Robert and Suzanne Arne founded "The School of Choice" in 1999 as an enrichment center that evolved into a school. They established an enrichment educational service in San Jose, which generally taught individuals or small classes after-school to advanced students in grades 4-12. In the Fall of 2003, the Arnes opened the doors of a day school in San Jose. Later, they moved to Sunnyvale and began to sponsor special events: debates and mental challenges and field trips to plays, concerts and museums. After computerizing their records to correspond more readily with parents, the school gained Candidacy for WASC accreditation in June 2009.

The Second Founding

Valley International Academy, founded by Susan Xu, a prominent Silcon Valley Entrepreneur, merged with the School of Choice and gave it a new name and a new model for growth. She began developing the vision for an innovative, entrepreneurial high school that would combine both international and local students in a rigorous academic program.

Diversity and Inclusion

We believe excellent education starts by respecting and celebrating all students, their diverse family backgrounds, and the life experience they bring to the community. At VIA, we strive to nurture a diverse and inclusive environment that affirms and supports our multicultural, international community, inclusive of race, ethnicity, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, ability, and socioeconomic class. We believe that by appreciating diverse cultures and myriad schools of thought, we enrich the lives of all students, find commonalities in our shared humanity, and build empathy for people who are different. We continually strive to attract and support a diverse faculty and staff who bring a wide range of experience to the community and into the classroom. By explicitly affirming the identity of all students through culturally responsive pedagogy, we simultaneously build trust, make learning exciting and fun, and support students as they develop self-confidence. Numerous studies show students who are self-confident are more likely to reach their social and academic potential. We create an environment that is inclusive, anti-bias, and supports all students so they can be themselves.