Did You Know? Fun Facts about PHS

THE SCHOOL DID YOU KNOW?

Fun Facts about Presidio Hill School

During the 1930s PHS became something of a haven for the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), an organization that helped refugees from Nazi Germany begin their lives anew in San Francisco. Every week a Newcomer’s Meeting was held on campus which was aimed at helping ease refugee’s transition to American life. During the summer months, the school was used as a hostel for displaced persons awaiting permanent resettlement. By 1942, the school became the site for AFSC strategy meetings on how to resist deportation of Japanese-Americans from the West Coast.

The traditional PHS “Dragon Dance” was choreographed by renowned dancer and choreographer Anna Halprin

28.6% of our total current student body receives fl exible tuition discounts in the amount of $1.75 million! An average grant is $28,212. PHS co-founder Helen Salz, a staunch advocate of civil liberties, helped found the Northern California chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union shortly after the 1932 San Francisco General Strike.

On October 15, 1969 Presidio Hill School closed for the Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam, a massive demonstration and teach-in. Teacher Sandy Segal led a group of students and parents to the San Francisco March where he was arrested in front of his students and taken to jail. To this day, many alumni who were in that group mention this as one of their most vivid PHS memories.

Our lead teachers have a total of 350 years teaching experience at PHS with an average PHS tenure of 15 years. Teacher Steve Manseau has the longest tenure at PHS: 32 years! PHS opened its doors in 1918 with 15 students. This year, we have an enrollment of 220. We have 13 Masters degrees among our 24 lead teachers (and learning specialists), with one Ph.D. That’s a percentage of 54.2% of lead teaching staff with advanced degrees.