What Mark Day School does

Mark Day School is a K-8 independent private school operating at 39 Trellis Drive in the Terra Linda neighborhood of San Rafael, Marin County, California. Organized as a nonprofit educational institution (Federal Tax-ID 94-2598891, CAIS-accredited), it serves approximately 380 students across three divisions — Lower Division (K-3), Middle Division (4-6), and Upper Division (7-8) — with a 7:1 student-teacher ratio and an average of 22 years of faculty teaching experience. The school's curriculum integrates foundational literacies with two proprietary frameworks developed in-house: four cross-disciplinary literacies (cross-cultural, ecological, social-emotional, media/information) and seven metacognitive skills (curiosity, creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, community mindset, growth mindset, self-understanding/self-direction). Physical assets include a two-story Learning Commons library, a Creativity Lab inspired by MIT Media Lab, an organic and butterfly garden, and a LEED Platinum certified learning facility with zero net energy design.

The school is led by Head of School Joe Harvey (since July 2011) and a Board of Trustees; senior team includes a CFO (Bella Chang), division heads for K-4 and 5-8, and directors across admission, development, student life, partnerships/equity/inclusion, facilities, learning services, athletics, the Learning Commons, and extended day/summer programs. Revenue is generated through an indexed tuition model with the 2025-2026 top of index set at $45,871 annually for K-8 and 25%+ of students paying below that ceiling via a Clarity-platform financial assessment process. Additional revenue streams include the Annual Fund (with 500+ parent/alumni/grandparent/faculty participants), endowment income, an Extended Day Program ($12/hour), summer camps ($360–$750/week), and corporate matching gift programs. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer via campus tours (October–January), weekend Open Houses (November and January), and Zoom-based Alumni Panels.

Distribution is geographic: a multi-route bus network serves seven Marin County cities (Mill Valley, Larkspur, Kentfield, San Anselmo, San Rafael, Lucas Valley, Novato) carrying 140 daily riders. The school maintains long-running global educational partnerships with eSibonisweni Primary School (South Africa, since 2003), Beijing No. 2 Experimental School (since 2007), Kliptown Youth Program (South Africa, since 2012), and Ren-Ai (Taipei, since 2024), plus local service partnerships with LITA, Cedars Textile Art, Downtown Streets Team, Vivalon, KIVA, and Adopt-a-Family. Operational technology is third-party SaaS: Finalsite CMS for the website, Clarity for indexed tuition, schooladminonline.com for admissions, and a Community Portal for families — no proprietary technology platform or AI/ML capability is evident in the operating stack.

Name

Mark Day School

Legal name

Mark Day School

Website

https://markdayschool.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Mark Day School is a CAIS-accredited K-8 independent private school in San Rafael, Marin County, California, serving approximately 380 students with a 7:1 ratio, indexed tuition, and a curriculum built around proprietary cross-disciplinary literacies and metacognitive skills frameworks.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent K-8 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Nonsectarian Independent Day Schools (EDAJABAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Extended Day Programs at Preschools & Childcare Centers (EDACAHAB)

Keywords

• K-8 independent education
• Indexed tuition model
• Cross-disciplinary curriculum
• Outdoor education program
• Private elementary school

Headquarters

HQ city

San Rafael

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition Revenue: Mark Day School charges indexed tuition ranging from $0 to $45,871 annually for the 2025-2026 school year. Tuition is set along a sliding scale based on family financial capacity. More than 25% of students pay below the top of the tuition index. The delta between top-of-index tuition and actual cost of education is subsidized through philanthropy.
2. Annual Fund (The Mark Day Fund): Annual fundraising campaign supporting current-year operating costs. The fund supports programs including social-emotional learning, global programs, professional development, arts, technology, and hands-on project-based learning. More than 500 community members participate annually.
3. Planned Giving and Endowment: Legacy Society members contribute through bequests, life insurance, retirement assets, and charitable remainder trusts. Endowment funds generate income supporting faculty salaries, professional development, indexed tuition, and general operations in perpetuity.
4. Corporate Matching Gifts and Merchant Programs: Corporate matching gift programs and merchant cash back programs through eScrip, Sports Basement, Book Passage, and local grocery stores generate additional donations.
5. Extended Day Program Fees: The After School Club charges $12 per hour with adjusted rates for Indexed Tuition families. Adventures After School enrichment courses are offered for additional fees. Summer camp programs charge $360-$750 per week.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Mark Day School is an independent K-8 private school serving approximately 380 students in San Rafael, Marin County, California. It delivers a comprehensive educational program across three divisions (Lower K-3, Middle 4-6, Upper 7-8) integrating foundational academics with four cross-disciplinary literacies and seven metacognitive skills. The school supplements core academics with specialized facilities including a two-story Learning Commons, a Creativity Lab, athletics, outdoor education trips, extended day programming, and summer camps.

