Two public districts, dozens of options.
Mill Valley's K-8 public schools are run by the Mill Valley School District (MVSD) — five elementary schools and one middle school, all of which feed into Tamalpais High School under the Tamalpais Union High School District (TUHSD). Around them sits a deep bench of private and independent options, from Marin Country Day's K-8 program to the Branson School and Marin Academy at the high school level.
This guide lists every school active in the Mill Valley orbit, organized by tier. Catchments matter: which side of East Blithedale or the Shoreline ridge you live on can change your elementary assignment. When in doubt, an agent can show you the lines.
District snapshot
- MVSD enrollment: 2,750 (K–8 · across 6 schools)
- Tam High enrollment: 1,520 (Grades 9–12)
- Avg class size: 22 (K–5 MVSD)
- % of MV kids in public: ~74% (per 2025 district survey)
Tier 01 · Preschool & Early Childhood (Ages 0–5)
Mill Valley's early-childhood scene leans co-op and play-based, with a strong tradition of parent-participation programs. Most local preschools have waitlists; the standing advice is to apply 12–18 months out, especially for the cooperative programs.
Cooperative & community
- Mill Valley Cooperative Nursery School (Downtown · Est. 1944) — The town's oldest co-op; family-run with rotating parent days, mixed-age classrooms, and a deep garden program on the Old Mill creek lot. Ages 2–5.
- Strawberry Cooperative Nursery School (Strawberry · Est. 1966) — Parent-run on the Strawberry Recreation campus. Outdoor-forward, with weekly nature walks along Richardson Bay. Ages 2–5.
- Homestead Valley Community Preschool (Homestead Valley) — Housed inside the HVCC. Small ratios, redwood-shaded outdoor classroom, and a quietly excellent music program. Ages 3–5.
- Mill Valley Community Church Preschool (Downtown) — Non-denominational despite the name; rolling enrollment makes it the preschool of choice for families relocating mid-year. Ages 2–5.
Private & independent
- Marin Horizon School — Early Childhood (Tam Junction · Montessori) — Authentic Montessori program for ages 18 months through kindergarten, on the same Tam Junction campus as the K-8 lower school.
- Mount Tamalpais School — Pre-K (Sycamore Park) — The Pre-K and Kindergarten arm of Mt. Tam School. Strong outdoor education and a clear K-8 pipeline for families who want continuity.
- Marin Country Day School — Early Years (Corte Madera · Draws from MV) — Marin Country Day's K-8 begins at kindergarten, with a competitive early-years feeder program that many Mill Valley families enter at age 4.
- Bright Horizons at Mill Valley (Strawberry) — Full-day program for working families. Year-round enrollment, infants through Pre-K, with extended hours. 6 weeks–5 years.
- Marin Waldorf School — Early Childhood (San Rafael · Many MV families) — Waldorf-philosophy early-childhood for families willing to drive over the hill. Mixed-age, screen-free, strong rhythm-of-the-day structure. Ages 3–6.
Tier 02 · Elementary Schools (Grades K–5)
The five MVSD elementary schools all rank among California's top performers. Catchments are address-based and shift modestly with each district boundary review (last in 2024). Private K-8 options operate on a separate application cycle.
Public · Mill Valley School District (MVSD)
- Edna Maguire Elementary (Homestead Valley · Est. 1928) — Serves Homestead Valley and parts of upper Tam Valley. Strong arts program, organic edible garden, and the largest enrollment of the five. K–5 · ~440.
- Old Mill Elementary (Downtown · Est. 1908) — The historic downtown school, walkable for most of central Mill Valley and Cascade Canyon. Newly renovated 2023 with a redwood-shaded play yard. K–5 · ~360.
- Park Elementary (Sycamore Park · Est. 1949) — The Sycamore Park family anchor. Walkable for most of "the Flats" and the school of choice for east-side block parties. K–5 · ~400.
- Strawberry Point Elementary (Strawberry · Est. 1957) — Bay-side campus on the Strawberry peninsula. Diverse community drawn from the Seminary residences; strong dual-language interest groups. K–5 · ~320.
