Laguna Blanca School

For 85 years, Laguna Blanca School has inspired student success through outstanding academics, a celebrated arts program, and competitive athletics. Students tackle a challenging curriculum and meet high standards thanks to dedicated faculty and staff who pride themselves in providing unmatched support of student achievement. Set on two charming campuses in Santa Barbara, small class sizes and individual attention give students in grades EK-12 a safe, nurturing environment that fosters academic excellence. Laguna Blanca graduates leave the tight-knit community to attend the nation’s most selective colleges and universities. Committed to diversity, Laguna Blanca School offers a substantial need-based financial aid program.

We want every opportunity for our students, faculty, and staff to stretch themselves and take on new challenges. This growth occurs because we build our program on a foundation of deep and meaningful personal relationships—these individual connections allow each of us to find the best in every member of our community. Whether in the classroom, on stage, in the gym, or serving the Santa Barbara community, you will see our students, faculty, and staff modeling our values through their actions.

Laguna Blanca School develops the intellectual, social, physical, artistic, and ethical lives of our students by providing a comprehensive and personalized Early Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade educational experience that prepares them for college and lifelong success.Our Core values:

• We believe that academic excellence is best achieved in an atmosphere of high expectation, inspirational instruction, individualized attention, and student-teacher relationships based on mutual trust and respect.
• We believe in the cultivation of integrity, personal responsibility, consideration for others, and skills for compassionate leadership.
• We believe students should develop dimensions of themselves beyond academics. Laguna Blanca is committed to providing all students with meaningful experiences in the arts, athletics, and a wide array of co-curricular opportunities.
• We believe the success of Laguna Blanca relies on a mutually supportive partnership between faculty, students, parents, and staff who actively promote healthful living, honorable citizenship, and human kindness.

Students enjoy and are challenged by Laguna Blanca’s renowned academic program, which has been a hallmark of the school since its inception. From EK to twelfth grade, students receive an education tailored to maximize learning and foster an inquisitive mindset. Faculty members are highly qualified professionals who challenge students while also supporting them on an individual level. Laguna Blanca’s most distinguishing feature is the close connection established between students and faculty. This connection leads to a campus filled with enthusiasm, energy, and a love for the learning process. This atmosphere becomes apparent immediately when one steps into a Laguna Blanca classroom in action.

At Laguna, we believe that a “Project-Based Learning” (PBL) culture leads to deeper, more meaningful learning experiences for all of our students. This dynamic classroom approach allows students to actively explore real-world problems and challenges, while fostering curiosity, openness, creativity, critical thinking, empathy, and personal responsibility. It also makes learning more memorable, meaningful, and FUN – for students and teachers alike. Our unique eight-day rotation schedule in the Middle and Upper Schools is especially ideal for an increased emphasis on active PBL learning.

Step into any classroom at Laguna and you will find students engaged and passionate about learning. Although well-known for our high academic standards, student life at Laguna is so much more. It’s comprised of rich opportunities for clubs, athletics, extra-curricular activities, leadership, service, and bonding among friends.

In and outside of the classroom, we create meaningful experiences that are true to our mission and help students develop a sense of the world around them. Our advisory program helps students to foster the building of healthy relationships as good friends and good citizens. Student-run clubs help facilitate an environment of community outreach and service. In fact, our focus on community—both local and global—is inherent in all that we do. Some of our student-led clubs in the 2017-18 school year included Bird Watching, Broadcast News, Internet of Things, Mindfulness & Meditation, The Sock Club, and Youth for Direct Relief, among many others!