Our History

In October 1992, a group of families from Roseville Community Preschool (RCP), inspired by the teachings of Bev Bos, worked to found an Elementary School embodying principles of child-centered learning.  They sought something more than what public or private schools were offering to their growing children. 

Soon, Roseville Community School (RCS) was born. RCS created a strong community to support each child’s interest and learning, and parents played a pivotal role. The school began as a K-3 program and gradually expanded to K-6. A growing number of families contributed significant time and energy, making our school what it is today.   

One teacher, a shared vision, a trailer, in a fairgrounds dirt patch, idle but for the children’s play, was the unique and unexpected place that became RCS . That trailer became our Community Room and the dirt patch is now our sand yard, filled with trees, a zipline, rope swings, loose parts, and the tree houses children climb into.

Once the founders of RCS teamed up with Mary Jo, who held a Masters in Education from Mills College, in 1993, they knew the school would flourish. Since then, Mary Jo has been a strong advocate, leader, and motivator in shaping the RCS program based on Constructivist Principles of education, focusing on facilitating a child’s understanding through rich, hands-on learning experiences, combined with a multi-age classroom environment. Today, Mary Jo is still passionately teaching the classes at the school and also serves as an academic advisor to the Board. 

Eventually, the first board of directors was elected to support the faculty and carry forward the unique philosophy of the program. Now, the board, faculty and parents work together to run the school. This leadership model has allowed us to ensure a consistent and collaborative program from year to year, and it also gives flexibility to faculty to provide a program that focuses on supporting the children enrolled in each class.

In addition, outstanding teachers have joined the team throughout the years and have embraced our progressive education teaching model, helping the program grow into the RCS we know and love today. It's because of the dedication of those teachers, as well as the many actively involved parents who have come through the program, that RCS traditions continue their important role in establishing a community of learners. Our parents, faculty, and alumni serve as a strong community to help support school traditions and foster students’ self-confidence, innovation, and community contributions. We are proud to say RCS continues to serve as a leader in the progressive education space.

In 2018, RCS embraced change by opening our doors as a learning center to support homeschooling families. While continuing to build and embrace our progressive education philosophy, we are now able to reach more families seeking an alternative education.