011–2012, was Head of School until 2020.[8][9] In the Fall of 2020, Former Assistant Head of School Ben Griggs, M.Ed assumed leadership as Head of School until the school's closure at the end of the 22-23 school year.[9]

Curriculum

In recent years, The Marin School had expanded its curricular offerings and had a strong focus in technology and the arts. The school continued to offer small classes, individualized attention, experiential opportunities and an online tracking system that included daily assignments, biweekly grade updates and daily progress statistics. The “Outside the Walls” program, a series of curriculum-related field trips, was designed to give students a real-world application of their classroom.[10]

Enrollment

The school continued to enroll students with varied interests, learning styles and abilities from different socio-economic backgrounds. The school also supported 18% of its student body with financial assistance. The Marin School offered small classes with an average of eight students, a small student/teacher ratio, an experiential college-preparatory curriculum, and a focus on the individual.[11]

Closure

Student enrollment fell 25% over the school’s last two years of operation with 63 students enrolled at the end of the enrollment period for 2023-24.[4][5] The school announced its closure at the end of the 2022-23 school year citing the low enrollment figures and subsequent budget concerns resulting from the lack of tuition revenue.[5]

References
  1. The Marin School, accessed 02-05-2009
  2. Private School Review, accessed 02-05-2009
  3. Los Angeles Times, accessed 02-05-2009
  4. "After 42 years, Marin private high school slated to close". The Mercury News. 2023-05-04. Retrieved 2023-08-30.
  5. "San Rafael private high school slated to close". Marin Independent Journal. 2023-05-02. Retrieved 2023-08-30.
  6. Orinda Academy, "Our History", accessed 02-05-2009
  7. california.schooltree.org, North Bay Marin School, accessed 03-05-2009
  8. The Marin School, Unique, accessed 02-05-2009
  9. Tuton-Filson, Sabrina (2020-10-06). "A Change of Leadership in the Midst of a Pandemic". Marin Magazine. Retrieved 2023-08-30.
  10. The Marin School, Curriculum, accessed 02-05-2009
  11. The Marin School, Financial, accessed 02-05-2009
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