El Dorado Private School: History & Beginnings

El Dorado Private School had its beginnings in 1970 when Mrs. Virginia Berry and her daughter, Linda McDermott, decided to establish an educational preschool and Kindergarten in North Phoenix. Prior to moving to Phoenix, Mrs. Berry had operated a preschool in Kansas for 10 years. Mrs. McDermott had received her Masters in Elementary Education from Arizona State University.

With this experience and knowledge behind them, the school gained students and enlarged quickly from a two room school facility to housing 6 rooms and adding a second location in Scottsdale. Since the school’s inception, El Dorado Private School has expanded to include Primary grades, Intermediate grades and a Middle School at the Grayhawk location in North Scottsdale.

The goal was to provide a learning institution that would offer an advanced educational curriculum to promote students to a higher academic level. The school has a fine reputation of sending eighth grade graduates to the high school of their choice with over 90 percent continuing their education at private institutions.