Orinda Intermediate

Tucked into the affluent, tree-lined hills of Orinda — a small, tight-knit community just east of the Berkeley hills — Orinda Intermediate is the kind of middle school that families relocate for. Academic expectations are genuinely high across English, math, and science, and the school draws students who've grown up in a community where education is a serious priority. Orinda itself has a small-town feel with excellent parks, a beloved historic theater, and easy BART access to the broader Bay Area, making it a rare spot where suburban calm and urban opportunity coexist — and this school fits that identity perfectly.