Fact Sheet

Background

Founded in 1974, Pacific Primary provides a full-time, year-round preschool for San Francisco’s working families. Pacific Primary’s educational philosophy has been designed to support the whole child and to foster growth and creativity. Pacific Primary has developed a reputation as one of the most innovative preschools in the US and is recognized today as a national leader in fully integrating all forms of diversity into its curriculum and school environment.

Pacific Primary now enrolls 155 children with broad ethnic and family structure diversity. The School has had only four directors in its 45 year history, providing stability and strong leadership. Governance is provided by a Board of Directors comprised of 21 current and alumni parents. The School is managed prudently, operating consistently within budget. In 2010, Pacific Primary became a Preschool For All site.

Our Families
Total Enrollment 155
Yellow Sun School 80
Orange Sun School 75
Receiving financial aid 26%
With special needs 4%
Total tuition assistance awarded $430,260
As a % of total tuition 11%
Bilingual children 10%

Ethnicity
African American/Bi-racial 19%
Asian/Bi-racial 23%
Hispanic/Latino/Bi-racial 14%
Other 12%
Caucasian 32%

Family Diversity
Single Parents 8%
LGBTQ 9%
Adoptive Parents 3%

Staff
We have 47 staff members, and a student/teacher ratio of approximately 6-to-1. All of our teachers have full ECE units and most have a BA or MA. The average teaching tenure of our staff is 8 years. The staff also includes Music & Movement Specialists and Expressive Arts Specialists, as well as two full-time Chefs.

Executive Director:
Belann Giarretto

Board Officers:
Chris Edwards, Co-President
Kristen Smith, Co-President
Rachel Rouda, Vice President
Chris Tatro, Treasurer
Sue Schultes, Secretary
Anu Cairo, Officer-at-Large
Katie Skoog, Officer-at-Large

Facilities

Yellow Sun School
The original campus – the Yellow Sun School – is a single-story, 4,400 square foot facility on the corner of Grove and Baker, with a playground space of 5,600 square feet. The Yellow Sun School accommodates 80 children and is owned by Pacific Primary.

Orange Sun School
Completed in August 2008, the Orange Sun School (OSS) is directly across the street from the Yellow Sun School (YSS) and accommodates 75 children, as well as housing all of Pacific Primary’s administrative offices. This facility is two-story, with 7,400 square feet and a 3,600 square foot playground. The building is ADA-accessible and contains a variety of environmentally sensible features including solar power and radiant heating. The facility is also owned by Pacific Primary.

Finances – 2019/2020 Budget

Elementary Schools Attended by 2019 Graduates