How International High School is adding to its Hayes Valley footprint, lot by lot
Quick Answer for Busy Parents
International High School has acquired additional lots at 98 Franklin Street and 84 Page Street, adjacent to its existing Hayes Valley campus, and is in the design selection process for an expanded urban campus. This adds to a footprint that already includes the main building at 150 Oak Street, a gymnasium and outdoor recreational space across the street, and the Dennis Gallagher Arts Pavilion at 66 Page Street.
Growing an Urban Campus, One Lot at a Time
Unlike suburban schools that can expand onto adjacent open land, IHS’s Hayes Valley location means growth happens through acquiring individual urban lots, in this case, 98 Franklin Street and 84 Page Street, and then designing new construction to fit within San Francisco’s dense city fabric. That process is inherently slower and more deliberate than a single suburban campus expansion, requiring careful design work to make the most of a genuinely constrained urban footprint.
Why Urban Expansion Looks Different
Acquiring specific adjacent lots rather than a single large parcel reflects the practical reality of expanding a school in a dense city neighborhood, where growth happens opportunistically as nearby properties become available, not according to a single master-planned campus layout drawn up in advance.
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What the Current Campus Already Includes
Before this latest expansion, IHS’s campus already spanned multiple purpose-built spaces: the main building at 150 Oak Street houses classrooms, science labs, the library, a design lab, and a rooftop deck; a gymnasium and outdoor recreational space sit across the street; and the Dennis Gallagher Arts Pavilion at 66 Page Street, established in 2008, houses visual art, theater, music, recording studios, and media labs. The new Franklin and Page Street lots would add to this already substantial, if geographically spread out, urban footprint.
| Location | Function |
| 150 Oak Street | Classrooms, science labs, library, design lab, rooftop deck |
| Gymnasium (across from Oak Street) | Athletics and recreation |
| 66 Page Street (Arts Pavilion) | Visual art, theater, music, recording studios, media labs |
| 98 Franklin & 84 Page Street (new lots) | Expansion in design selection process |
Why Physical Space Matters for a School Like IHS
A school offering two distinct diploma tracks, IB and French Baccalaureate, alongside a dedicated theater company and competitive athletics across 10 sports, genuinely benefits from additional physical capacity to support all of it well. Expanding the campus isn’t just about accommodating more students; it’s about giving existing programs, from science labs to the arts pavilion to athletics, room to operate without competing for the same limited urban space.
A Sign of Institutional Investment
Actively acquiring and planning new urban lots, rather than making do with existing space indefinitely, signals that International High School is investing in its long-term physical capacity to support its academic and extracurricular programs at their current scope, not just maintaining the status quo.
The acquisition of properties at 98 Franklin Street and 84 Page Street represents a significant, ongoing institutional investment in expanding IHS’s Hayes Valley campus.
Cardinal Education helps families navigate complex urban development projects like this by offering expert guidance on how physical facilities and growth plans align with a school’s long-term educational direction. As timelines and design processes for city expansions naturally evolve over several years, families are encouraged to consult directly with the school for the most current updates.
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