La Jolla Country Day School

In 1926, Louise Balmer moved to California from Illinois with her four children after the death of her husband, and earned her teaching certificate. She used a one-room cottage on Coast Boulevard as a makeshift schoolhouse for four students and three teachers.[3] Balmer, an alumna of Bryn Mawr College, was an expert on the Winnetka Plan, a learning model that advocated for innovative pedagogies in the classroom, expanding education to include creative activities and an emphasis on the socioemotional development of each child.[4] By 1942, the Balmer School expanded, eventually holding classes in kindergarten through fifth grade in Wisteria Cottage which had been redesigned by famed architect Irving Gill and is now the La Jolla Historical Society on Prospect Street. In 1955, the school received its charter to teach middle and upper school classes, and in 1961 moved to its current location. The first class of high school seniors graduated in 1964.[5] A new chapter of La Jolla Country Day School began in 1957 when it welcomed new headmaster Don Leavenworth who brought with him new school traditions. The young Yale alumnus established the school’s official colors as white and blue (inspired by his alma mater), added a French language program, offered optional uniforms, and started a letterman sweater day on Fridays. [6]\

Over the course of the school’s history, many notable public figures have visited the school such as Theodor Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, who visited the campus to find inspiration for new characters in his stories. Jonas Salk, M.D., founder of the polio vaccine, addressed the first graduating class as commencement speaker and revisited the campus 20 years later to dedicate the student-built observatory. The late movie legend Debbie Reynolds filmed her television special Debbie Reynolds and the Sound of Children on campus in 1969. The film featured nearly all 500 of the school’s students, along with her own children, Carrie and Todd Fisher.[7]

La Jolla Country Day School is accredited by the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS) and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). In addition, the school is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) and the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE).

La Jolla Country Day offers more than 25 Honors courses and 29 Advanced Placement courses in the Upper School. 92% of LJCDS AP students received scores of 3 or higher. In 2019–2020, a total of $5.1 million of financial assistance was given out to students and their families. [8]

The campus spans 24 acres and now contains a theater, a library, an outdoor amphitheater, a double gymnasium, a football field, soccer field, baseball field, 6 tennis courts, a maker's lab, art studios, and computer and science labs.

• Tucker Carlson, conservative political commentator and author, attended, but did not graduate.[15]
• Matthew Zirkle '81, Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy and Chief of Staff for U.S. Naval Forces Europe/Africa and U.S. SIXTH Fleet
• Jandy Nelson ’83, author of young adult fiction including The Sky Is Everywhere and I'll Give You the Sun
• Emma Caulfield ’91, actress, best known for her role as Anya Jenkins on the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer
• David Chan ’91, violinist, and a concertmaster of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
• Victor Cheng ’91, former McKinsey & Company management consultant, strategic planning consultant, public speaker, and author of several business books and caseinterview.com.
• Kate Dillon Levin ’92, the first plus-size model to appear in U.S. Vogue and a Gucci campaign
• Jared Polis ’93, Governor of Colorado
• Rashaan Salaam ’92, running back in the NFL, winner of the 1994 Heisman Trophy
• Joe Carson ’95, professional astronomer and discoverer of extrasolar planets
• Alexandra Stevenson ’99, professional tennis player and former top-20 player in singles
• Diego Rovira ’00, former indoor soccer player for the San Diego Sockers
• Candice Wiggins ’04, former professional basketball player and winner of the 2011 WNBA Championship
• Chrystina Sayers ’05, singer, member of the girl group Girlicious
• Miles McMillan ’07, painter and model, Daily Front Row's 2016 Model of the Year
• Anthony Paolucci '11, current professional golfer in the PGA Tour Latinoamérica
• Kelsey Plum '13, current guard for the Las Vegas Aces; all-time career scoring leader in NCAA Division I women's basketball
• Tommy Edman '13, current professional baseball player for the St. Louis Cardinals
• Alfonso Rivas ’15, current Major League Baseball player for the Chicago Cubs
• Mai-Loni Henson ’16, current basketball player for Le Havre, France

• Primary and secondary schools in San Diego, California

• La Jolla Country Day School Official website
• C-SPAN Q&A interview featuring LJCDS American government and history teacher Sarah Bakhiet, July 3, 2005