Santa Barbara High School

General Information

Grades Served: 9-12
Address: 700 East Anapamu Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93103
Phone: (805) 966-9101
Fax: (805) 965-6872
E-mail: Mr. Mark Capritto
Principal: Mr. Mark Capritto
School Mascot: Dons
School Colors: Olive and Gold
Web Page: www.sbhsdons.org

School Highlights

Santa Barbara High School (SBHS), founded in 1875, is the third oldest high school in California. Until the establishment of San Marcos High School in 1958 and Dos Pueblos High School in 1966, Santa Barbara High School was the sole public high school to serve the Santa Barbara-Goleta community. Occupying a 40-acre campus, the current Spanish-style school was built in 1924. With a rich local history, Santa Barbara High School is known throughout the community as the “Home of the Dons.”

Santa Barbara High School’s varied curriculum offers over 230 academic and elective courses. Eighty percent of SBHS students pursue further schooling beyond high school. Approximately 35% attend four-year institutions and 45% attend two-year institutions. To increase the enrollment of ethnic minority students in college preparatory, GATE, Advanced Placement, and other advanced classes, in 1997-1998 Santa Barbara High School created and implemented Project College Bound. This grass roots program targets a small number of students who have average to above-average ability, good study habits, and motivation to succeed. Approximately 30 teachers mentor two to three students each, monitoring academic progress, attendance, study habits, and class placement. Project College Bound students also have access to community mentors as well as Santa Barbara Community College and University of California, Santa Barbara tutorial-support services.

In addition to a wide range of traditional course offerings, SBHS is home to three academies, which operate much like a “school within a school.” The Multimedia Arts and Design Academy and the Visual Arts and Design Academy provide opportunities for students to progress through an academic curriculum designed to place them into the field of graphic or visual arts with mentors and business partners during their junior and senior years. The success of these academies led to an agreement with Santa Barbara Community College and the University of California, Santa Barbara to start a Horticulture Academy on the Santa Barbara High campus.

School Recognition

California Distinguished High School (1986)

Six-year accreditation by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (granted 2004-2005)

Feeder Schools and their District

La Cumbre Junior High School – Santa Barbara School Districts
Santa Barbara Junior High School – Santa Barbara School Districts

Assessment Results

California’s testing program seeks ways to create a cohesive system that is fair to all students, provides reliable comparisons, and measures what students are expected to know. The Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) program is the centerpiece of state testing. STAR has three basic components, all of which are multiple-choice tests: California Standards Test (CST), which is an achievement test based on state standards, California Achievement Test, 6th Edition (CAT/6), which is a nationally normed achievement test, California Alternate Performance Assessment (CAPA), for student with severe cognitive disabilities, and Spanish Assessment of Basic Education, Second Edition (SABE/2) for newly enrolled English learners. These “on demand” assessments are administered to all students in the grade level that is being tested. In addition to the “on demand” assessments, student achievement is continuously monitored by the classroom teacher(s). If you have additional questions regarding student testing, please direct them to the Santa Barbara School Districts’ Office of Research and Evaluation.

Test Results

Academic Performance Index (API)

The Academic Performance Index is a system of measuring each school’s academic performance and progress in reaching established goals.

API Reports

School Safety / Disaster Preparedness

All schools in the Santa Barbara School Districts periodically conduct fire and earthquake drills. Each school has a disaster preparedness plan and works in coordination with local law enforcement and other public safety organizations.

School custodians address daily cleaning and maintenance needs. The Districts’ maintenance team visits each campus regularly, according to a defined rotation schedule, and addresses specialized needs (e.g., painting, carpentry, etc.). In the event of a facility emergency at the school site, the District maintenance team responds on an immediate basis.

Student Enrollment and Ethnic Distribution

Enrollment and ethnicity information is gathered from the California Basic Education Data System (CBEDS). CBEDS information is updated each October as a California Department of Education reporting requirement. Comprehensive and comparative CBEDS data for all Santa Barbara County schools is available at: http://www.sbceo.org/districts/cbeds.shtml