Laurel Hill traces its beginnings to Presidio Hill School, part of the 1920s cooperative school movement. Its curriculum is based largely upon the writings of John Dewey and other philosophers and educators involved with progressive educations.
In the mid-1940s, the parents of Presidio Hill Open Air School (Grades K-8) recognized the value of the preschool experience for children, an idea that gained in popularity following WWII.