Gateway School Photo #5 - Kindergarteners harvest carrots from their class garden bed in Life Lab.

Gateway School

Located in Santa Cruz, Gateway School provides an exemplary education for grades Kindergarten through Middle School.
Children's innate curiosity and sense of wonder are nurtured daily through exploration, discovery, and hands-on experiences.
Our graduates have an inquiring spirit, are confident, act with grace and courtesy, and stand up for those who need help.
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!.

Quick Stats (2024-25)

  • Top Ranked CA School
  • Grades: Kindergarten-8
  • Enrollment: 243 students
  • Average class size: 15 students
  • Application Deadline: Feb. 10 / rolling
  • Source: Verified school update

Top Rankings

Gateway School ranks among the top 20% of private schools in California for:

School Overview

Religious Affiliation
Grades Offered
Grades Kindergarten-8
ADD/ADHD Support
Yes
Learning Difference Programs
Yes
Learning Programs Supported
Mild Learning Differences
Year Founded
1970

Student Body

Total Students
243 students
Student Body Type
Co-ed
% Students of Color
12%
State avg.: 51%
Students by Grade
Gateway School Student By Grade

Academics and Faculty

Total Classroom Teachers
28 teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
9:1
National avg.: 13:1
% Faculty w/Advanced Degree
88%
Average Class Size
15 students
Classroom Dress Code
Casual

Tuition and Acceptance Rate

Admission Deadline
Feb. 10 / rolling
Tuition Notes
Flexible Tuition is available for families that qualify.
% on Financial Aid
30%

Sports

Total Sports Offered
3 sports

Extracurriculars

Total ExtracurricularsTotal Extra-curric.
9 extracurriculars
ExtracurricularsExtra-curric.
Club or Organization:
Garden Club, LGBTQ Alliance, Student Council

Arts and Music Programs:
Art Classes, Photography Club, Rock Band

Recreational Athletic Programs:
Cross Country, Soccer Team, Volleyball Team

School Notes

  • Located on the westside of Santa Cruz, Gateway School provides students in grades Kindergarten through Middle School with an exemplary education. Small class sizes and programs in Art and Technology, Music, Spanish, P.E., and Life Lab Science complement a robust academic curriculum grounded in Social Emotional Learning. Gateway students are collaborative, creative, love learning, and become compassionate and responsible citizens. Children's innate curiosity and sense of wonder are nurtured daily through exploration, discovery, and hands-on experiences. A Kindergarten through 8th grade model allows students to become leaders and engage in age-appropriate activities which leads to higher levels of self-esteem and academic achievement. A key indicator of student success is family involvement, which remains steady in K-8 schools through the middle school years.Our graduates have an inquiring spirit, are confident, act with grace and courtesy, and stand up for those who need help. 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!
Source: Verified school update

Frequently Asked Questions

What sports does Gateway School offer?
Gateway School offers 3 interscholastic sports: Basketball, Cross Country and Volleyball.
What is Gateway School's ranking?
Gateway School ranks among the top 20% of private schools in California for: Highest percentage of faculty with advanced degrees.
When is the application deadline for Gateway School?
The application deadline for Gateway School is Feb. 10 / rolling (applications are due on Feb. 10 but additional applications are reviewed year-round as space permits ).

School Reviews

  5.00 out of 5  (3 reviews)
5  
The teachers at Gateway are phenomenal! The school delivers rigorous and differentiated education, and I truly feel my daughter is reaching her full potential. Gateway has a strong, evidence-based reading intervention program, which is very rare for a private school. When my daughter ended up needing extra support in learning to read, I was so grateful this program was in place and that Gateway was well prepared to meet her needs. She is now in 4th grade, reading at grade level, and loves school.
- Posted by
5  
I LOVE Gateway school and the Gateway community! Both my kids attended from Kindergarten to 6th grade, and I feel it was the best investment we could have made in their development, education, and learning. The most important was that they both develop into self-motivated, curious, and respectful humans. We moved to the US from Norway only 1 year before starting at Gateway, and the Gateway community has been instrumental for our whole family to be integrated into the Santa Cruz community. I'm so grateful to have been part of this.
- Posted by
5  
My son attended Gateway from kindergarten through 6th grade and had a wonderful experience. Teachers went above and beyond to make sure he was thriving in class. The smaller class sizes also supported his learning. He enjoyed the field trips, the hands-on lessons in the Life Lab garden, the music class, and the technology lab time. Recess and PE on the beautiful, spacious campus were fun, and he especially loved the big, organized recess games of Capture the Flag and Castle. He made wonderful friends and felt a real sense of community at the school.
- Posted by

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Quick Stats (2024-25)

  • Top Ranked CA School
  • Grades: Kindergarten-8
  • Enrollment: 243 students
  • Average class size: 15 students
  • Application Deadline: Feb. 10 / rolling
  • Source: Verified school update

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Did You Know?

The average private school tuition in Santa Cruz, CA is $18,174 for elementary schools (read more about average private school tuition across the country).

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