Katherine Delmar Burke School or Burke's, is an independent girls' school for kindergarten through eighth grade, located in the Sea Cliff neighborhood of San Francisco, California, United States, near Lincoln Park. Until 1975 it also included a high school. It was founded in 1908 by Katherine Delmar Burke and was named Miss Burke's School.
Katherine Delmar Burke School | |
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Address | |
7070 California Street , , 94121 United States | |
Information | |
Type | Private |
Motto | Educate, Encourage & Empower Girls |
Established | 1908 |
Founder | Katherine Delmar Burke |
Head of school | Michele Williams |
Grades | Kindergarten-Eighth grade |
Gender | Girls |
Enrollment | 400 (2020-2021) |
Color(s) | Green and Gold |
Mascot | Tree |
Accreditation | CAIS,NAIS |
Yearbook | Works & Days |
Tuition | $40,000 (Lower School) $40,000 (Upper School) |
Director of Upper School | Sheena Tart-Zelvin |
Director of Lower School | Alice Moore |
Director of Admissions | Natalie Mast |
Athletic Director | Ashling Bryant |
Website | http://www.kdbs.org |
Burke's is one of three all-girl K-8 schools in San Francisco. Burke's celebrated its centennial during the 2007–2008 school year. The school is a member of the California Association of Independent Schools. Originally it could have been a finishing school but the founder Katherine Delmar Burke wanted girls to be college ready.[1]
History
Burke's first location in 1908 was at Steiner and Pacific Streets in Pacific Heights. It then relocated to a house at 2310 Broderick Street. In 1918 the growing school moved to a new building designed by architect Julia Morgan (a friend of Katherine Burke), located at 3065 Jackson Street. The school began acquiring property in Sea Cliff in 1929. At first only the Kindergarten and First grade were located there. The rest of the property was used as a sports venue for the upper classes. There was a large grass sports field, basketball courts, and 5 tennis courts. In 1949, grades 2 through 6 were moved there after the completion of new classrooms.
The high school and grades 7 and 8 remained at the Jackson St. building until 1975, when Burke's high school closed and the building was acquired by San Francisco University High School.[2][3][4]
The school has undergone many changes and the issues of classism, mean girls, and wealth influencing leadership are detailed on the site GreatSchools.net that is a reliable source of public opinion.[5] One recent parent suggested on the site that the school leadership now is in the hands of wealthy donors, which is worth consideration as a reliable source. Others on the site say that class issues were part of Burke's past but not it's present.
One of the leadership's crowning glories has been in the introduction of pants as part of the girls' uniform options. The all-girls school has seen gender differently for decades and now is gender inclusive.[6]
Mascot and colors
Mascot: Pine Tree
School colors: Green and Gold
Notable alumnae
- Jean Afterman '75, Senior Vice President, Assistant General Manager, New York Yankees[7]
- Marjorie Eaton 1920, painter and actress[8]
- Elizabeth Charleston, painter[9]
- Jennifer Egan '76, novelist and journalist[10]
- Vendela Vida '85, novelist and editor[11]
- Ali Wong '96, comedian, writer and actress[12]
References
- ^ https://www.burkes.org/about/who-we-are/history
- ^ Tricia O'Brien, San Francisco's Pacific Heights And Presidio Heights (Arcadia Publishing, 2008), ISBN 978-0738559803, pp. 76-77. Excerpts available at Google Books.
- ^ Mark Anthony Wilson, Julia Morgan: Architect of Beauty (Gibbs Smith, 2012), ISBN 978-1423636540, pp. 65-66. Excerpts available at Google Books.
- ^ "History" Archived 2012-12-03 at the Wayback Machine at Katherine Delmar Burke School official website (accessed 29-11-2012).
- ^ https://www.greatschools.org/california/san-francisco/8684-Katherine-Delmar-Burke-School/reviews/
- ^ https://www.burkes.org/about/who-we-are/our-commitments/inclusivity/gender-inclusion-at-burkes
- ^ Sara Langs,“Afterman wins first Trailblazer of the Year Award”, Sports Illustrated, December 2, 2019
- ^ Staff (April 23, 1986). "Marjorie Eaton, Veteran Actress of Stage and Screen, P.A. Resident" (payment required). San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
- ^ "Obituary -- Elizabeth Charleston", San Francisco Chronicle, April 11, 1997.
- ^ "Burke's Alumna Jennifer Egan Wins Pulitzer" Archived 2013-04-15 at archive.today, Katherine Delmar Burke School official website, April 6, 2011.
- ^ Julian Guthrie, "Vendela Vida wraps trilogy on women in crisis", San Francisco Chronicle, July 6, 2010.
- ^ "The Inner World Of Ali Wong". digital.modernluxury.com. Retrieved 2020-01-31.
External links
- Katherine Delmar Burke School official website
Coordinates: 37°47′1″N 122°29′33″W / 37.78361°N 122.49250°W / 37.78361; -122.49250