My kids love this school, and I can see why, staff is very nice and outgoing! I love how the school…read moredoesn't tolerate bullying and teasing--the schools i went to never punished bullies, and I love how my kids have a bully-free zone :)

The Howard School is a gem! The staff is very committed to the students, and they want these…read morestudents to be the people of the future. Students are greeted by the principal each morning and every student is known on a first-name basis. Class sizes are small allowing the teachers to focus on each child's needs and goals. If you are looking for a kind, caring community, and a wonderful emotional and academic experience then look no further.

We are incredibly lucky to have found this school in the small community of Carpinteria. At Howard…read morethere is a big emphasis in the development of children as people, not just as students. You can see this in the way that the older students interact with the younger students. They seem to really have gained strong interpersonal skills specifically - emotional intelligence, responsibility, and empathy. The small class sizes and a strong emphasis on higher level thinking within the curriculum are really what makes this school great. We've loved every teacher we've met. There is no place I would rather have my children. I can't recommend it enough.

Went there about 20 years ago and loved it. Went recently for an interview and saw the school was…read morethe same in the best ways. Would suggest to any family.

I love everything about St. Mark! We've had kids at SMP for more than 4 years now--my son attended…read moreages 2-5 and my 4yo and 1yo daughters are there now! Where to begin... The best thing about St. Mark is how warm and caring it is. The teachers and director create a home away from home where I know my kids are feeling love and support from their caregivers. And the teachers also constantly guide the kids to make kind choices toward one another. Next amazing thing--St. Mark is fun! The kids are outdoors more than half of the day and the play areas are big and varied. They are always getting dirty and imaginative and just get to be kids playing. My kids love being there and often don't want to leave, even after 9 hours! St. Mark is also structured. There is a routine to each day, from inside/outside time, songs, circle time, stations, free play, when to wash hands/use bathroom, etc. There's also weekly enrichment like special music classes and PE with Mr. B that the kids look forward to. The SMP community is forever! The school hosts lots of great events, big and small, and creates a space for the families to get to know each other and bond. From big events like winter sing and graduation to smaller ones like seminars, movie nights, and spring cleaning, there are tons of opportunities to make connections. I have such special friends from this school. I could go on and on. I'll also share that St. Mark is a tremendously supportive environment for children with food allergies. My family's experience working with the school to create a safe environment for a young child with severe allergies cannot have been better.

We love Montessori school. Our son is been going there…read moresince 18th months old. Is been an amazing experience to see how he grow so happy and full of joy. Already have life skills as small as they are and learning the basic of Maria Montessori! Great teachers, great staff.

I can't say enough good things about MCS and the community it fosters. It was our lifeline during…read morethe covid pandemic. I can't work from home, so zoom school wasn't an option for us. We started with MCS for that reason (one of the few, if not only, schools offering in-person instruction and childcare). But we have stayed for elementary school because our experience was so wonderful. Not only are the teachers at MCS warm, caring, and nurturing, but they are incredibly communicative (as is the leadership/administration). If I have a question or concern, it is responded to almost immediately. Everything is very well organized and I can focus on work each day knowing that my son is happy, surrounded by friends, and growing in a nurturing environment. MCS has fostered my son's learning and confidence. He regularly works in class with children from other grades and has developed wonderful friendships across the ages. Assignments, homework, and projects are appropriately challenging. It's been awesome watching him grow and develop in this environment. I am not sure what we will do after sixth grade -- I just wish MCS continued through grade 12! - but this certainly is an incredible place for us now.

Great school! Great teachers! This school has their stuff together. They do not let their kids slip…read morethrough the cracks. I love the way they use positive reinforcement while still enforcing the rules.

The students at this school seem to be so unmotivated to learn anything and some can be extremely…read morerude and disrespectful to teachers. Aside from that i had came to this school from a 3 year hiadus from this city (prior to 99 grew up in goleta and retuned in fall of 02) and didn't know anyone and there were some really nice kids who actually came up to and asked me what my name was and such and i got invited to several parties (and this was the 7th grade !). Due to so many rude people and distractions that interupted my learning i had to transfer my 8th grade year and go to Santa Barbara junior high school in order to get a proper education and i am so glad i did really prepared me high school. But i was sad to leave bc i would have had 3 of 7th grade teachers whom where awesome and i had a good relationship with but where treated like complete crap by there students. Oh and i had stayed there i might have been able to stay in algebra one instead of going to sbjhs where they had no more room left in any algebra so i was stuck learning the same thing all over again pre algebra boring. A beautiful school though despite all of its extreme faults and being in the newspaper every other week in threats of being closed down(but had to keep it open due to over crowding). I haven't been their in god knows how many years but i hope they have made improvements.

Looking for strong academics with incredible teachers and staff? Come check out Laguna Blanca…read moreeither at the Lower Campus (elementary)in Montecito or the Upper Campus (middle & high school) in Hope Ranch. Both campuses are beautiful, large green spaces and expansive with nice classrooms and many outdoor areas for learning and exploring. There is a huge field for sports at the Upper Campus. Brand new science and engineering labs and classrooms are at the Upper Campus and it's all under the expertise of brilliant teachers who care about their students. The academics are very strong here and they raise the bar high for all students, but in a way that is not stressful. They work hard to support each student's needs. From the core classes to the electives to summer camp....they have it all. Want to get involved as a parent? They have the Parent's Auxillary and board with activities and events all year long. The administration here is tops on both campuses. Friendly, intelligent, kind, hard working and truly devoted team of people at every level here.

I had the best experiences attending this school, and their rigorous academic standards well…read moreprepared me for college and law school.

I went to DP from 75/79 coach hart had a big impact on my life. Last time I seen him was in cottage…read morehospital in SB. Not sure what was wrong with him. Not sure if he's still with us. He was a good guy. I was a of the rough kids at DP. Smoked weed out on the front field of back field. Got in to a few fights. But I guess he seen something in me that I didn't so any time that I got into shit. He would roll out the wrestling matts. He would call out one or two of his biggest wrestlers and it was on. After getting are ass kicked we would see things a little different. My brother and myself had gotten in to a brawl with a couple baseball plays between class the baseball coach jumped in the middle of the fight and he got his arm broken felt bad about that a little he was doing his job I guess. But it wasn't his fight anyways Mr. Hart found out about. He had me and my brother wrestle his players every day for about a month. After that I really never got into fights at school. Started studying got my shit together. That was my first year at DP testing the waters of high school.

I may not know how to file my taxes or get a job, but I sure can tell you all about the symbolism…read moreof characters in All American Boys.

Cold Spring School has always been such a wonderful place. I went there my self 40 years ago and…read morenow my daughter goes there. The teachers are on par with the best private schools. They STEAM program is top notch headed by Dr. Gradias just wanted to let people know of this little bit of paradise.