A strong beginning for lifelong learning
For more than 50 years, Fairmont Private School has provided a nurturing, educationally focused environment in Fresno, where young children grow through curiosity, confidence, and meaningful early learning.
A school built specifically for the early years.
Family-owned. Purpose-built. Child-centered.
In 1974, before women could legally secure business loans without a male co-signer, Maxine Smith shattered barriers by convincing banks to finance a revolutionary idea: Fresno’s first campus built exclusively for early childhood education. Alongside her husband Bill, she founded Fairmont Private School with just one classroom and one teacher. Their daughter, Kathy, later took the reins, expanding the program and embedding it into the heart of the community. Today, this remarkable legacy continues under third-generation leadership as a proudly female-founded, women-owned business.
Now celebrating 52 years, Fairmont remains family-owned and intentionally designed to support growth, exploration, and joyful learning. Serving Toddlers, Preschool, Transitional Kindergarten, and Kindergarten, our specialized campus ensures Fresno’s youngest learners receive a warm, purposeful start in an environment built just for them.
Fairmont Private School
Our Mission
At Fairmont Private School, we cultivate natural curiosity, joyful discovery, and creative thinking to ignite a lifelong love of learning. We develop caring, internationally-minded young learners who are empowered to explore, discover, and shape a more peaceful world.
Our Vision
To help shape the next generation of early learners into global-minded participants in a changing world.
A school built on wonder and belonging
Our Philosophy
Fairmont Private School believes in cultivating a vibrant partnership among our school community of educators, families, and students. We provide a premier early childhood education that honors the whole child and fosters true student agency from the very start.
Through a transdisciplinary curriculum that is engaging, challenging, and meaningful, we inspire our youngest learners to become compassionate, internationally-minded thinkers who naturally ask big questions, seek profound answers, and take purposeful action to create a better, more peaceful world.
Come see why Fairmont is the right fit for your family
The best way to experience Fairmont is to visit in person, explore the campus, and meet the people who make this school so special.