The Bay area is huge so you would have to narrow down what part of the bay area. Also, for what age? As far as high schools go, most people I know went to private school in San Francisco because the California public school system isn't great -- especially in major cities that are overcrowded and underfunded. Waldorf, Uni, and Urban are all great private high schools but they're ridiculously expensive and very elitist. Lowell is a fantastic public school in San Fran, but your child has to test in.