The Free School is currently closed for the 2024/25 school year. If you are interested in joining the program in the future, you may submit an application on our Admissions Page. 

SB Free is an independent day school for grades 7-12 in Santa Barbara, California.

Our students design meaningful learning paths, collaboratively create our curriculum, and get real hands-on experience in the community.  

We focus our culture and practice on the most critical areas for teens entering college and careers in the 21st century: 

Preparedness
Our framework fosters learning and innovation skills, foundational literacies, and career and life skills– building competencies for success in a changing world.

Wellness
Teens here enjoy unparalleled respect, voice, and agency– in a safe and supportive environment.

Meaningful learning
Students don’t just take classes, they create them. They design, plan, execute, and reflect on their experience. They take ownership of their education– and their lives.

Grounded in responsibility to ourselves, our community, and our environment– together, we co-create our school and our future.