Montecito Union School

Montecito Union School District is a one-school district serving the community of Montecito with transitional kindergarten through sixth grade and a current enrollment of approximately 380 students.  It is governed by a five-member Board of Trustees and is administered by a superintendent, principal, assistant principal, and chief business official.  The Montecito Union School District embraces continuous improvement and growth.  MUSD has been named California Distinguished School numerous times, is a U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School, a U.S. Department of Education National Blue Ribbon School, and is a certified Habits of Mind School.  

Montecito Union School District, a historic cornerstone of the community, is dedicated to providing a comprehensive educational foundation, cultivating a passion for learning, honoring the unique qualities and strengths of our children, and challenging them to attain their full potential.  In order to ensure that each of our students get the time and attention they need, we attract and retain quality teachers who are provided with continual professional development opportunities, offer small class sizes with Board direction to maintain a school-wide average of no more than 18 students per class, and provide a dedicated instructional assistant for each classroom.  

Montecito Union School District is driven by the vision, strategic initiatives, and goals outlined in the Strategic Plan. 

We embrace our Mission: To launch inspired thinkers who positively impact the world.  

We are guided by our Core Beliefs:

1. We commit to creating a school community in which each student is known and nurtured in an atmosphere of physical and emotional safety, as well as trust and respect.  

2. We believe in seeking joy, wonder, and the love of learning.  

3. We commit to providing a comprehensive experience that allows our students to reach their highest potential academically, artistically, athletically, and socially.   

4. We believe collaboration among the community, parents, the school board, administration, and staff leads to decisions that are made in the best interest of our students. “Together we are better.”  

5. We believe all students, employees and volunteers can meet high standards of excellence.  

6. We commit to researching, developing, and applying best practices in order to continually improve all aspects of MUS.  

7. We believe educators are learners who model and nurture intellectual curiosity and rigor, and interdisciplinary and collaborative inquiry.  

8. We commit to designing and delivering a relevant, rigorous, and integrated curriculum that engages students in critical and creative thinking, and allows them to be inquirers and problem solvers.  

9. We commit to teaching character attributes such as leadership, kindness, respect, persistence, integrity, courage, and empathy through example, digital citizenship, purposeful instruction, and meaningful application.  

10. We believe service to others is an essential component of Montecito Union School and the greater community.  

11. We commit to developing the dispositions of personal responsibility and accountability for our learning community.  

12. We commit to modeling and promoting environmental stewardship.