1959
York School opened in 1959 in Pacific Grove with 12 boys in the 7th grade. Rev. Emod Brunner, the first headmaster, along with Bishop Morse and the first trustees, launched the school with a firm eye on college preparation, academic rigor, and whole life skills. From the beginning, there was a commitment to providing access to a world class education for motivated students from a wide variety of backgrounds.
1964
The school moved to its current location on land secured by the McIntosh and Bishop families near the old Laguna Seca Ranch. The main campus classrooms and Day Hall (originally Bishop Block Building), a multipurpose building and dormitory, with kitchen, dining room, and study hall, were constructed.
1965
Originally a boarding and day school for boys, the first graduating class of 11 students was awarded diplomas on the Coburn Commons.
1969
The Frank C. Bishop Library was completed and becomes the hub of student life.
1970
The school phased out boarding and welcomed girls, becoming the first independent preparatory school on the Peninsula to go co-ed.
1971
York graduates include female students for the first time.
1974
With the ACLU, York argues for and wins the right for girls to play on boys' interscholastic golf and tennis teams. The legal battle paves the way for schools throughout the state to form coed athletic teams.
1991
York is recognized as a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the U.S. Department of Education.
1999
York celebrates its 40th anniversary and launches its first capital campaign.
2003
The 9,000-square-foot Science Building is completed, the first green building in Monterey County. It incorporates a solar energy system and 30 environmentally sustainable elements.
2007
Mandarin Chinese is added to York's world language program, the first on the Peninsula.
2008
York School becomes the first school to be certified as a Monterey Bay Area Green Business.
2009
York School celebrates its 50th anniversary with a year-long series of Think Forward Forum lectures, a school-wide Lorax in the Schools service day, and a gala celebratory event. A time capsule is installed in the Science Building, to be opened in 2059.
2010
The school produces more than 50% of its electricity.
2011
Outdoor Laboratory property is acquired from the U.S. Army – 100 acres of the former Ft. Ord property are officially transferred to the School.
2019
The Gawain Family Theater is completed. Designed to accentuate the natural beauty of the campus, the outdoor theater is a versatile, inviting space that offers an array of opportunities for the school’s academic and arts programs.
