York School

Since 1959, York School has created an exceptional college-prep experience for our youth: inspiring them to develop intellectual curiosity; challenging them to create and try new things; and preparing them to be passionate contributors in college and in life.

At the base of this experience is the strong and welcoming York community. The 225 students in grades 8-12 join us from from public and independent middle schools in Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito counties and around the world. The faculty, who set high standards for their students and for themselves, bring enthusiasm and expertise to their classes as they connect with and mentor each student. Combining this with opportunities to participate in sports, arts, travel, and service learning leads to great high school experience.

York School is fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and the California Association of Independent Schools. York is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools and the Independent Curriculum Group. York School admits students of any race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities available to students at the School, and the School does not discriminate on the basis of these factors in administration of its educational policies, admission policies, financial aid program, or athletic and other school-administered programs.

Our students benefit from individualized attention and small class sizes in a challenging college preparatory curriculum that produces a record of success in school, in work, in further academic pursuits, and in life. We believe that a small school is the optimal environment for students to grow and learn and to experience a community that is intentional in its diversity. At York each individual student is known and cared for, challenged and nurtured.

The York learning experience doesn’t stop at the classroom door; it extends to the playing field, the art studio, and the performance stage, where students benefit from exposure to new ideas, cultures, and individuals in a socio-economically, ethnically, and religiously diverse community.

We inspire and prepare a diverse community of creative, independent thinkers. We believe teaching and empowering students to be curious, to ask questions, and to engage in conversation prepares them for higher education and fulfilling lives. With an open and inquisitive mindset, York Students can discover the most about themselves and the world.

We believe having a student body and faculty diverse in talents, viewpoints, and backgrounds creates the highest-quality learning experience while fostering local and global connections. Students learn from the experiences, heritages, and stories of their classmates and teachers, and push their own understanding through this exposure to multiple perspectives and voices.

To support our well-rounded community, a strong need-based tuition assistance program helps approximately 40% of our students, more than twice the national average for independent schools. York accepts students on the basis of personal and academic merit – applying for tuition assistance does not affect the admission decision.

We believe our actions should be guided by the following principles: honesty, respect, responsibility, and compassion. Valuing these principles creates and encourages an open-dialogue where students feel safe to express new ideas, new arguments, and new passions.

We believe in being environmentally conscious consumers and producers. About 50% our energy needs are met through solar power blocks found on rooftops around campus. The students and faculty are encouraged to print less, using online resources like Google Drive and Haiku LMS to submit papers and assignments. In 2008, York was the first school to be named a Monterey County Green Business, in part because of the construction of our environmentally sustainable Science Building, which was the first green building in Monterey County with 25+ elements of environmentally-sensitive, sustainable technology. In addition, our daily “work job” tradition gets students involved in sustainable practices like recycling, resource conservation, and natural habitat restoration.