The seeds of the Waldorf School of Louisville were planted by Jane Morton Norton, a local artist, philanthropist and student of Anthroposophy. Jane introduced her grandchildren to the world of Waldorf education and Anthroposophy in the mid-1960s. 

Shortly after her death in August of 1989, two of her grandchildren, Robin Dulaney and Janey Newton, were inspired to bring Waldorf education to the children of Louisville. A study group was formed, and in the spring of 1992, Andrew and Shea Darian were hired as the founding teachers and administrators of the future Waldorf School of Louisville. 

• The first year and a half were spent building a community of interested families, forming a Board of Trustees and looking for a home for the school. In September 1992, our first Michaelmas festival (Festival of Courage) was held at Hogan’s Fountain in Cherokee Park and many of the pioneering families attended. A parent study group was formed so potential parents of the lead classes would have a deeper understanding of the Waldorf philosophy. These important gatherings, which were held in Jane Norton’s art studio, became the impetus for several of the parents to seek Waldorf teacher training.
• In the spring of 1993, a Masonic lodge on New LaGrange Road and a house next door were purchased, giving the school a solid home. After a busy summer of construction, painting, landscaping and dyeing silks for the classrooms, the Waldorf School of Louisville opened its doors to 23 children in September 1993. There were two separate classes of older and younger Kindergarteners, ages three and a half to six years old. With festivals, parent education workshops and community meetings, school life was bustling with activity.
• The Grades Program was launched in the fall of 1995 with our leading first-grade class. Twelve children and their families committed to this important step in the history of the school. These pioneering parents worked hard to provide a strong school community for their children. The initial lead teacher for this class was Janey Newton, followed by Japa Buckner, who carried the class from Second Grade through its Fifth Grade graduation in June of 2000.
• In the spring of 2008, Bryon Miracle (Administrative Chair) and Andrew Green (Strategic Planning Chair) traveled to the Atlanta Waldorf School as delegates to the Southeast Regional AWSNA conference, and they came back inspired to forge a new way forward for our school. One of the strongest guides for this work was the Three Pillars model put forth by Robert Shipacasse in his article “Three Pillars of a Waldorf Community.” With this inspiration, we set out to recreate the school using a three-fold model. There are three main spheres of responsibility within a Waldorf School: The Mission Sphere, the Rights Sphere, and the Brotherhood or Economic Sphere. The Teaching and Administrative Faculties, the Board of Trustees, and the Parent Body all work collaboratively to complete tasks within the three spheres.
• In Spring 2010, the existing Third and Fourth Grade class parents committed to each other, and the school, that they would facilitate supporting their class through Eighth Grade and asked for the support of the Faculty and Trustees to achieve this mission. They received that support and a Strategic Plan was created to reflect the school’s intent to move into the middle grades on our current campus. This class “pioneered” our Middle School expansion and in the spring of 2014, the Waldorf School of Louisville graduated its first Eighth Grade class. In 2018, we were awarded a fully accredited status from the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA). In 2019, we, along with 1200 other Waldorf Schools worldwide, celebrated 100 years of Waldorf education.
• In July 2021, the campus moved from the New La Grange Rd to the location previously occupied by another private school on Rock Creek Drive. The move to St. Matthews brought more visibility to the Louisville community, renovations and more space to expand our classes.
• Today, our school continues to grow and thrive in its mission to provide Waldorf education to the children of the Greater Louisville community. Please join us for a tour and come see why Waldorf education works!