Mira Costa High School Principal Ben Dale had just landed in New York City when notified that our readers voted Costa the best public school in the South Bay – he was traveling with more than a hundred students of the school’s Vocal Ensemble and Festival Choir, who were set to perform at Carnegie Hall on March 4.
“All of the schools in the South Bay are great schools, so to be considered the top of that group is pretty amazing,” Dale said.
This year, Mira Costa’s API test scores surpassed 900 for the first time. Forbes ranks the school sixth in the nation, and U.S. News and World Report ranks it in the top 100 for math and science. More than 70 percent of Costa’s students passed their Advanced Placement exams, Dale said. “It’s a great place to be,” he said.
Mira Costa High School: 1401 Artesia Blvd, Manhattan Beach, 310-318-7330. www.miracostahigh.org
Runner up: Hermosa Beach Valley School, 1645 Valley Drive, Hermosa Beach, 310-937-5877. www.hbcsd.org
