Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton

Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton is a Catholic, independent, coeducational school for preschool through grade 12 on Valparaiso Avenue, a few miles north of downtown Palo Alto. The Society of the Sacred Heart founded it in 1898. Today it enrolls 1,190 students, by the school's 2026 to 2027 count, on a 63-acre campus next door to Menlo School. Its high school division is Sacred Heart Preparatory, often called SHP or simply the Prep.

This page covers the school's history, divisions, traditions and programs, its admission steps for fall 2027 and the tuition it lists for 2026 to 2027. It adds detail to the short entry in our private schools guide. We do not rank schools or repeat commercial rankings.

Founding and history

The school traces its heritage to 1800, when St. Madeleine Sophie Barat founded the Society of the Sacred Heart in France. In 1818 St. Rose Philippine Duchesne brought the order to North America and opened its first schools in St. Louis and New Orleans. The society reached San Francisco in 1887.

Wikipedia's account of the Atherton school says the society bought a 40-acre plot in 1894 for $20,000 from San Francisco Archbishop Riordan, who had bought orchard land from the Faxon Dean Atherton estate. Construction began in February 1897. The first wing opened in 1898 as a girls' boarding and day school known as the Academy of the Sacred Heart of Menlo Park. Atherton did not yet exist as a town. The senior class of 1899 had one student.

Later milestones, as Wikipedia reports them:

• 1906. The San Francisco earthquake badly damaged the main building. A $90,000 rebuild added a third story, a chapel and a bell tower. Our 1906 earthquake history covers the damage at nearby Stanford.
• 1969. The all-girls Sacred Heart elementary merged with the coeducational St. Joseph's school.
• 1984. The girls' upper school ended boarding, admitted its first 30 boys and became Sacred Heart Preparatory.
• 1989 to 1997. The Loma Prieta earthquake damaged the main building. After years of debate the board approved a $4.5 million renovation, finished in October 1997.
• 2000s. A library in the main building's west wing, a performing arts center, an Olympic-size pool and the Homer Science Center opened.

Retired members of the society, known by the initials RSCJ, still live on the campus at the Oakwood Retirement Center.

Divisions and campus

The school's fast facts break down 2026 to 2027 enrollment this way:

The preschool follows the Montessori method in five classrooms of up to 15 children, each with a lead and an assistant teacher. A child must turn 3 by May 31 to start in August. The lower and middle schools are run together and often called LMS. The Prep has its own complex. Wikipedia notes that LMS students wear uniforms and Prep students do not.

The campus mixes historic buildings with newer ones. The school lists 109 classrooms, 11 science labs, a 346-seat performing arts center, a 700-seat assembly hall, an Olympic pool, seven full tennis courts and 1,200 stadium seats. A radio and TV broadcast facility serves student media.

Mission, goals and traditions

Sacred Heart describes itself as a Catholic, independent school as interpreted by its founding order. "Independent" means a lay board governs it, rather than a diocese. Every Sacred Heart school in the international network shares five goals: a personal and active faith in God, a deep respect for intellectual values, a social awareness that leads to action, the building of community as a Christian value and personal growth in an atmosphere of wise freedom.

The school has admitted non-Catholic students since it opened. Its fast facts say 52% of students identify as Catholic and half identify as students of color. Religious studies are a core subject from grade 6. Families can take part in Catholic or non-Catholic rites and practices.

Some traditions date back to 19th century France:

• Goûter, a shared treat for special occasions.
• The Feast of Mater Admirabilis on October 20, when students wear pink and eat pink cupcakes.
• Congé, a surprise day off with games and activities instead of classes.
• Prize Day, the last day for the elementary grades, with awards for academics, service and character.
• Blue ribbons, the highest honors given to graduating seniors.
• The International Passport, a card that identifies graduates to Sacred Heart schools around the world.

Farm, arts and athletics

The SHS Farm and Garden began as a gardening club in 2005 and is now one of the school's signature programs. Students tend a one-acre organic garden with a greenhouse and seed bank, plus orchards and an olive grove. They press olive oil and make preserves with student-designed labels. The animal farm keeps goats, chickens, ducks and rabbits. Students make cheese and soap from the goat milk. High school farm classes also teach students how livestock is raised for meat.

Arts offerings include jazz and concert bands, strings, choral groups, ceramics, photography, narrative film, drama and dance. The school counts more than 80 student and faculty clubs, from Model United Nations and a student radio station to sustainable agriculture. Sacred Heart Prep fields 23 sport programs under the Gators name. The school says about 75% of Prep students play a sport.

The network also offers exchanges. Students can spend time at other Sacred Heart schools, which the school counts in more than 40 countries.

How admission works

All applications go through Ravenna. The application for 2027 to 2028 opened in early September 2026 and the school's how to apply page breaks the steps down by division.

Lower School (K to 5)

By January 5, 2027, families submit a preliminary application and fee, a parent written statement, a parent video questionnaire and teacher evaluations. Kindergarten applicants also send an assessment video and attend a student assessment visit in January or February. A child must be 5 by May 31, 2027 to apply for kindergarten. The school calls that cutoff firm. Virtual information sessions and kindergarten parent preview days run from September to December.

Sacred Heart Preparatory (9 to 12)

Also by January 5, 2027, applicants submit the preliminary application and fee, a parent statement, a family video questionnaire, a student written statement, three teacher recommendations and two years of transcripts. An optional Academic Support Center application is due December 1. Events include virtual information sessions, on-campus Prep Previews and Student Campus Visits, which require the preliminary application first. The school says attending events has no bearing on admission and that standardized testing is not required.

Fee waivers are available on request. Wikipedia lists the start of high school, the start of middle school and the preschool and kindergarten years as the main entry points.

Tuition and aid for 2026 to 2027

The school's tuition and affordability page lists these figures for 2026 to 2027:

• Preschool half day: $36,149
• Preschool full day: $40,509
• Grades K to 5: $44,256
• Grades 6 to 12: $59,565

Tuition for 2027 to 2028 had not been posted in late October 2026. Families can pay once in July, twice in July and January or monthly.

Need-based tuition assistance starts with a Clarity application, which costs $65 and is due January 5, 2027. The school says applying for aid has no bearing on admission and that it awarded more than $9.1 million for 2026 to 2027. Its fast facts page gives a lower figure of $7.8 million and says 25% of students receive assistance, so treat the numbers as approximate. Awards for preschool to grade 5 top out at $10,000. Awards for grades 6 to 12 range from $5,000 up to full tuition. A separate non-tuition aid fund helps with books, retreats, meals and similar costs. Families reapply every year.

Visiting for admission events

Visiting families often stay in nearby Menlo Park, Palo Alto or Redwood City. You can compare hotels near Atherton and Menlo Park or read our guide to staying near Stanford. Our Woodside and Atherton guide and Menlo Park guide describe the area.

Frequently asked questions