About

What is Gateway Middle School?

Gateway Middle School is a college preparatory, public charter school in San Francisco.

Preparing students for high school and beyond

Since opening in 1998, Gateway High School has sent more than 96% of its diverse graduates to college. Each year we have faced a growing challenge: more students entering 9th grade are underprepared. To combat this challenge and increase our overall impact, we extended the successful academic and educational programs of Gateway High School to grades 6 - 8, with the opening of Gateway Middle School in 2011.

Supporting students to achieve excellence

Gateway Middle School supports and challenges all students to discover their unique potential, actively participate in their community, and develop skills and habits to achieve excellence in high school and college.

Focused on success in high school, college and beyond

Committed to excellence and equity, we have a rigorous academic program that helps identify and support the individual talents and strengths of our 300 diverse students. With a 25:1 student-teacher ratio, our intentionally small community allows students to be known well and receive personalized instruction from highly trained teachers. We seek and support students who have ambition, are committed to working hard, and are eager to share responsibility for their own learning. Gateway Middle School students will acquire the skills, habits, and knowledge necessary for academic and personal success in a college preparatory high school, in college, and in adult life.

Diversity that mirrors the larger community

Gateway Middle School's values of responsibility, community, excellence, and respect for others should inspire students to contribute to their communities however they can. Our middle school serves approximately 300 economically, racially, ethnically, and intellectually diverse 6th - 8th grade students from the San Francisco community and the surrounding Bay Area. By attending a school which fully embraces the diversity of the Bay Area, Gateway Middle School students appreciate what they have in common with those who are different and value what they learn from one another.

Developing foundational skills

The middle school years are an exciting time in which students explore their personal identities, develop independence, and become active members of their community. It is also a time when students gain the skills, habits and knowledge they need for academic and personal success in high school, college and beyond. At Gateway Middle School, we embrace the unique needs of middle school students, helping them to feel a sense of belonging, supporting and respecting their individual learning needs and challenging them to think critically and participate actively.

Get to know us and see if we are right for you

San Francisco has many strong middle schools to consider. As you begin to explore Gateway, we encourage you to reflect on the type of school experience you seek and, equally important, to think about your goals and dreams for the future. Get to know us better by joining us at one of our enrollment events. Our teachers, administrators, parents, and students truly make Gateway one of a kind.

Our Mission

Gateway Middle School supports and challenges all students to discover their unique potential, actively participate in their community, and develop skills and habit to achieve excellence in high school and college.

Gateway Middle School Graduates will be:

Self-aware, courageous, and responsible individuals who:

Are conscious of who they are, how they learn, what they want to achieve, and what they value as individuals;
Develop and practice self-respect and self-acceptance by exploring individual strengths;
Understand the impact of their choices on themselves, others, learning, and the environment, and:
Demonstrate responsibility, empathy, resilience, and respect.

Positive, active, and responsive members of the community who:

Develop effective communication skills;
Collaborate effectively in groups;
Learn to understand and appreciate individual differences;
Actively support others’ learning and learning styles; and,
Are aware of community issues, understand their role in the community, and create positive change in the community.

Readers, writers, researchers, and problem-solvers who:

Approach learning with curiosity, enthusiasm, and determination;
Take pride in their work and strive to achieve their individual academic potential;
Use their resources and strategies to solve problems and ask for help when needed;
Monitor their individual progress, reflect on areas for improvement, and take advantage of opportunities for growth;
Develop their reading, writing, math, and critical reasoning skills across classes and make connections between their classes.

A Day in the Life at Gateway Middle School

Read about our schedule and special programs. Get a first-hand perspective by visiting our school and attending our enrollment events.

What are the school hours?

Gateway Middle School starts at 8:15 a.m. and ends at 3:30 p.m. On Wednesday, school ends for students at 2 p.m to allow for weekly teacher professional development. The YMCA After-School program after school ends until 6pm. Download the weekly class schedules for more detail.

What is the YMCA-Gateway After School Program?

Buchanan YMCA operates a comprehensive, on-site after school program to ensure a strong connection between school day academics and after school activities. The program provides athletic support, leadership and skill building and homework support. More detail about the after school program is available on our After-School programs page.

What Athletics programs are available?

Gateway Middle School has its own sports teams, including volleyball, tennis, basketball, table tennis, futsal and track. More information about our athletics programs is available on our Athletics page.

How do I learn more about Gateway?

Explore the rest of our website or attend one of our enrollment events.

How do I apply to Gateway?

You must submit a Gateway application. If you are a 5th grader, you must complete the 6th Grade Lottery Application. Please review the 6th grade lottery applicant FAQs. If you are not applying for the 6th grade lottery, you must complete a Wait Pool Application. Please review our wait pool applicant FAQs.

What is a charter school?

A charter school is a tuition-free public school that operates independently from local school districts. As schools of choice, all charter schools are open to any student who wants to apply, regardless of where he or she lives within the state. If more students apply than space permits, charter schools are required to hold a lottery for admission. There are no admission tests or tuition fees at charter schools. Charter schools have flexibility in the design of their school programs, their personnel decisions, and their resource allocation. In exchange for this freedom, public charter schools are held accountable for their school's performance, including: student achievement, organizational and fiscal management, and stakeholder satisfaction.  The California Charter Schools Act was passed in 1992 to encourage innovation and increase opportunities for students, families, and teachers in the public education sphere.