About Us
A Place for Students to Dream & Achieve
Cabrillo Unified School District serves the communities of Half Moon Bay, Moss Beach, Montara, and El Granada and covers more than 135 square miles, offering 2700 students a nurturing and deeply supportive environment with a rural, small-town feel. This setting lends itself in part to an environmental science focus, with outdoor classrooms and walking field trips built right into the landscape. Committed teachers and classified staff, buoyed by tireless principals and site administrators, dedicate themselves to providing opportunities for students to find their passions through hands-on, discovery-based learning. Indeed, the entire coastside rallies around its schools, understanding the value of engagement and connectedness and uplifting students as the lighthouse of each community.
Our Demographics
CUSD is a socioeconomically and ethnically diverse district with about 51% Hispanic or Latino students, 40% white students, and 9% from other ethnic backgrounds. About 26% of our students speak another language at home and are learning English, and about 46% of our students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches.
Our Schools
CUSD's four elementary schools are assigned by residence area, but parents have the option of sending their students to any school in the district boundary that meets their needs. All of these K-5 schools focus on the whole child and provide social-emotional as well as academic learning. Each school has a unique culture and focus, including exploratory learning, environmental science, multi-age classrooms, and two-way Spanish-English immersion. Students from all four elementary schools come together at Cunha Middle School and Half Moon Bay High School. Students in grades 10-12 who need a smaller, alternative high school setting have the option of attending Pilarcitos High School, which meets students’ needs with a customized educational plan.
Our Community
The close-knit communities of CUSD work alongside local schools to support and nurture students every step of the way, from preschool to 12th grade. Coastside students form deep roots with classmates, teachers, and coaches that allow them to discover and develop their natural gifts and talents in an atmosphere that is safe, supportive, and loving. CUSD students graduate with a strong sense of belonging and a high level of confidence in their ability to navigate the world.
Our Students
More than 80% of CUSD high school graduates have been in the district since kindergarten, and the communities take pride in their achievements and celebrate their victories. In recent years, 95% of CUSD graduates are pursuing some form of post-secondary education, and 59% have completed the University of California/California State University A-G requirements, a more rigorous standard than is required by many private colleges and universities. Each year, many CUSD students attend CA public universities, including UC-Berkeley and UCLA, as well as elite private institutions around the country, including Stanford University.
