About Independent Schools of the San Francisco Bay Area

Welcome to the Independent Schools of the San Francisco Bay Area website.

If you are new to the world of independent schools, we hope you will use our site to learn more about the benefits of an independent school education and how the admission process works, and also to find a school that fits your needs.

Independent Schools of the San Francisco Bay Area (ISSFBA) is an association of approximately 40 independent schools for students in preschool through eighth grade located in San Francisco, the North Bay, the Peninsula and the South Bay.

ISSFBA member schools represent a wide range of educational choices and philosophies, but all schools strive for academic excellence, a strong sense of community and a commitment to diversity.

Our organization's mission is to support families and children in the admission process by promoting best practices, coordinated timelines, and open communication. ISSFBA schools strive to provide a smooth, respectful, transparent and predictable admission experiences for bos and schools.th familie

In an effort to best serve students and families during the admission process, the Bay Area Directors of Admission developed a set of Principles of Good Practice. These Principles encourage mutual respect among the member schools and support practices, activities, and events that are student‐centered, family friendly, and age appropriate for our applicants. The Bay Area Directors of Admission believe that you deserve to be apprised of these Principles of Good Practice; a summary of the Principles may be downloaded here.

Affiliations
Many ISSFBA schools are members of the California Association of Independent Schools and the National Association of Independent Schools.

Nondiscriminatory Policy
ISSFBA schools admit students without reference to race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national and ethnic origin to all rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at their schools. They do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin in administration of their educational policies, financial aid program, athletic and school-administered programs.