- Tamalpais Valley Elementary (Tam Valley · Est. 1937) — Locally just "Tam Valley." Sun-belt campus south of the Shoreline ridge — noticeably warmer than the Downtown and Strawberry sites. K–5 · ~370.
Private & independent
- Marin Country Day School (Corte Madera · K–8) — The flagship K-8 independent for Marin. Approximately a third of each class comes from Mill Valley families. Competitive admission; bus service from MV. K–8 · ~560.
- Mount Tamalpais School (Sycamore Park · K–8) — Mill Valley's only on-town K-8 independent. Small ratios (16 per class) and the strongest outdoor-education program in the county. K–8 · ~240.
- Marin Horizon School (Tam Junction · Montessori K–8) — Authentic Montessori through eighth grade. Mixed-age classrooms, project-based work, and a rebuilt 2022 campus on the south side of Tam Valley. K–8 · ~200.
- Marin Waldorf School (San Rafael · K–8) — Closest Waldorf K-8 to Mill Valley. Rich movement-and-arts curriculum, screen-free until fifth grade. ~15% of students come from south county. K–8 · ~220.
Tier 03 · Middle School (Grades 6–8)
Public sixth-graders from all five MVSD elementary schools merge into a single town middle school. Private K-8 alternatives continue through eighth grade on their own campuses.
Public · Mill Valley School District
- Mill Valley Middle School (Sycamore Park · Est. 1959) — The single public middle school for all of Mill Valley. Combined enrollment of ~890 across grades 6–8. Strong instrumental music program; rebuilt science wing in 2021.
Private continuation · K–8 programs
- Marin Country Day School (cont.) (Corte Madera) — MCDS sixth-through-eighth feeds heavily into Branson, Marin Academy, and Tam High honors track.
- Mount Tamalpais School (cont.) (Sycamore Park) — Mt. Tam's upper school. Small classes (16:1) and a graduation tradition of summer trail work on Mt. Tamalpais.
- Marin Horizon School (cont.) (Tam Junction) — Adolescent-program Montessori continuing through eighth grade. Particularly strong placement record at Tam High and TUHSD specialty programs.
Tier 04 · High Schools (Grades 9–12)
Mill Valley's public high school is Tamalpais High under the Tamalpais Union High School District; the district also operates two alternative campuses (Drake and Redwood) that Mill Valley families occasionally choose by inter-district transfer. The independent options sit within a 20-minute drive.
Public · Tamalpais Union High School District
- Tamalpais High School (Mill Valley · Est. 1908) — "Tam High" — the default high school for nearly every Mill Valley address. Strong AP and IB-adjacent offerings; nationally ranked for both academics and athletics. 9–12 · ~1,520.
- Sir Francis Drake High School (San Anselmo · By transfer) — TUHSD's San Anselmo campus. Available to Mill Valley families by district transfer; known for its Roots & Branches outdoor-leadership program.
- Redwood High School (Larkspur · By transfer) — TUHSD's central-county campus. Larger than Tam High; comparable academics with a stronger competitive-debate program and a different sports culture. 9–12 · ~1,840.
Private & independent
- The Branson School (Ross · Independent) — Co-ed independent on the Ross campus. The most selective independent in southern Marin, with a notable arts and writing tradition. 9–12 · ~330.
- Marin Academy (San Rafael · Independent) — Progressive co-ed independent. Project-based learning, mini-mester intensives, and a campus largely converted from the historic Mt. Tamalpais Military Academy. 9–12 · ~430.
- Marin Catholic High School (Kentfield · Catholic) — Co-ed Catholic high school. Strong athletics history, particularly football and lacrosse. Welcomes all denominations. 9–12 · ~720.
- San Domenico School (San Anselmo · K–12 boarding option) — The oldest independent school in California (1850). K-12 with a boarding option at the upper school. Notable equestrian and music programs. 9–12 · ~270.
A note on enrollment numbers and catchments: figures above are approximate and drawn from the most recent public district reports. Catchment lines are set by MVSD and adjusted periodically; always verify your specific address with the district before making a purchase decision based on school assignment. Several private schools require admission cycles that begin 9–14 months before the September start date.
