Desert Sky Community School

Desert Sky community school is guided by the principles of public Waldorf education, we are a growing K-5 tuition-free charter school with a classic academic education integrated with music, movement, and art in every grade, including our play-based Kindergarten. Grades students study foreign languages, handwork, gardening, and circus. We nurture in each child, a joy of learning, a sense of social responsibility, self-directed curiosity, and respect. Desert Sky is based on the child development theories of Dr. Rudolf Steiner. As a public Waldorf-inspired school we believe that the students deserve an education that merges the theories of Dr. Rudolf Steiner with the standards required by the state. We consider the whole child, including the student's academic, aesthetic, social, and emotional development. We are located in central Tucson across the street from a neighborhood park. Our students, however, are from the general Tucson area, we have teachers who commute from Marana, students who commute from the area near Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, and students who come from the Casino del Sol area. Our current student population is 64% from low, moderate, and middle-income families. The majority of our students are neurodivergent and do well with hands-on approaches to learning which is why academic instruction is presented through artistic work that includes story-telling, visual arts, drama including oral traditions of story telling, movement, music, and crafts. The school day has gardening including chicken and bunny care, circus class, cooperative movement games, painting, singing and knitting, crochet and hand sewing, as well as time for free creative play in the yard. Waldorf schools are known to be areas where students learn social responsibility and tolerance by composting, recycling and by contributing to the school’s day to day function by taking out the classroom trash and recycling and sweeping the walkways as needed while working in pairs. The school focuses on the relationships between all of the stakeholders by focusing on rhythm and yearly festivals. 

The mission of the not-for-profit Desert Sky Community School is to support and provide universal access to learning guided by the core principles of public Waldorf Education. DSCS educates and inspires children to think, feel, and act with depth, imagination, and purpose. We encourage community engagement in the growth and development of the school. 

We envision a deeper and broader foundation upon which we develop and grow the school, whose sustainability is demonstrated by: 

A fully enrolled school that continues to reflect the diversity of Tucson, sending out students that flourish and take a love of learning to their next educational environment. 

An expanded base of long-term stakeholders

Fully trained teachers that are well-supported

Parent engagement

Healthy shared governance

Clear organizational structure and processes

Safe and beautiful campus to support the physical needs of the school

Academic performance and growth, so the state is supportive of adding 6th through 8th grade. 

Open to expansion to preschool and 6th to 8th grade, considered at an appropriate time