In the late 1970s, Dr. Donald Leisey bought Merryhill Schools. Upon purchase, he revamped the logo and added the word “Country” to compete with Sacramento Country Day School. His vision was to provide a strong academic program alongside before and after school offerings to ease the challenges faced by working parents. At the time, many families struggled to balance full-time work with ensuring their children were engaged and cared for after the school day ended. While such programs are common today, in the 1970s this was a meaningful shift in school operations and offered great benefits to families. These programs included study halls, ballet, tap dancing, music lessons, piano instruction, theater, and athletic programs.

Under his guidance, Merryhill Country School quickly expanded. In 1980, Merryhill Country School opened its first middle school, adding 7th and 8th grades to the flagship campus on Eastern Avenue. At this time, Merryhill expanded across the greater Sacramento area with 10 locations. During his ownership, Dr. Leisey expanded even further and operated 22 locations in Sacramento, Stockton, Modesto, and Santa Rosa.

In 1989, Merryhill was acquired by Rocking Horse Child Care Center, Inc., which recognized the quality of Merryhill’s courses and programs. Just a few years later, in 1992, Nobel Education Dynamics, under the leadership of Jack and Scott Clegg, became the guiding force behind Merryhill. Their goal was to build a group of private schools focused on strong academics and community partnership. The word “Country” in the brand name was removed, thus instilling the original name. A new logo and crest was produced that is still being used today.

In 1998, the first Merryhill School outside of California was opened in Las Vegas, Nevada. In 2009, the brand expanded to Arlington Texas. In 2016, Merryhill School locations opened in Colorado.

Today, Merryhill School is a part of Spring Education Group. Spring Education is a network of private schools committed to providing quality education across the country. This has allowed Merryhill to maintain the community-focused approach that families value. The school continues to honor Dr. Leisey’s vision by offering clubs and after-school programs that reflect the local interests and needs. At the same time, Merryhill benefits from the shared resources and best practices of a larger educational organization.

Merryhill continues to grow and innovate. From the first day, every Merryhill student receives an education rooted in academic excellence, character development, and lifelong learning.