Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Academy

Tucked into one of the Bay Area's most scenic and storied communities, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Academy serves the Sausalito-Marin City area with a K-8 program that sits comfortably in the middle of the pack statewide — no small feat given the economic diversity of the district it serves. Families drawn to a tight-knit, community-rooted school where their kids grow up knowing their neighbors will feel at home here, and the setting itself — hillside views, bay access, and a short hop from San Francisco — makes for a pretty remarkable backdrop for childhood. It's a school that reflects the real Marin, not just the postcard version.