Georgiana Bruce Kirby Preparatory School

Georgiana Bruce Kirby Preparatory School, commonly referred to as Kirby School, is a co-educational non-sectarian independent school located in Santa Cruz, California. The school educates students in grades 6–12.

Georgiana Bruce Kirby Preparatory School
Location
Santa Cruz , California United States
Information
Type	Private
Established	1994
CEEB code	053290
Head of School	Christy Hutton
Grades	6-12
Enrollment	approximately 150
Average class size	12
Color(s)	Blue & White
Mascot	Griffin
Website	kirby.org

History and general information

Kirby School was founded in 1994. The school is named after Georgiana Bruce Kirby (1818–1887), a pioneering suffragist, educator, and public speaker who played a significant role in advancing women’s rights and education in California during the mid-1800s.

In August 2006, the school relocated to the Tarantella building in the Harvey West area of Santa Cruz. The facility, formerly a high-technology complex, provided expanded classroom space, science labs, and dedicated areas for the arts, music, and athletics.

World Language Program and International Immersion

Kirby offers a diverse language program, including American Sign Language (ASL), Latin, and Spanish.

• In 2024, students participated in a language immersion program in Spain and Italy, experiencing the cultures firsthand.
• In 2025, Spanish students expanded their global perspective by traveling to Argentina for an immersive study abroad experience.

Extracurricular

Kirby School has 10 athletic teams. They offer a mix of club teams, as well as teams that compete in the Central Coast Section.

Kirby School has a club scene, with over 25 student-led clubs. Music ensembles and theater productions are also popular. Each year, Kirby puts on three concerts with open-mic events in between. They have a beginner strings group, chamber choir, chorus, jazz band, orchestra, and jazz choir. Kirby puts on three theater productions every year: one play, one musical, and one middle-school musical.

Affiliations

Kirby is a member of and is accredited by the California Association of Independent Schools, the National Association of Independent Schools, and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.