Cincinnati Waldorf School History

The Cincinnati Waldorf School was founded by a group of dedicated teachers and parents in 1973. The school began with an Early Childhood class of 12 children on Resor Street in Clifton. In 2006 the school began offering a full grade school program, 1-8, and early childhood programming at Meshewa Farm in Indian Hill. In 2013, the Cincinnati Waldorf School opened in its doors in its permanent location in the historic Village of Mariemont, about 10 miles east of downtown Cincinnati, with an enrollment of 209 students. Our high school opened less than a mile up the road in Madisonville in 2018, and now enrolls grades 9-12. Our current enrollment across the grades is 260 students and growing. Our faculty consists of a talented group of trained Waldorf teachers and administrators dedicated to Waldorf education and its philosophy.

CWS Timeline

January 1973 saw the first class of what would eventually become the Cincinnati Waldorf School. Three students and two teachers brought to life “The Children’s Garden” housed at St. John’s Unitarian Church in Clifton.
1975 saw a name change from “The Children’s Garden” to Cincinnati Waldorf School.
CWS was an early childhood endeavor until 1982 when the initial impulse for a grade school curriculum surfaced.
Efforts to found a grade school came to fruition in 1987 and an expansion to a second site in University Heights was made to house the grade school.
By 1992, the Early Childhood and Grades programs were housed in one building in Norwood.
In 1994, the school moved to Winton Place where we rented St. Bernard’s parish school building.
In 1998, there were plans to consider constructing a new school building.
In 2001, land called “South Meadow” was purchased with the idea of building a school on it.
In 2006, CWS began offering a full grade school program, grades 1-8, and began offering early childhood programming at Meshewa Farm in Indian Hill.
CWS founded the College of Teachers in 2007.
In 2008, the CWS Board of Trustees determined that it was in the best interest of CWS to sell the “South Meadow” property. This also was the year our school moved to the Little Flower campus in Mt. Airy.
In 2013, CWS purchased the Dale Park School building in Mariemont.
In 2016, CWS discontinued offering programs at Meshewa Farm and consolidated programs to the main Dale Park campus.
In 2016, CWS began the earnest work of expanding our grade levels to include grades 9-12.
In 2018, CWS started the Cincinnati Waldorf High School.
In 2022 CWS graduated the first class of Seniors at the Cincinnati Waldorf School.