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With only about 200 students, The Girls’ Middle School in Palo Alto is a small but ambitious community that hopes to foster a sense of agency and inclusivity among its students, including girls, nonbinary and transgender middle schoolers.
The “educationally progressive” nonprofit lets its students pave their own path with programs centered in social-emotional learning, science and outdoor education.
But after nearly three decades of operation, one thing was still missing – a “forever home.”
The Girls’ Middle School purchased a building at 3950 Fabian Way in Palo Alto, a new school site set to open in fall 2027, that will accommodate more students than ever.
The search for a new location started over three years ago, and with the help of a task force dedicated to real-estate hunting, the school finally landed on the new 32,500-square-foot location that’s “bigger but not too big.”
“It’s a great size for us so we can make it work financially,” said Head of School Christine Fairless. “And before we knew it, we were engaged in a purchase and sale agreement.
The City approved a permit that would allow the school to accommodate 240 students, a jump from its previous 204.
“Really, our predominant reason for wanting to move is to have a campus that’s better suited for our students,” Fairless said. “We were kind of bursting at the seams in our current location. And so it does provide a little bit more space for us to grow.”
At the new location, the school looks forward to creating more “industrial arts spaces,” with individual rooms dedicated to robotics, wood shop, metal shop and an art studio. It will also have three science labs, a few more classrooms than the previous rented location and a community gathering space.
The Girls’ Middle School moved from a Mountain View church to the Palo Alto Baylands in 2011 and was founded in 1998 on the principles of growth during a student’s “critical years.” It is currently located at 3400 West Bayshore Road, south of Loma Verde Avenue.
“It was really founded on the importance of guiding girls through this really crucial time in their life, and just creating excitement about learning,” Fairless said. “So we really do everything we can to open as many doors for our students and create opportunities for them to try as many new things as possible.”
Each student at the middle school takes computer science during their three years, an entrepreneurship class where they must create their own business and are offered a variety of extracurriculars like rock climbing, musicals and jewelry-making.
The students also take overnight field trips like one to Puerto Rico to learn about indigenous tribes and participate in “intercession weeks,” where kids pause their normal programming to explore new activities like community service, surfing, documentary photography and song-writing.
“The academic rigor at GMS is purposeful and meaningful,” wrote a parent on the school’s website. “The program is designed to help students continue growing through high school and college. We want our daughter to love learning all her life, and not get burned out, as is happening with so many children these days.”
It also provides tuition assistance, particularly through the Bennett Scholars Program, which offers full scholarships to local kids who are from under-resourced communities and are often first-generation students.
The new building purchase follows the school’s ongoing “Be Brave. Be Bold” capital campaign that helped raise about 60% of its targeted funds.
“It’s the beginning of a new chapter that will allow us to serve more girls, deepen our impact, and create a home where learning, confidence, and community thrive,” wrote Fairless in a press release.
The middle school will host a ceremonial key handoff and community toast event on July 17 to celebrate its latest milestone.
