Two storied East Bay independent schools join forces in historic expansion

In December 2025, two long-standing East Bay independent schools announced a collaboration that will reshape their educational communities over the next several years. Aurora School, a progressive K-8 school located in Oakland’s Upper Rockridge neighborhood, and Mills College Children’s School (MCCS), a preschool through fifth-grade laboratory school based on Northeastern University’s Oakland campus, revealed plans to join forces as a single, expanded educational community beginning in the 2026-27 academic year.

The announcement comes at a moment of significant transition for MCCS. Founded in 1926, the school will close in June 2026 following Northeastern University’s merger with Mills College. Rather than dispersing its students, faculty, and educational approach, MCCS leadership sought a path that would allow its teaching philosophy and lab school tradition to continue. The partnership with Aurora School provides that continuity while supporting Aurora’s own long-term plans for measured growth.

Under the agreement, Aurora School will welcome many MCCS students and educators starting in fall 2026. The combined leadership team describes the move as an expansion rather than a merger, with Aurora remaining the operating school while integrating key elements of MCCS’s curriculum, teaching practices, and professional learning model.

a response to institutional change

The closure of MCCS is tied directly to Northeastern University’s decision to consolidate programs following its acquisition of Mills College. While the university has emphasized expanded higher education opportunities on the Oakland campus, the elementary lab school was not included in its long-term academic plans. For families and educators connected to MCCS, the decision raised questions about how the school’s nearly century-old role as a teaching and research site could be preserved.

Laboratory schools occupy a distinct place in American education. Designed as sites for teacher preparation, observation, and pedagogical research, they often serve as bridges between theory and classroom practice. MCCS has long filled that role in the Bay Area, hosting student teachers, faculty researchers, and visiting educators interested in progressive, constructivist approaches to learning.

By partnering with Aurora School, MCCS leaders saw an opportunity to carry that work forward outside a university-owned structure. Aurora’s governance as an independent school allows for flexibility in program design, while its existing emphasis on reflective teaching and project-based learning aligns closely with MCCS traditions.

Arjun Saroya, president of Aurora School’s board, framed the partnership as a convergence of shared educational values rather than a consolidation driven solely by necessity. He noted that both communities emphasize child-centered learning, faculty collaboration, and long-term relationships among students, families, and teachers.

aurora school’s path to expansion

Aurora School was founded in 1988 as a small K-5 program serving families seeking an alternative to more traditional elementary models. For much of its history, the school remained intentionally small, focusing on multi-grade classrooms and interdisciplinary projects that connect academic content to real-world questions.

In 2021, Aurora expanded to include a middle school, extending its program through eighth grade. That addition marked a shift toward a preschool-through-middle-school vision that school leaders had discussed for years. The partnership with MCCS accelerates that trajectory by bringing early childhood expertise into the community.

The first phase of expansion will begin in fall 2026 with the introduction of a full-day transitional kindergarten program at Aurora. Over the following three years, the school plans to develop a full preschool program modeled on MCCS’s early childhood classrooms. When complete, Aurora would become one of the few preschool-through-eighth-grade independent schools in Oakland.

Lynsey Kamine, Aurora’s head of school, described the expansion as a way to extend the school’s existing culture rather than redefine it. She emphasized that growth plans are structured to maintain small class sizes and close student-teacher relationships, features that have long defined the school.

preserving a lab school legacy

A central element of the partnership is the intention to preserve MCCS’s lab school model within Aurora’s independent school framework. Jenny Bond, assistant head of MCCS, will assume the same role at the expanded Aurora School, providing continuity in leadership and instructional vision.

Bond has spent years working within the MCCS system, where classrooms function as sites of ongoing inquiry. Teachers regularly document student learning, analyze classroom interactions, and share findings with colleagues and visiting educators. This reflective practice is designed not only to support students but also to contribute to broader conversations about child development and teaching methods.

The combined leadership team plans to develop a lab school program that partners with colleges and universities, allowing Aurora to host student teachers, conduct applied research, and offer professional learning opportunities. While details are still being developed, the goal is to create formal relationships that support both teacher preparation and classroom innovation.

Unlike MCCS’s former structure, which was directly tied to a single institution, the new model is expected to involve multiple higher education partners. This approach reflects changes in teacher education pathways, which increasingly rely on networks of placement sites rather than single-campus lab schools.

educators and families in transition

For families currently enrolled at MCCS, the announcement provides clarity after months of uncertainty. Many students will have the option to continue their education within a familiar pedagogical framework, taught by educators they already know. The transition plan includes efforts to align calendars, curriculum pacing, and classroom routines to ease adjustment.

Faculty transition is also a key component. Aurora School has indicated that it expects to bring on a significant number of MCCS educators, recognizing both their experience and the importance of preserving institutional knowledge. This continuity is seen as essential to maintaining the lab school culture within a new organizational setting.

At the same time, school leaders acknowledge that transitions of this scale involve change. Differences in governance, campus layout, and operational systems will require adjustment from students, staff, and families. Planning committees drawn from both communities have begun working on logistics ranging from classroom space to professional development structures.

campus and community considerations

The expanded Aurora School will continue to operate from its Upper Rockridge campus. While the addition of new grade levels will require reconfiguration of space, leaders have stated that growth will be paced to match facility capacity. Early planning includes classroom renovations and the potential use of modular spaces during the initial years of expansion.

Transportation and accessibility have also been part of early discussions, particularly for families relocating from the Northeastern University campus. Aurora’s location places it within a residential neighborhood, which presents different daily patterns than a university setting. School administrators have begun exploring options to support carpooling and transit access.

From a broader community perspective, the partnership reflects ongoing shifts in the East Bay’s independent school landscape. Rising operating costs, institutional mergers, and changing enrollment patterns have prompted schools to explore collaborations that balance sustainability with educational integrity.

progressive education in the east bay

Both Aurora School and MCCS are part of a longer tradition of progressive education in the Bay Area, a region known for experimentation in schooling. Constructivist learning, mixed-age classrooms, and project-based curricula have deep roots in local independent schools.

MCCS, in particular, has played a role in shaping teacher preparation programs by modeling classroom practices that emphasize inquiry, collaboration, and reflection. Aurora’s program shares many of these features, including interdisciplinary projects that connect academic subjects to social and environmental themes.

The partnership allows these approaches to continue within a single, expanded institution at a time when standalone lab schools affiliated with universities are becoming less common. Nationally, several university-based lab schools have closed or restructured over the past two decades due to financial and administrative pressures.

looking ahead without fanfare

While the announcement marks a significant moment for both schools, leaders from Aurora and MCCS have been careful to frame the partnership in practical terms. The focus remains on program continuity, thoughtful growth, and the day-to-day experience of students and teachers.

Planning for the 2026-27 school year is already underway, with joint teams working on curriculum alignment, admissions processes, and community integration. Information sessions for families are expected to continue through 2026 as details are finalized.

The collaboration represents one response to broader changes affecting independent schools and teacher education programs. By combining resources and expertise, Aurora School and MCCS aim to navigate those changes while maintaining their educational identities.

As the East Bay continues to evolve, the expanded Aurora School will carry forward elements of two distinct histories. One began in a small Oakland neighborhood in the late 1980s, the other in a college laboratory classroom nearly a century ago. Beginning in fall 2026, those histories will intersect in shared classrooms, shaped by students and educators adapting together.