In the fall of 2002, several families began thinking about the prospect for an independent middle and high school in North County San Diego, California.

They crafted a mission statement to guide the development and operation of the school, formed a founding Board of Trustees, and purchased land in south Carlsbad for the campus.

[citation needed] Pacific Ridge School's curriculum and graduation requirements exceed those of the State of California diploma and UC/CSU eligibility.

[citation needed] Pacific Ridge School is a member of the California Interscholastic Federation San Diego Section and competes in the Coastal Conference.

Middle school teams compete in the South Coast Middle School League and offer a “no cut” participation policy, so that all students have the opportunity to play team sports and try a sport with which they may not already be familiar.

Model United Nations: The Pacific Ridge School team participates in several regional and national MUN competitions each year, and hosts the annual North Coast Regional Conference in partnership with High Tech High North County.

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