Sausalito Nursery School

Sausalito Nursery School is a cooperative preschool where families participate directly in the classroom and school operations. Each family contributes a “co-oping parent” who volunteers in the classroom as a teaching aide on a rotating basis, and families also take part in the maintenance and operations of the school.

• Ages: 3–5 years old

Sausalito Nursery School was founded in 1939 and is one of the longest running cooperative preschools in the country. It operates as a parent cooperative in which parent(s) or guardian(s) of enrolled children become members of the cooperative, serve on governing committees, and volunteer in the classroom and in school maintenance and operations. The school’s mission states that education is based on teachers, parents, children, and families working together, and that it focuses on providing a secure, comfortable, and responsive environment by respecting, accepting, and encouraging each child’s independence and autonomy. The program describes a commitment to inclusive education, including identifying and eliminating barriers for families to attend, engaging and empowering each family, and being a warm and welcoming space for all cultures and communities, so that students grow feeling loved and supported by a diverse community group broader than the nuclear family.

The school director is Veronica Maier. Classroom teachers include Pre-K teachers Melissa Vree and Diane Bernstein, Sea Otter and Afternoon teacher Johanna Pitocchelli, Tide Pool teachers Kendal Carter and Amy Evans-Reber, and Aftercare teachers Lauryn Smith Demyanovich and Anke Pahmeyer. The 2024–2025 Steering Committee includes President Georgia Glassie, Secretary Christine Dodds, Alumni Relations representative Melissa King, Enrichment representative Stephanie Holdsworth, Marketing representative Emily Malone, Community representative Kerry Winn, Treasurer Nina Vyas, Fundraising representatives Elizabeth Hunt and Ally Acorn, and Maintenance representatives Emilee Marcus and Julie Scripps. Sausalito Nursery School is a registered 501(c)3.

Parent testimonials describe Sausalito Nursery School as having caring, fun, and focused teachers and a small class size with a warm family feel. Parents report forming tight bonds and friendships, describe the community as knowledgeable, warm, and nurturing, and note that the school is play based with a cooperative model that allows parents to participate in the classroom. Several parents highlight the school’s transparent, communicative, and friendly staff, describe it as a tight-knit community where families support one another, and state that their children enjoy attending and are thriving.

Last updated February 18, 2026.