Demographics and School Information

La Costa Canyon High School is an exemplary high school within the San Dieguito Union High School District. The approximately 2,500 students in grades 9-12 represent students from the coastal communities of Cardiff, Encinitas, Leucadia, Olivenhain, and south Carlsbad.

Established in 1996, LCCHS is a beautiful campus nestled in the canyon. The school facility includes 120 classrooms, five computer labs, a 470 seat Performing Arts Center, library media center, audio-visual technology facilities, music performance classrooms, architecture/engineering lab, and a two story gymnasium with capacity to seat 2,200, a state-of-the-art all-weather track and field with a stadium seating 5,000 people.

Our commitment to student success has resulted in recognition at the state and national levels. LCCHS was named a California Distinguished School in 2007 and a National Blue Ribbon School in 2002. La Costa Canyon’s API is 817. Our clear vision and shared sense of mission are supported by a challenging and up-to-date curriculum. We have the enthusiastic support of families who share our commitment to help all students achieve high standards.

Student success is supported in a variety of means: such innovative offerings as the Work Experience Program, reading labs, the PLATO Lab, on campus tutoring centers, over a hundred active parent volunteers, extended Media Center hours, and an outstanding Foundation that partners with our school for success. LCCHS programs are significantly enhanced by support of the Foundation, which raises funds and in-kind donations annually to improve educational and developmental opportunities in the areas of visual and performing arts, academic and athletic programs.

LCCHS provides a comprehensive Division I interscholastic athletics program with 26 different varsity-level sports, earning the Mavericks numerous League and CIF Titles. LCCHS offers more than 50 extracurricular student clubs and an Associated Student Body (ASB) to our students each year. LCCHS provides opportunities for all students to participate in our nationally recognized and award winning speech and debate teams, performing arts programs and the only marching band in the area, The Maverick Brigade. LCCHS recognizes the increasingly important role community service or “service learning” plays in the education and personal growth of its students. Large numbers of students are involved in service projects that are curriculum based, community oriented, and largely student initiated.

As a high achieving school with more that 96% of our students attending college after high school, we offer rigorous academic preparation through a combination of Honors level and Advanced Placement Courses. In May 2009, we administered 1439 Advanced Placement Exams to 730 candidates. Of our 2,500, 568 students took the SAT exam, earning an average mean total of 1637. Our expanded access program has led to increased participation in this college-preparation and eligibility process.

We are committed to excellence both in our college-bound courses as well as opportunities in career-based courses. To assist students interested in exploring other options beyond high school we have a flourishing Regional Occupational Program and offer career preparation courses such as Computer Assisted Drafting, Introduction to Engineering, Culinary Arts, Child Development, Video Production, Surf/Lifesaving, Business Math, Digital media and design courses, as well as a Spanish course that prepares students for business interactions. We also offer a Work Experience program that encourages students to develop career-related experience and skills by completing internships or working while receiving high school credit. We encourage students to prepare for career options by taking exams such as the ASVAB occupational exam or the Plan.

LCCHS students are 76% White, 16% Latino, 6.5% Asian/Filipino/Pacific Islander, and 1% African American. Of the approximate 165 students enrolled in the English Language Learner program; 90% of those identify Spanish as their primary language. Other primary languages include Russian, Korean, Farsi, and Thai, among others. Almost 300 are enrolled in the Free/Reduced Lunch Program at LCCHS.