Yes.  Desert Sage High School is a public charter school, governed and evaluated by the same criteria and meeting the same (or higher) standards as all other public schools.

We are governed by a volunteer board of directors comprised of educational professionals from a variety of backgrounds, many of whom have expertise in Waldorf education.

Further, we an Arizona nonprofit organization and have federal 501(c)(3) nonprofit status. 

Desert Sage High School opened on August 8, 2022. We are all begin our third year of operation on August 5, 2024.

Yes. Desert Sage High School is a college prepaoary school. We describe the homework load as “medium.” We’re not homework heavy and homework is meant to provide a meaningful way to reflect on learning and is not intended to be added busywork.

As a public charter school, Desert Sage High School enrolls students until full capacity is reached in each grade level.

Once enrollment has reached its capacity, a waitlist will be established. If openings occur, students will be selected through a lottery, which is a random drawing process.

Desert Sage High School enrolled 75 students in 2023-2024. For the 2024-2025 school year, we expect our enrollment to be 100 to 125 students.

No. Our curriculum accommodates students coming from any school. Often, students from traditional schools thrive in the Waldorf approach to teaching and learning.

While no high school can guarantee admission to any particular college or set of colleges, Desert Sage High School’s curriculum is college preparatory and will prepare students for admission to a wide variety of colleges, including Arizona’s public baccalaureate institutions and selective colleges and universities. More importantly, our program fosters the qualties that college admissions officers seek in their applicants. These traits include empathy and sensitivity toward others; imaginative, independent, and analytical thinking; the ability to work collaboratively; and an openness to new ideas.

While Waldorf education is rich in the arts, research has shown that in college, Waldorf high school graduates tend to major more in the sciences than in the humanities.

We prepare graduates for adulthood with confidence and self-discipline, fluency with creative and artistic expression, and reverence for the beauty and wonder of life. Waldorf graduates often reflect on their educational experiences with a sense of belonging and excitement for learning, ultimately becoming self-motivated, adaptable, and competent lifelong learners. 

Yes. We had a boys basketball team in the 2024-2025 school year. We will add more sports as we grow.

Making Waldorf education accessible to all of Tucson’s teens is our primary motivation. We also aim to provide an educational choice with a robust arts program, creating a space for families, teachers, and all community members to celebrate community, diversity, and life-long learning.