Community Bridges Early Education Division
831.400.1110
communitybridges.org/eed
Community-Based Universal

Preschool Programs:
• Fairgrounds: 2667 East Lake Avenue, Watsonville
• Vista Verde: 1936 Freedom Boulevard, Freedom
• Sycamore Street: 121 Sycamore Street, Santa Cruz
• Nuevo Dia: 135 Leibrandt Avenue, Santa Cruz
• Redwood Mountain: 7103 Highway 9, Felton
• Highlands Park: 8500 Highway 9, Ben Lomond
Providing FREE (California State Preschool Program) & tuition-based early education, from the redwood mountains in the San Lorenzo Valley to the vibrant fields of Watsonville. We serve infants through TK with the guidance of highly experienced, bilingual/bicultural staff who understand the importance of play and social-emotional learning as the key foundation for academic success and ignite a love of lifelong learning. We honor the rich cultural backgrounds that have given Santa Cruz County its historical place as a change-making community, with core values to provide access to quality early care and learning to create empowered futures. Together we’re better.

“They are helping my daughter with her growth and development.
She is always learning new things.”

Community Bridges Early Education Division Parent

Freedom Schoolhouse and Farm
freedomschoolhouseandfarm.com
Freedom Schoolhouse and Farm offers a unique program in a beautiful setting. Our curriculum is emergent with a strong emphasis on creating a connection to the natural world. We seek to promote and maintain basic principles of Freedom, with the goal of educating our children to be critical thinkers. Our open classroom creates a warm environment, and we encourage freedom of choice and relationship building. Set on several acres, every day is filled with the beauty of nature, joys of friendship, and fun activities geared toward artistic expression, physical movement, and the development of a lifelong love of learning

Gateway School, K-8
255 Swift Street, Santa Cruz
831.423.0341 ext 302
[email protected]
gatewaysc.org
Gateway School, founded in 1970 is an independent, co-ed day school in Santa Cruz for students in grades Kindergarten through 8th. Children’s innate curiosity and sense of wonder are nurtured daily through exploration, discovery, and hands-on learning. Our graduates have an inquiring spirit, are confident, act with grace and self-possession, and flourish in challenging academic settings. If you’d like to learn more, we invite you to visit our website or schedule a tour to experience all that Gateway has to offer!

Kirby School
425 Encinal Street, Santa Cruz
[email protected]
kirby.org
Kirby School is dedicated to nurturing academic excellence and personal growth in each student. With a legacy spanning 30 years, Kirby offers a vibrant and inclusive learning environment for curious and motivated students. Our dedicated faculty and staff make a lasting impact–steadfastly empowering students to explore their passions and design fulfilling lives. Our graduates are poised to prosper in a world that is increasingly complex and dynamic.

Live Oak School District- Child Development
Del Mar Lic #444400352
Green Acres Lic #444403585
Live Oak Lic #440710379
984-5 Bostwick Lane, Santa Cruz
831.462.1116
losd.ca (click on departments and then
Extended Learning)
The Live Oak School District- Child Development Program offers families a Free or Low Cost Quality State-Funded Preschool program for 3-4-year-olds at the Del Mar, Green Acres and Live Oak Elementary School sites. We provide morning (8:45-11:45) and afternoon (12:45-3:45) preschool classes. NEW this year, we are offering a Full Day & year round program (7:30-4:30pm). The State’s new higher-income guidelines allow so many more families to qualify. You may come by our office or call us to begin the process for enrollment. If space is still available we enroll year-round.

Mount Madonna School Preschool-12th grade
491 Summit Road, Watsonville
408.847.2717
MountMadonnaSchool.org
Mount Madonna School (MMS) provides preschool through grade 12 education emphasizing students’ academic success, creativity and college preparation. The fully accredited program features a Montessori-influenced preschool, an elementary and middle school, and a college-preparatory high school with UC-ready graduates. Mount Madonna nurtures students’ curiosity and love of learning, sense of belonging and intellectual inquiry through small class sizes, experiential learning, advanced math, engineering and science curriculum, Spanish, visual and performing arts, and competitive athletics. MMS supports its students in becoming kind, self-aware, and articulate critical thinkers, who are prepared for 21st-century success and can meet challenges with perseverance, creativity and integrity.

