Santa Monica High School in Santa Monica, California

Santa Monica High School is a public high school in Santa Monica, California. It serves grades 9 through 12 within the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District. The California Department of Education directory lists the campus in Los Angeles County and shows it as active. The school is commonly called Samohi. Its main campus is at 601 Pico Boulevard, Santa Monica, CA 90405-1224. The official phone number is (310) 395-3204. The current accountability report identifies Marae Cruce as principal. CDE assigns the school CDS code 19-64980-1938000, a unique state identifier for California schools.

Students can study core subjects, world languages, visual and performing arts, Advanced Placement courses, and career-focused pathways. The school lists Project Based Learning, AVID, dual language immersion, and college and career support. Career Technical Education areas include arts and media, engineering, health science, information technology, public service, and transportation. Students may also join seasonal sports, academic honor societies, student leadership, music groups, theatre, and other activities. The school’s house advising model keeps students with the same house advisor through high school. This structure is designed to support academic planning and student well-being.

Families comparing Santa Monica High School should review more than a single rating. Start with attendance boundaries, residency rules, course choices, and the current bell schedule. Ask how the house advising model fits the student’s needs. Families may also compare Advanced Placement options, career pathways, arts, athletics, health services, and college planning support. New students need an enrollment appointment and must provide required records. The campus serves a large student body, so support access and program fit matter. Read the current accountability report, tour information, safety materials, and calendar before making a school decision.

School Overview and Contact Information

The clearest starting point is the school’s official identity and location. California records list Santa Monica High as an active public high school, not a charter school. It is part of Santa Monica-Malibu Unified and serves grades 9–12. The 2025 School Accountability Report Card gives the full Pico Boulevard address, phone number, principal, and CDS code. It also describes Samohi as a four-year comprehensive high school. Families should use the official website for announcements and the district site for systemwide policies. These sources are more reliable than third-party directories when contact details change.

Enrollment and Registration

Enrollment starts with residency verification inside Santa Monica High School’s attendance boundaries. For the 2026–27 year, the school requires families to call for an appointment; walk-ins are not accepted. Families must bring original or qualifying records for address verification, a birth certificate, complete immunization records, and a recent transcript when applicable. Documents in another language need an English translation. After the school completes enrollment, an advisor helps the student select courses. Returning families complete online data validation through Aeries and then attend the school’s in-person registration process.

Enrollment Figures and Student Support Staffing

The latest published School Accountability Report Card reports 2,588 students for 2024–25. It separates enrollment by grade, so families can see the size of each class. Grade 12 was the largest group in that report, with 710 students. The report also lists 15 full-time-equivalent counselors across academic, social, behavioral, or career roles. It directly reports a pupil-to-academic-counselor ratio of 171.53 for 2024–25. These figures describe one school year, not a permanent campus size. Families should check later accountability reports before using the numbers for future planning.

Academics and Course Areas

Santa Monica High School offers a broad academic program across English, mathematics, science, social studies, physical education, world languages, visual art, and performing arts. Its course pages show advanced study such as AP English, AP Statistics, AP Calculus, AP sciences, and AP history. World language options shown on the school site include French, Japanese, Latin, and Spanish. The 2025 accountability report says students have access to district-adopted materials in every core subject. It also reports that each student, including English learners, receives an individual copy of required textbooks and materials.

Career and Specialized Programs

Career and specialized pathways let students connect classroom work with longer-term goals. Samohi lists Career Technical Education in arts, media and entertainment; engineering; health science and medical technology; information and communication technology; public service; and transportation. Some options sit inside academies that combine career courses with English and other subjects. The Project Based Learning pathway uses interdisciplinary projects, internships, advisory time, and revision-based feedback. Dual language immersion continues a district pathway supported by school and family participation. AVID is also available, with applications posted for students entering grades 9 through 11.

College and Career Planning

The College and Career Center supports planning after graduation. Its official page lists resources for college, careers, military service, and gap years. It also covers college representative visits, financial aid research, the Samohi Scholarship Program, testing, and school documents used in applications. Students may visit before school, during lunch, or after school for independent research. Counselor meetings require appointments. The page states that individual planning meetings are reserved for seniors in the fall, then seniors and juniors in the spring. The center lists regular office hours from 8:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., with meeting-related exceptions.

Health, Wellness, and Family Resources

Student and family support extends beyond course planning. The Health Office operates Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Students who become ill must report there before leaving campus, and a parent or guardian must release them. The school also links families to tutoring, wellness services, crisis support, the Aeries portal, the Family Resource Center, and English learner resources. Family groups include PTSA, ELAC, AAPSSSG, and Puente. The PTSA holds monthly meetings, shares a weekly newsletter, and provides Spanish interpretation at in-person meetings.

Athletics and Student Activities

Samohi offers interscholastic sports across fall, winter, and spring. The official athletics pages list football, volleyball, water polo, cross country, soccer, basketball, wrestling, baseball, swimming, golf, lacrosse, tennis, softball, track and field, beach volleyball, flag football, cheer, and pep squad activities. Participation requirements are handled through athletic clearance, and the school publishes a current tryout resource. Its athletics code places academic achievement, ethical conduct, and sportsmanship at the center of competition. Outside sports, students can find music, theatre, dance, visual art, honor societies, student government, and student news opportunities.

Bell Schedule, Calendar, and Online Tools

The school publishes a current 2026–27 bell schedule page and a separate live calendar. Because daily formats and event times can change, families should use those pages instead of relying on copied schedules. The calendar includes academic presentations, athletic events, homecoming activities, parent meetings, and other campus dates. Students and parents can also use Aeries for school records and updates. The official homepage links directly to the daily bulletin, bell schedules, College Center, Chromebooks and technology help, Clever, the school store, facility updates, PTSA, and the Santa Monica Education Foundation. These links form the main route to everyday information.

Accreditation and Campus Safety

Santa Monica High School received a six-year WASC accreditation in spring 2024, according to its current accountability report. WASC reviews learning, programs, and school operations through a self-study and visiting committee process. The school posts the May 2024 accreditation letter and related review reports. Its 2025–26 safety plan was reviewed through staff and School Site Council processes. The report says the campus practices evacuation, lockdown, active-shooter, and fire drills. It also describes security coverage before, during, and after the school day, with added staffing for events when needed. Families can read the source documents for full context.

Ratings and Reviews

Third-party ratings can help families form questions, but they should not replace official records or a campus visit. Niche’s labeled 2026 profile gives Santa Monica High School an A+ overall grade and ranks it No. 84 among California public high schools. The same profile shows a 3.87 out of 5 user rating based on 866 reviews. These scores use Niche’s own methods and community feedback. They are not issued by CDE, the district, or WASC. Families should compare the rating date and method, then review current programs, school climate information, state data, and personal fit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Parents most often search for the school type, grades, enrollment steps, schedule, programs, and athletics. The verified answers below use current school, district, and state sources. Admission is based on the public-school enrollment process, beginning with attendance-boundary residency verification. The school does not publish an admissions test or private-school tuition schedule. Families should confirm boundaries and required documents before booking an appointment. Program access may depend on grade, prerequisites, an application, or course planning. Current dates belong on the official calendar and bell schedule pages, since copied times can become outdated.