Discover Kirby
Kirby is an intentionally small, courageously different co-ed day school serving students in grades 6 through 12 in Santa Cruz. Here, students are known deeply and challenged wisely by experienced teachers who create a safe environment to explore big ideas, think creatively, and take the kind of intellectual risks that promote real learning.
Middle School
This is the time to strengthen a students' inherent curiosity and love for learning, so it can endure and flourish into high school and beyond.
High School
High School is a time for exploration.
Signature Programs
Our unique programs take students deeper into their studies, some within our campus walls, and others far beyond.
International Students
Study in beautiful Santa Cruz, California. Just minutes from the beach with room to explore, both inside the classroom and out.
What if rigor didn’t mean pressure?
Here, it means purpose. Classes are small. Teachers know you. You’re expected to think deeply, ask real questions, and stay in the conversation.
You’ll stretch your mind and your comfort zone.
Design a robot. Learn Ancient Greek. Act in a play. Hike Big Sur. Travel abroad. Write a story that surprises even you.
Small classes. Big ideas. Space to be you.
Students are held to high expectations in a community built on respect, care, and belief.
Belonging fuels bravery.
When students feel safe being themselves, they take intellectual risks and grow with confidence.
This is school that feels human.
Intellectually vibrant, academically serious, and emotionally safe, Kirby is a place where curious minds grow into capable, grounded people.
By The Numbers
12
Average Class Size
5:1
Students to faculty ratio
28
Zip Codes Represented
$1.6 Million
Tuition Assistance Awarded Annually
News & Events
![Student smiles in a crowd]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1758254831/kirbyorg/mkjzjmoklfgw87kjzeaz/4U0A1723.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1758254831/kirbyorg/mkjzjmoklfgw87kjzeaz/4U0A1723.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1758254831/kirbyorg/mkjzjmoklfgw87kjzeaz/4U0A1723.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1758254831/kirbyorg/mkjzjmoklfgw87kjzeaz/4U0A1723.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1758254831/kirbyorg/mkjzjmoklfgw87kjzeaz/4U0A1723.jpg","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_6/v1758254831/kirbyorg/mkjzjmoklfgw87kjzeaz/4U0A1723.jpg","width":2200}])
Supporting a high school student often means knowing when to step in and when to step back. This article reflects on how parents can offer structure, encouragement, and perspective during these formative years.
![students stand together at the white board]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1762291913/kirbyorg/reziicejqlgc1jkovkvu/4U0A27601.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1762291913/kirbyorg/reziicejqlgc1jkovkvu/4U0A27601.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1762291913/kirbyorg/reziicejqlgc1jkovkvu/4U0A27601.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1762291913/kirbyorg/reziicejqlgc1jkovkvu/4U0A27601.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1762291913/kirbyorg/reziicejqlgc1jkovkvu/4U0A27601.jpg","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_6/v1762291913/kirbyorg/reziicejqlgc1jkovkvu/4U0A27601.jpg","width":2200}])
What does it mean to truly be seen at school? This reflection from Head of School Christy Hutton looks at how trust, high expectations, and care work together to support deep learning and healthy growth at Kirby.
![Lunch at kirby]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1766520097/kirbyorg/p02gnmio7zqll2yvp0s6/4U0A33641.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1766520097/kirbyorg/p02gnmio7zqll2yvp0s6/4U0A33641.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1766520097/kirbyorg/p02gnmio7zqll2yvp0s6/4U0A33641.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1766520097/kirbyorg/p02gnmio7zqll2yvp0s6/4U0A33641.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1766520097/kirbyorg/p02gnmio7zqll2yvp0s6/4U0A33641.jpg","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_6/v1766520097/kirbyorg/p02gnmio7zqll2yvp0s6/4U0A33641.jpg","width":2200}])
Lunch at Kirby is a moment in the day when students reset. Good food, familiar faces, and the easy hum of campus life make it a time for connection and refueling before the afternoon begins.
![Students pose together at the waterfront]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1750701873/kirbyorg/wprtkbqwvzw1vo2c5q9x/IMG_8095.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1750701873/kirbyorg/wprtkbqwvzw1vo2c5q9x/IMG_8095.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1750701873/kirbyorg/wprtkbqwvzw1vo2c5q9x/IMG_8095.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1750701873/kirbyorg/wprtkbqwvzw1vo2c5q9x/IMG_8095.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1750701873/kirbyorg/wprtkbqwvzw1vo2c5q9x/IMG_8095.jpg","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_6/v1750701873/kirbyorg/wprtkbqwvzw1vo2c5q9x/IMG_8095.jpg","width":2200}])
After two weeks in Buenos Aires, our students return home transformed by language, culture, and connection. From navigating subways to forming friendships across cultures, they showed up with courage, curiosity, and care—growing in ways that go far beyond the itinerary.
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