About St. James Academy

For over 70 years, St. James Academy has exemplified the blending of outstanding academic education with caring Catholic values in the heart of Solana Beach.

Our Vision

To enable students, educators, and our community to gain both the desire and the opportunity to practice Christ-centered action in everyday life. As the challenges of contemporary life evolve, SJA continuously evaluates the best processes to enable our students to meet the current and future needs of our community.

Our Mission

St. James Academy instills academic and spiritual confidence through acts of loving unity, service, and humility in a supportive, inclusive community. We teach, care, and nurture each child as if they were our own—because at St. James Academy, we are not just educators, parents, and students. We are family.

Our Core Values

Faith · Knowledge · Community · Service

These four pillars guide everything we do at St. James Academy.

Faith

The Catholic Faith Community of St. James Academy weaves Christ's message into the fabric of each school day so that our children can develop in body, mind, and spirit.

Knowledge

We set high academic standards and challenge our students with a comprehensive curriculum including STEAM, religion, music, PE, and Spanish.

Community

We are family. Faculty and administration work closely with parents to provide the best possible education and support for every student.

Service

We model Christ's teaching, preparing children to live as responsible citizens and faithful stewards of creation in an ever-changing environment.

Our Heritage

A Legacy of Excellence Since 1952

For over seven decades, St. James Academy has been North County's premier Catholic school.

Caring · Encouraging · Believing

St. James is a fully accredited Catholic elementary school (PK-8) that has been serving the San Diego North County Coastal community since 1952. As part of the vibrant St. James-St. Leo Catholic Community, we take great pride in providing a warm, personal, yet challenging educational environment.

In modeling Christ's teaching, we strive to prepare children to live in the world as responsible citizens and faithful stewards of creation. We provide a student-centered, Catholic-based curriculum which values cultural and intellectual diversity in our commitment to excellence.

70+

Years

16:1

Ratio

100%

Placement

1952

Founded

Welcome to Saint James Academy. For over 60 years, SJA has exemplified the blending of academic education with caring Catholic values. We invite you to join our community.

Christine Lang Principal

Our Faculty

Caring, Dedicated Educators

The St. James faculty is united in faith values and dedicated to the principles of Catholic education. This includes instruction in the basic tenets of the Catholic faith in addition to teaching respect for all individuals and encouraging compassion and social responsibility.

All faculty members are committed to their own growth as teaching professionals. St. James employs fully credentialed teachers, with 8 holding master's degrees. Our 16:1 student-to-faculty ratio ensures personalized attention for every child.

Fr. Ricardo

Pastor

Christine Lang

Principal

Susan Hanna

Director of Admissions

Christine Leo

Preschool Director

Accreditation

Fully Accredited Excellence

St. James Academy is fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and the Western Catholic Education Association (WCEA). Our faculty are fully credentialed, many with master's degrees.

National Catholic Education Association

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development

WASC

Western Association of Schools & Colleges

WCEA

Western Catholic Education Association

Recognition

Awards & Honors

Best of North Coast

Union-Tribune Community Press honored SJA as Best Private School for 2018 & 2019, voted by North County residents.

U.S. Green Ribbon School

One of five California schools to receive the U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools Award in 2019.

Carnegie Hall

Our music program has provided students with the opportunity to perform at Carnegie Hall, achieving honors in the arts.

Join Our Community

Experience the St. James Academy difference. Schedule a tour and see why families choose SJA.

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