Pacific Ridge School

In the fall of 2002, several families began thinking about the prospect for an independent middle and high school in North County San Diego, California. They crafted a mission statement to guide the development and operation of the school, formed a founding Board of Trustees, and purchased land in south Carlsbad for the campus. The school opened in 2007.

Dr. Eileen Mullady, an educator with a background in secondary and higher education, came to Pacific Ridge School from Horace Mann School in New York. She took up the position of founding Head of School in the summer of 2005.

Current Head of School, Dr. Bob Ogle, joined the founding staff in 2006 and assisted Dr. Mullady and the Board of Trustees implement the vision for Pacific Ridge School, as well as its construction and programs. He became Co-Head of School in July 2011 and succeeded Dr. Mullady upon her retirement in April 2013.

Dr. Ogle holds an Ed.D. and an M.Ed. in Educational Leadership and an M.A. in English Education from Teachers College, Columbia University and B.A. degrees in English and Economics from the University of California, Davis.

Pacific Ridge welcomed its founding seventh- and ninth-grade students in the fall of 2007. Additional grades were subsequently added and the first graduating class was in 2011.[1]

The 14.5-acre campus consists of a middle school, high school, arts and technology center, innovation center & library, athletic center and artificial turf field.

The 27,750-square-foot Middle School and Administration building was built in 2015 and encompasses 11 seminar classrooms, three science labs, a lab prep room and administrative offices. A Middle School Reading room opens to an outdoor courtyard where students can gather to socialize and collaborate. Teacher workrooms overlook the reading room to promote interaction among faculty and students.

The 32,500-square-foot high school building was designed with environmental sustainability in mind. Features of the building include 19 seminar-style classrooms, four chemistry, biology and physics laboratories, four teacher workrooms and two double-story reading rooms. An outdoor town square provides space for student gatherings, dining and events.

The Arts & Technology Center, built in 2015, includes studios for theater, dance and 2D and 3D art, music practice rooms and exhibition galleries. The Technology Design Center supports digital technology such as film/audio production, graphic design and computer programming as well as a Design & Fabrication studio for robotics work and theater set construction.

The Innovation Center & Library, completed in 2021, houses the library, a robotics/maker space, an advanced biotech lab, an electronics and technology lab, the Student Support Center, and several classrooms.

Pacific Ridge School's 35,265-square-foot athletic facility is one of the largest among San Diego private schools. The school also has a regulation-size artificial turf soccer and lacrosse field for hosting interscholastic competitions and physical education classes.[1]

The admission process consists of a campus tour, submitting an application, scheduling an interview for both parents and students, taking the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) and submitting academic records and teacher recommendations. Tuition for the 2023–2024 academic year is $40,950. The school provides over $3.5 million in tuition assistance and 31 percent of students receive aid.[5]

Members of Pacific Ridge's faculty have diverse backgrounds and have studied at top institutions across the country and around the world. Currently, they come from 23 different states and nine different countries. Teachers are organized into academic departments as well as grade-level, collaborative teams that meet twice a week.

The school employs 85 faculty members, 70% of whom hold advanced degrees.

Graduates from Pacific Ridge School have been accepted to top colleges and universities in all regions of the United States as well as several countries abroad. The school's college matriculations web page provides a comprehensive list.[6]

The diploma requirements are as follows:

· English – 4 consecutive years

· History-Social Studies – 3 years

· Science – 3 years

· Mathematics – 3 years

· Foreign Language – 3 years of same language

· Visual or Performing Arts – 2 years

· Service Learning – 2 years

· Health – 1 trimester

· Athletics/Physical Education – 2 years (or equivalent)

Middle and high school students have the option to participate in team sports at multiple levels during the fall, winter and spring.

Pacific Ridge School is a member of the California Interscholastic Federation San Diego Section and competes in the Coastal Conference.

Middle school teams compete in the South Coast Middle School League and offer a “no cut” participation policy, so that all students have the opportunity to play team sports and try a sport with which they may not already be familiar.

The athletic program includes several highly competitive teams, such as the Pacific Ridge Hockey Club, champion of the 2019 Anaheim Ducks High School Hockey League in 2019 and finalist in the CAHA Division 2 State tournament.

All seventh and eighth graders participate in a year-long Middle School Arts Program that explores art forms including dance, digital media arts, theater, studio art and music. Student performances are part of the Middle School arts curriculum and take place throughout the year.

Upper School students have the option of taking year-long classes in the arts. More than 30 classes are offered.

• List of primary and secondary schools in San Diego