Continuing a tradition of 26 years of Waldorf education in Southern Oregon, The Siskiyou School is a thriving community of teachers and families. Currently we have 165 students in grades 1-8 and a staff of 22 including 8 class teachers and 10 specialty teachers.

Our teachers are committed to nurturing the potential of every child, schooling the imagination, and fostering a lifelong love of learning. We strive to prepare students to meet the world with a caring heart, confidence in their own gifts, and a strong academic foundation.

Our History

As a school and as a community we are both young and old. In 2001, a year after the closing of the Waldorf School of the Rogue Valley, a committed group of families and teachers formed the Siskiyou Initiative through AWSNA, the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America. Their goal was to keep Waldorf education alive in the Rogue Valley. For several years, classes operated independently in separate locations. Then in the spring of 2004, they joined together to become The Siskiyou School. Today we have some 125 families, a combination of pioneers from the old school and families new to Waldorf education.

Our School Community

The 2006-2007 school year was a year of transformation for us. The school completed the purchase of a wonderful property located at 631 Clay Street in Ashland. A very successful Capital Campaign allowed us to undertake & complete construction of two new classroom buildings in the back field to complement our main school building. The main building itself was renovated & the entire campus re-landscaped. On May 4th we held a "school-warming" celebration to acknowledge this community's journey over the last 7 years and recognize those who have brought us to this new chapter in the school's history.

We are excited and confident in our future. The deep reservoir of experience from which our teachers draw, combined with the new energy of its young families, gives the school a particular strength and vitality. Now solidly anchored, The Siskiyou School is a growing educational presence in Ashland and the Rogue Valley, bringing the full array and riches of Waldorf education to this community.

Governance Model

The "Four Pillars" governance model, adopted by The Siskiyou School in the fall of 2006, is based on collaborative leadership between the Board, Faculty, and Parents. Each body has its well-defined sphere of expertise and activity. The Board is responsible for the school's finances and legal affairs; the faculty holds the pedagogical program; the parents, via the Parent Association, are tasked with creating community, fundraising and fun-raising, "carrying the mantle of warmth". The Administrator acts as the point person for the school, supporting the work of each body and ensuring good communication and collaboration among them. Each body plays a vital role in carrying the work of the school; all are necessary and interdependent. The Administrator is assisted by an Office Manager, a Development Director, and a bookkeeper, together constituting the Administrative Team. This model has been successfully used for 25 years at The Bay School of Blue Hill, Maine -- the first in Maine to work out of the Waldorf tradition.