Product overview

Mark Day School is a K-8 independent school in Marin County, California, offering a comprehensive educational program structured across three divisions: Lower Division (K-3), Middle Division (4-6), and Upper Division (7-8). The school integrates foundational literacies (English, math, science, world language, PE, arts, social studies) with four cross-disciplinary literacies (cross-cultural, ecological, social-emotional, and media & information literacy) and seven metacognitive skills. Key program components include the Learning Commons library, Creativity Lab maker space, Athletics Program, Outdoor Education with grade-specific trips, Extended Day Program, Summer Programs, and various student clubs. The school serves approximately 380 students with a 7:1 student-teacher ratio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• K-8 Educational Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 36% students of color reflecting multicultural composition of global communities
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered developing, core, local and minor.

• Ren-Ai (Taipei, Taiwan)developingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Ren-Ai is a K-6 public school in Taipei, Taiwan. Partnership established in 2024 with delegations exchanged within the first year of the partnership.
• Kliptown Youth Program (KYP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012KYP is a community-based educational organization providing holistic support to Kliptown and surrounding communities in South Africa, established in 2012. Mark Day has welcomed 5 delegations to campus and sent 6 delegations to KYP, with 38 faculty/staff having visited KYP.
• Beijing No. 2 Experimental School (Er Xiao)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007Er Xiao is a K-6 elementary school in Beijing, China. Partnership established in 2007 with 48 Mark Day students having visited Er Xiao, 185 Er Xiao students having visited Mark Day, and 4 teacher exchanges conducted.
• eSibonisweni Primary SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003Partnership established in 2003 with eSibonisweni Primary School, a K-7 elementary school serving approximately 700 students in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Mark Day has conducted 9 in-person visits, supports 2 programs, and 25 families are supported through ePOP (eSibonisweni Programme). The school collects mittens, hats, and scarves for the Ritter Center and supports this partner through various fundraising activities including the Family Fun Run.
• LITA (Love is the Answer)localStrategic or Co-development PartnerMonthly visits by 2nd graders to local senior residence to build intergenerational relationships through games, activities, and holiday celebrations throughout the school year.
• Cedars Textile Art CollaborativelocalStrategic or Co-development PartnerKindergarten students visit Cedars Textile Art Center in San Rafael, a diverse program for people with developmental disabilities. Students enhance their learning about fibers and textiles through this partnership.
• Downtown Streets TeamminorOthersCommunity partnership supporting local individuals experiencing homelessness through volunteer engagement and service activities.
• VivalonminorOthersPartnership through which 3rd graders write letters and make crafts delivered through Vivalon's meals on wheels program.
• Adopt-a-FamilyminorOthersStudents K-8 participate in the Adopt A Family holiday program, putting on student-led fundraisers and selecting gifts for families in need.
• KIVAminorOthers4th graders grow plant starters in the garden and sell them in an on-campus farmer's market to raise money for KIVA micro loans supporting global entrepreneurship.
• Casa AllegraminorOthersCommunity partnership organization for community engagement activities.
• ClaritycoreTechnology or IntegrationFinancial assessment platform used by Mark Day School for Indexed Tuition applications. The mobile-friendly platform evaluates family financial capacity and can automatically transfer 1040 and W2 documents from the IRS.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Katherine Delmar Burke School: Independent K-8 school in San Francisco with a similar progressive, mission-driven approach and comparable indexed tuition / financial aid programs. Direct peer in the broader Bay Area K-8 independent market.
• The Hamlin School: Independent K-8 girls' school in San Francisco with comparable mission, social-emotional emphasis, and Bay Area private school positioning. Competes for families seeking single-sex K-8 environment.
• Marin Country Day School: Independent K-8 school in Corte Madera, Marin County, with a similar progressive, mission-driven focus on academics, social-emotional learning, and diversity. Closest direct peer given shared geography, grade span, and ethos.
• Town School for Boys: Independent K-8 boys' school in San Francisco with comparable size, faculty engagement model, and rigorous academics. Competes for Bay Area families seeking single-sex K-8 alternatives.
• Marin Primary & Middle School: Independent K-8 school in Larkspur, Marin County, serving the same Bay Area family demographic with a similar size and progressive educational approach. Competes for the same Marin County applicant pool.
• San Domenico School: K-12 independent school in San Anselmo, Marin County, with a values-based and academically rigorous program. Competes for Marin County families across the full K-12 span.

Broad incumbents

• The Branson School: Independent 9-12 school in Ross, Marin County, with a similar progressive, college-preparatory ethos. Competes as a destination high school for Mark Day graduates.
• Harker School: Large independent K-12 school in San Jose with a similar rigorous academic program and Silicon Valley family base. Serves as a comparable Bay Area private school at greater scale.
• Marin Academy: Independent 9-12 school in San Rafael, Marin County. Mark Day is a primary feeder for Marin Academy, and Joe Harvey previously served there as Academic Dean. Important peer as a downstream placement option.

Regional players

• College Preparatory School: Independent 9-12 school in Oakland serving the broader Bay Area. Comparable academic rigor and progressive pedagogy; competes for graduate school placement alongside other Bay Area independent secondary schools.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/markdayschool
• Instagraminstagram.com/mark.day.school
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/mark-day-school

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mark Day School