FAQs

1. ​​​​​​Do you accept students in later grades? Yes. Each year we have a number of students transitioning into our upper grades. Whether students move to Sea Crest because their families are new to the area, or because their previous school wasn’t meeting their needs, new students (and their families) find a place quickly in our welcoming community. 
    
2. Can students transfer mid-year? Can you accommodate short-term placements? Yes. Some grades do have space for mid-year additions. If you are seeking to transfer into Sea Crest mid-year or a short-time placement, please contact admission@seacrestschool.org to confirm if the grade in which you are interested has openings. 
    
3. How old must my child be to apply? Our Junior Kindergarten (JK) program is open to children who will be four years old on the first day of school. Prospective Kindergarten (K) students who are not quite five, but show developmental readiness for kindergarten, can be considered for admission.
    
4. Is Tuition Assistance Available? Yes. In the interest of creating a socioeconomically diverse community, our school’s tuition is based on a flexible model in which each family’s contribution can be adjusted based on their ability to pay. For more information, keep reading.
    
5. I'm not sure Sea Crest is the right school for my family, can I just visit the school before any commitment? Yes. Feel free to schedule a tour or connect with our admissions department. We will be more than happy to answer any questions. 

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1. How is eligibility for flexible tuition determined? Once students are admitted, the Flexible Tuition Committee reviews the application and determines an appropriate award depending on the family’s particular needs and the School’s flexible tuition policies and budget.
    
2. Does my family earn too much money to apply for flexible tuition? The income levels for families receiving a flexible tuition grant range widely. We strive to make sure that we can meet demonstrated financial need, and families with the same income and the same number of children can receive different aid rewards depending on their individual circumstances.
    
3. Will I hurt my child’s chances of admission if I apply for flexible tuition? No. Flexible tuition applications are filed separately from admissions applications. The Admissions Committee does not know which students are applying for flexible tuition.
    
4. Is the Flexible Tuition application and grant process confidential at Sea Crest? Yes, only the Flexible Tuition Committee, comprised of school administrators, reviews applications and decides grants.
    
5. Is flexible tuition automatically renewed each year? No. Each family on flexible tuition must reapply for each successive year at Sea Crest. Adjustments are made to the flexible tuition package from one year to the next, depending on changes in the family’s circumstances and the school’s resources.
    
6. If I’m divorced or separated, do we both need to submit our financial information? Yes. Both parents/guardians are expected to contribute to tuition regardless of legal arrangements. Non-custodial parents, as well as parents who are divorced, separated, or never married need to submit the required paperwork.

learn more about flexible tuition

1. What happens with children after school? Sea Crest offers a comprehensive Extended Day Program (EDP), also known as JAWS, which daily offers a number of enrichment courses like drama, music, chess, and robotics, as well as study halls, healthy snacks, and free play time. Many of our families enroll on a regular basis for a discounted rate, but drop in is also available. This program runs until 6:00 p.m. to support our families.
   
    EDP/JAWS
    
2. How does the school handle bullying? Because many of our students are with us for all of their primary years and middle school, we have a chance to build a strong sense of community, so bullying is an infrequent problem. Our social-emotional program places a strong emphasis on conflict resolution skills. If hurtful words or actions do arise, our staff’s location all in one building allows for a quick response to the situation and appropriate redirection of behaviors.
    
3. Does the school provide hot-lunch? We are fortunate to partner with a local company which provides hot lunch for families who choose to use them for some or all days. The program is flexible and you can place your order up to 6:00 a.m. on the day of or set a recurring order. There are a variety of options in the app to choose from with options appropriate for any common dietary restriction.
   
   hot lunch program

1. Do students use technology in classrooms? Yes. We incorporate technology in developmentally appropriate ways in line with our mission of serving 21st Century learners. In addition to our Innovation Lab where students engage with new technology like 3-D printing, our JK-1st grades have tablets for scaffolded activities while our 2nd-4th grade classrooms are equipped with laptops. Starting in Upper School 5th-8th, each student uses their own laptop for in-class work and homework, and students take Computer Science and Robotics. The school has a firm no cell phone policy during the school day.
2. How does the school support students with learning differences? Our small class sizes make the Sea Crest environment ideal for students with mild learning differences because they can get hands-on attention and focus from our teachers. Faculty are also given extensive professional development around differentiation. For students with more significant learning differences, we have on-campus space available for them to meet with a private specialist when needed.

1. What is the volunteer commitment for parents? Sea Crest has thrived due to the thousands of hours that our parent body gives to all our programs and events each year. Although there are 20 required volunteer hours from each family every year, most families easily exceed that requirement for “Honorable Hours.”
    
2. What is an Independent School? As an Independent school, we are not constrained by national curriculum mandates or requirements from any religious body. Instead, we are accountable directly to our families and our board. This allows for flexibility to offer new and diverse content, adjust to the needs of our children, and attract top talent to our classrooms. The school is a non-profit entity funded entirely by tuition and the generous contributions of our community.
    
3. What is the school’s approach to diversity? We celebrate diversity at Sea Crest. As much as possible, we strive to attract diversity of all kinds to our school community. Our Social Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum is also a large part of empowering students who embrace and celebrate difference. From our lesson plans to the books we read on campus to the way we interact with each other and others, not just diversity but inclusion is in the forefront of our approach.
    
4. Where do Students attend High School? Approximately 40% of our students attend Half Moon Bay High school after graduating. The remainder pursue their high school diplomas from other independent and parochial schools in the area, from Notre Dame Belmont and Serra to Mercy and Lick Wilmerding, an important number of schools from San Francisco to Silicon Valley. 
   
   Portrait of a graduate
    
5. Does the student body have families from outside Half Moon Bay?
   Approximately two thirds of our families come from Half Moon Bay itself. Many of our families come from Pacifica, San Mateo, Pescadero, or other cities and towns in the area.