Merryhill School is a group of private schools in the United States offering preschool, elementary, and middle school education. The schools operate in California, Colorado, Nevada, and Texas.[1][2] Select campuses also have before- and after-school programs and summer camps.[3]
Merryhill School was founded in 1949 by Dorothy and Howard Tompkins in Sacramento, California. The original campus began as a church annex and served five preschool-aged children. Over time, the school expanded to include additional locations offering include The Tompkins family later opened two additional locations offering preschool and elementary education.[4]
In the late 1970s, Dr. Donald Leisey, former public school superintendent, acquired the schools. He introduced rebranding and implemented before- and after-school programs that included extracurricular activities such as study halls, dance, music, and athletics.[4] By 1980, the school expanded to over 20 locations in California, including the addition of middle school grades at the flagship campus.[4][5]
Merryhill was acquired in 1989 by Rocking Horse Child Care Center, Inc. The organization was renamed to Nobel Learning Communities in 1993 and later Nobel Learning Communities in 1998.[6] In 2018, Nobel Learning Communities, including Merryhill School, was acquired by Spring Education Group, a national network of private schools.[7]
Educational mission
Merryhill School states their mission mission is to cultivate academic excellence, character development, and lifelong learning.[4]
Curriculum
Preschool
Merryhill's preschool curriculum emphasizes literacy, number sense, the arts, Spanish, and social-emotional development. Parent communication tools include monthly folders, progress reports, and a mobile application.[8][9][10]
Elementary & Middle School
According to the organization, the elementary and middle school programs follow a standards-based curriculum with instruction in mathematics, language arts, social studies, and science. Middle school programs also include skill development in areas such as organization and time management to support academic preparation for high school.[11]
Several Merryhill campuses offer summer camp programs that include activities such as sports, science, games, and arts and crafts.[17] In some locations, the school partners with external organizations to provide academic enrichment programs.[18]
Campus openings and relocations
Merryhill School has expanded to multiple regions with new campuses and relocations including:
2007: A preschool opened in Sacramento's Natomas neighborhood.[19]
2013: The Roseville, California campus relocated to support the addition of middle school grades.[20]
Food and hygiene supply donations to local shelters and food banks[25]
Fundraising for medical and educational nonprofit organizations[26]
Awards and recognition
Several Merryhill campuses have received high rankings on Niche, an online school-ranking platform. In 2025, four campuses were rated "A+" and four others received "A" rating based on metrics such as academics, diversity, and parent reviews.[27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36]
Other recognitions include:
A Student Educational Video Award (SEVA) for creative media work by students in Sacramento[37]
A "Best Middle School" award at the Synopsys Silicon Valley Science and Technology Championship in 2019[38]
Recognition as a “Top Ten First in Math School” in 2018 based on student participation and performance[39]
Apple distinguished school
Two Merryhill campuses, Midtown Sacramento and Roseville, have been designated Apple Distinguished Schools.[40] This designation recognizes institutions that demonstrate innovative use of Apple technology to support learning.[41]
↑ "Summer Skill Accelerators at Merryhill School". Swoon Learning - Online Tutoring, Activities, and Life Skills for Students and Student-Athletes, and Neurodivergent Learners with ADHD. 2025-06-09. Retrieved 2025-07-17.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.