San Francisco school uses AI to lead core academics, sparks debate

At Alpha School’s new Marina campus near Fort Mason, artificial intelligence sits at the center of the school day. Students spend about two hours on core academics through AI-powered software, while adults act as guides and coaches, not traditional classroom instructors, and the rest of the day shifts to life skills, workshops and passion projects.

That setup is exactly what makes the school a flashpoint for San Francisco parents weighing whether AI in class is a genuine learning model or a costly rebrand of screen time. Alpha says its app-based tutoring does not use chat functionality. Instead, it relies on a vision model that watches the screen and coaches students on how to learn more effectively. The company says the approach is mastery-based, with afternoons devoted to entrepreneurship, financial literacy, teamwork, grit and independence.

The San Francisco campus opened in 2025 and is one of eight new Alpha campuses nationwide. The school started with 15 students and says it aims to enroll 75 by the following fall. Tuition is $75,000 a year, with a $1,000 non-refundable deposit required once admission is offered. Enrollment is open for grades K through 8, putting the school squarely in reach of only a narrow slice of Bay Area families.

Supporters say the model is engaging and less stressful for students. Alpha says its students at other campuses score in the top one to two percent nationally, a claim that will be closely watched as the Marina campus grows. The school’s founding story traces back to Austin, Texas, about 10 years before the San Francisco opening.

Critics are asking whether there is enough oversight for a model that gives AI such a large role in instruction. Cassondra Curiel, president of United Educators of San Francisco, warned that unregulated and understudied AI in education could have serious negative effects. Her concern lands in a state where the rules are still taking shape.

The California Department of Education says its guidance for public schools on safe and effective AI use is informational, not mandatory, though it emphasizes compliance with existing privacy laws including FERPA and COPPA. California Gov. Gavin Newsom also signed AI-related education bills on Sept. 29, 2024, including measures tied to AI literacy and a statewide working group.

For San Francisco, the question is bigger than one school in the Marina: whether AI can deepen learning without widening inequity, and whether a tuition-heavy model near Fort Mason offers a preview of education’s future or a test case for how far parents will let machines lead.