Private Schools of South Pasadena: A Legacy of Learning, Faith, and Community
In South Pasadena, education isn’t just a tradition — it’s a cornerstone of community life. While the public schools of SPUSD consistently rank among California’s best, the city also nurtures a close-knit network of private and faith-based schools that serve families seeking smaller classrooms, values-driven education, or early childhood programs rooted in play and purpose.
Each campus carries the DNA of South Pasadena itself: historic, intimate, and deeply connected to neighborhood life.
Holy Family Catholic School — Faith and Foundation Since 1937
📍 1301 Rollin St, South Pasadena, CA 91030
🎓 Grades: Transitional Kindergarten – 8
⛪ Founded: 1937
Holy Family Catholic School (HFCS) is a South Pasadena landmark — both spiritually and architecturally. Founded on September 7, 1937 by the Sisters of Loretto at the Foot of the Cross, the school began with just 94 students and four classrooms serving grades 1–8.
By the 1950s, enrollment tripled, reflecting the city’s growth and the parish’s strong community roots. The campus expanded in 1999 with a new Education Center featuring science and computer labs, art rooms, and a library. In 2016, an Outdoor Learning Center was added to promote hands-on learning and environmental stewardship.
Today, Holy Family serves over 250 students in a nurturing Catholic environment that blends rigorous academics with service, faith, and family. Generations of alumni continue to call South Pasadena home — a testament to the school’s lasting impact.
Oneonta Cooperative Nursery School — A Parent-Powered Tradition
📍 1515 Garfield Ave, South Pasadena, CA 91030
🌼 Ages: 2 – 5 years
👨👩👧 Founded: 1949
Since 1949, Oneonta Cooperative Nursery School has been shaping South Pasadena’s youngest learners through a model built on collaboration. Parents work alongside teachers in the classroom, helping to guide learning and strengthen community ties.
This cooperative structure transforms preschool into a family experience — parents participate in play, art, music, and even governance, while children gain social and creative confidence.
Oneonta’s leafy outdoor campus, play-based philosophy, and multigenerational alumni network make it one of the most cherished early-education institutions in the city. It’s not just preschool — it’s a community cornerstone that has educated South Pasadena’s families for nearly 75 years.
St. James Parish Day School — Nurturing Faith and Discovery
📍 1325 Monterey Rd, South Pasadena, CA 91030
🌸 Ages: 2 – Kindergarten
🙏 Affiliation: Episcopal Church
At the heart of St. James Episcopal Church stands St. James Parish Day School, a faith-based preschool and kindergarten emphasizing creativity, empathy, and discovery. For decades, it has provided South Pasadena families a gentle introduction to learning through storytelling, outdoor play, music, and chapel.
The school blends traditional academics with social-emotional development — encouraging curiosity, kindness, and spiritual growth. With small class sizes and a caring faculty, St. James remains one of the city’s most respected early-childhood programs.
South Pasadena Montessori & Early-Learning Programs
While South Pasadena’s footprint is compact, it hosts several Montessori and Reggio-inspired early-education programs for toddlers and kindergarteners:
Montessori Children’s House of South Pasadena — a nurturing, mixed-age environment following Montessori principles of self-directed learning and independence.
South Pasadena Montessori Preschool (on Fremont Ave) — serves ages 2–6, emphasizing sensory play, early literacy, and practical life skills in a calm, structured setting.
South Pasadena Christian Preschool — 700 Oak St.; faith-based program rooted in creative curriculum, Chapel time, and community service.
These preschools complement the city’s public system by giving parents flexible, small-scale options that stay true to South Pasadena’s family-oriented identity.
Other Independent Programs Within City Limits
Arroyo Vista Children’s Center — 901 Fremont Ave.
A long-running, play-based preschool and childcare center managed in partnership with the South Pasadena Unified School District, serving ages 2–5.Holy Family Preschool — located on the same campus as Holy Family Catholic School, with separate classrooms and staff dedicated to early childhood education (ages 3–5).
Kindering Early Learning Center — a boutique private preschool offering kindergarten readiness and language enrichment programs near Mission Street.
Each of these small programs reinforces the city’s reputation for holistic, neighborhood-based education — where students can literally walk to school and see familiar faces at the park, market, or local café.
Why These Schools Matter to South Pasadena’s Identity
Education and civic pride go hand-in-hand here. The presence of schools like Holy Family, Oneonta, and St. James reflects South Pasadena’s deep investment in family life and local connection. They’re not just campuses — they’re gathering places, alumni networks, and anchors of community events.
Walk any given block on a weekday morning, and you’ll see it in motion: strollers heading to preschool drop-off, volunteers setting up book fairs, bells ringing across Monterey Road. It’s the heartbeat of a small city with big heritage.