On August 17, at 7:50 a.m., Mission Bay Elementary School will welcome its inaugural two pre- (PreK) and transitional (TK) kindergarten classes, three kindergarten classes, and one TK/K Special Day Class (SDC). SDC accommodates students with moderate to severe physical, emotional, cognitive, or developmental disabilities.
In each succeeding academic year, the 1415 Owens Street campus will add a consecutive grade, growing into a preschool through fifth grade school by 2032. Mission Bay offers general education, with no magnet or language immersion programs.
Total enrollment at Mission Bay School is estimated at 140 students in academic year 2026-2027. Graduates will ultimately be offered the opportunity to attend sixth grade at Everett or Francisco middle schools.
Students from throughout the City applied for spots at Mission Bay School, with the greatest demand coming from Dogpatch, Mission Bay, the Mission, Potrero Hill, South Beach, and the southern part of the Financial District. Roughly 60 Mission Bay School pupils live in Dogpatch or Mission Bay.
“We are excited to welcome the pioneer students, families, and staff who will help launch Mission Bay Elementary and PreK,” said Principal Monette Benitez, who previously served as San Francisco Public Montessori School principal. “Together, we will create a school community grounded in inclusion, curiosity, and joy. As we begin this important work, we are collaborating with stakeholders across our community to develop a shared vision that reflects our collective hopes and aspirations for Mission Bay.”
School staff will launch activities for students and families to get to know one another at the start of the academic year. A Parent-Teacher Association may be formed once all students are enrolled in collaboration with the San Francisco Unified School District.
Tel Hi Neighborhood Center, a Lombard Street-based nonprofit, will offer an after-school program on campus from dismissal until 6 p.m. SFUSD’s Visual and Performing Arts program will also be available to teach students how to make music, act, dance, and art in their regular classroom.
SFUSD determined acceptance to Mission Bay School through its regular enrollment process, in which students can request placement at any district campus. If there’s more demand than seats available, assignment is decided through “tiebreaker” factors, including where a student lives. Mission Bay School is in Daniel Webster Elementary School’s attendance area, which covers Dogpatch and Mission Bay. Students who live in those neighborhoods are generally eligible to be assigned to either school’s general or special education classes.
In August, before the 2026-2027 academic year starts, roughly 100 students will participate in the Black Star Rising (BSR) program as part of the African American Achievement and Leadership Initiative (AAALI) on the fourth floor of the Mission Bay School campus, in the Mission Bay Hub. AAALI was established in 2013 to improve Black high school student performance. While high school graduation rates for Black students attending San Francisco public school have improved over the past decade, performance on standardized tests has generally stagnated at low levels.
During the 2026-2027 academic school year, the Mission Bay Hub program at Mission Bay School will connect June Jordan, Thurgood Marshall, The Academy, Mission, SF International and Raoul Wallenberg juniors and seniors with the University of California, San Francisco and Kaiser Permanente of Northern California. The Hub is a year-long health and life sciences program for demographics underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and math. Students are exposed to careers and hands-on learning in health and science – including cell biology and patient care – through interactions with UCSF and Kaiser Permanente staff.
“I am volunteering now to organize parents, by planning a few unofficial community events,” said Joyce Zhang, a Mission Bay resident who is the parent of a soon-to-be kindergartener at Mission Bay School. “We have over 100 parents engaged on WhatsApp. Many interested in developing a PTA. I walk by the school frequently. It looks beautiful. We’re excited to have my son go there.”
Zhang said she and her husband will be able to walk their child to school and appreciate the new speed limit signs around the campus.
“We’ve discussed precautions and safety issues with other parents. It’s going to be a high traffic area with a lot of kids,” said Zhang, who was grateful to Sarah Bertram, Sarah Davis, Bruce Agid, and other Mission Bay residents who helped make the new school a reality. “We are the pioneer families for the school. We will have a lot of opportunities to shape the school along with the principal and teachers. Most of us care about the success of the school and the neighborhood. We want to make Mission Bay a great place for families.”
Zuha Warraich, a Mission Bay resident, is frustrated that her TK-age child wasn’t chosen for placement at Mission Bay School.
“We waited almost a month on SFUSD’s waitlist. Right now, we’re having our child start in TK at another school. We may still apply to have them enroll at Mission Bay School for the 2027-2028 school year,” said Warraich. “It’s very difficult to drive or get transportation for young children out of the neighborhood five days a week. This system of allocating parents a spot for their child so far from where they live is a concern.”
“I remember when the 2.5 acres were set aside for an elementary school,” said Dr. Harvey Brody, professor emeritus of dentistry and regent emeritus for the University of California. “I was thrilled to attend the groundbreaking in 2022 and moved to tears at a recent walk-through of the new campus. I’m excited to see Hub students currently working in research labs and being exposed to healthcare careers. I’m thankful that so many kids and families will enjoy this new campus. The addition of an elementary school completes the vision of Mission Bay as a true community.”
Jessica Zimmer 
Tracy Tanner 