Desert Marigold first opened its doors in 1994 in a small rented bungalow in one of central Phoenix’s historic neighborhoods. It began as an independent Waldorf initiative serving pre-school and kindergarten age children in a half-day program. Founding teachers Nancy Dubasik and Gena Hahn, along with a handful of pioneer families, created a fairy tale oasis where many Phoenix families celebrated seasonal festivals, heard dynamic speakers and got their first taste of Waldorf education.

In 1996, the school moved to its current location near the base of South Mountain. The small community - twenty some families - raised more than $25,000 to purchase a 5-acre property and renovate the main structure to house two classrooms and a small office. RSF, a social finance organization supportive of Waldorf education, took an interest in Desert Marigold at that time and has partnered with the school since then as a lender and financial adviser.

The school continued to grow slowly, adding a grade a year starting in 1997. Between 1999 and 2001, literally hundreds of volunteers worked with local contractors to construct four classrooms and patio areas - Phoenix’s first commercial strawbale building. During this time, community members, many of them parents, began taking up the training needed to become Waldorf teachers and administrators. Festivals like the Penny Fair, Lantern Walk, Winter Fair and May Fair became much anticipated annual traditions. Over time – and thanks to countless numbers of volunteer hours – the five-acre tree farm we purchased in 1996 began to be transformed into a school campus. Desert Marigold also began hosting the quarterly meetings of the Arizona Council for Waldorf Education (ACWE) and continues to do so to this day.

In the fall of 2001 the school was struggling with small class sizes and a deficit budget. Many families wanting to attend the school had difficulty paying private school tuitions of over five thousand dollars per child. After a series of community meetings, the decision was made to seek a charter with the State of Arizona in order to take advantage of per child funding from the state and to attract and serve a more diverse population. When the charter was granted in May 2002, Desert Marigold become one of a small but growing number of school communities choosing to offer the Waldorf curriculum through public funds.

Since 2002, Desert Marigold’s enrollment has more than quadrupled. Our first 8th grade, seven students strong, graduated in May 2005. As of the start of the 2005/2006 school year, the school serves over 220 children in preschool through 8th grade. An additional 20 families attend parent/child playgroups weekly. A staff of over thirty full-time and part-time educators works together to meet the needs of these children and their families. We celebrate the diversity of our community, so rich in different cultural, family and faith traditions and so generous in its support of our school.

In 2005, Desert Marigold took another big growth step, the purchase of an adjacent 5 acre property for a future high school. We are now developing a site plan for our 10 acre campus, as well as a long range business plan that will guide our growth over the next several years. Our goal is to continue to serve the children and families in the Phoenix area as we work together to bring the deep principles underlying Waldorf education alive in the 21st century.