Orchard School, K-6
2288 Trout Gulch Road, Aptos
831.688.1074
orchardschoolaptos.org
Orchard School, established over 30 years ago, provides a unique, yet comprehensive K-6 education. At Orchard, we weave together the magic of an extraordinary faculty, a 14-acre campus and a down to earth philosophy that nourishes and honors the natural growth and development of children. Small class sizes, an organic garden and an animal farm create enriching “whole child” learning experiences that are hands-on and individualized. We provide Strong Core Academics, Excellent Science Curriculum, Art, Music, Physical Theater/Circus Arts, Electives, Ceramics, Archery, Swimming, Leadership, Field Trips, Drama Productions, and more.

Rocking Horse Ranch Preschool
Lic #444400117
4134 Fairway Dr, Soquel
831.462.2702
We offer morning, afternoon, and full-day sessions. Our three beautiful acres offer room to explore, including swings, slides, trees to climb, a ninja course, a zipline, a bike track, and a giant sandbox! Kids also enjoy our farm animals and grazing on food from our organic garden and orchards.

Santa Cruz Montessori
Ages 18 months – 14 years
Main Campus (Primary and Elementary)
6230 Soquel Drive, Aptos
Winston Campus (Young Children’s
Community and Jr. High)
244 Cabrillo College Drive, Soquel
831.476.1646
scms.org
Established in 1964, Santa Cruz Montessori is a non-profit school serving children 18 months to 14 years. Our beautiful classrooms and outdoor environments engage the children’s senses as they learn. Based on a deep understanding of child through adolescent development, our programs meet the interests and needs of our students, engaging and challenging them to do their best. We offer a supportive community of learners and an exciting Montessori curriculum including humanities, math, sciences and arts. Our mission: as a Montessori learning community, we inspire life-long learning and a more peaceful world by nurturing the natural.

Santa Cruz City Schools
Sam Rolens
[email protected]
831.419.2927
sccs.net/enroll
At Santa Cruz City Schools, students find belonging, room to explore & high expectations. In Transitional Kindergarten & Kindergarten, students are welcomed into education with a play-centric, curiosity-driven experience. In Elementary, students learn in classrooms, gardens, kitchens, art studios, and in the field–and in our after-school enrichment programs. In Middle School, we encourage independence and emotional development as students push themselves academically. In High School, we provide countless opportunities: more AP classes, more athletics, more artistic and performance outlets, more leadership opportunities, more community connections and more supports to launch students into their next adventure in college or career excellence.

Santa Cruz Waldorf School, PreK-8
2190 Empire Grade, Santa Cruz
831.425.0519
santacruzwaldorf.org
[email protected]
Santa Cruz Waldorf School nurtures the whole human being in every individual, cultivating the capacity of head, heart, and hands. We offer a rich and balanced curriculum in which intellectual and artistic development are both vital and fully integrated. Specialty teachers work alongside class teachers to provide students with diverse experiences in language, movement, music, arts, games, and gardening. Our magical, rural campus is nestled in the redwoods above USCS. Our community is warm and joyful. We are committed to protecting childhood, supporting each individual, respecting nature and all life. Santa Cruz Waldorf School cultivates self-directed, empathetic, and free-thinking individuals with the courage and capacities to serve an ever-evolving humanity.

Simcha Preschool
Lic #440710119
3055 Porter Gulch Road, Aptos
831.479.3449
[email protected]
simchapreschool.org
Come experience our thriving, nurturing, play-based program that features an emergent, anti-bias curriculum tailored to your children’s passions and interests! Simcha (meaning “joy” in Hebrew) Preschool is known for its dedicated and knowledgeable teachers who foster children’s social emotional skills, independence, and creative ideas. Everyone loves our beautiful outdoor and indoor facilities. Thank you for voting us Best Preschool Runner Up in 2023! Full-day and half-day schedules, low child/teacher ratios, and 3, 4 or 5-day schedules are offered for children ages 2-5. Welcoming to all, we are proud of our over 40-year tradition of sharing Jewish values. Come join our Simcha Preschool family! Open year-round, 7:30am-5:20pm. Call 831.479.3449 or email Director Caitlin Clancy at [email protected] to learn more!

Tara Redwood School
5810 Prescott Road, Soquel
831.462.9632
[email protected]
tararedwoodschool.org
Since 1989, Tara Redwood School has been empowering children to make a positive difference in the world by educating the heart & mind with mindfulness practices. Our curriculum is an integration of Tara’s signature pedagogy Creating Compassionate Cultures (CCC) and Montessori methodology academics. We offer a strong focus on global studies, sciences, hands-on earth ecology studies, creative arts, social emotional learning and compassion in action. Preschool 2 – 5 years and Elementary ages 6–11. Classes are multi-age with a low student to teacher ratio. We provide small classroom spaces for our students and educators. Classes are situated both outdoor & indoor on 108 acres of lush forest.