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SANTA BARBARA, CA – At the March 14, 2024 meeting of the Santa Barbara Planning Commission, the City unanimously and enthusiastically approved Providence School’s application for a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) to enroll up to 250 students on a campus the independent, Christian school is developing at 531 East Ortega Street.
Located at the intersection of Ortega and Salsipuedes Streets, near Ortega Park, the campus will provide a new home for the growing school’s Grades 7–12. Currently, those students attend classes on a portion of the Boys and Girls Club property a few blocks away on East Canon Perdido Street. The combined Middle and Upper School enrollment today is approximately 110 students. (Another 265 Preschool and Lower School students are enrolled on the school’s San Roque neighborhood campus.)
“This attractive, thoughtfully designed campus will strengthen and enhance Providence’s already excellent academic, spiritual, and student life programs,” said Providence Board Chair Dr. Jason Eldred. “Providence has never owned its own campus before, but has never waited for a great campus to be a great school.”
“This is a momentous step for our school,” said Head of School Mr. Soo Chang. “The CUP approval has been in the works for a while and we are grateful to the Planning Commission for opening this door for Providence’s exciting future.”
The Cearnal Collective created plans for the new campus, with landscape architecture design by Arcadia Studios. The 1.45-acre site will feature: a renovated Mid-century modern historic structure; two new inspiring classroom buildings with bright, natural light; beautiful outdoor courtyards fed by trellised walkways designed to enhance student and faculty interaction. Theater and art studio spaces, a library, a chapel, and a 300-seat CIF-regulation-size gym are also planned. DMHA Architects are designing innovative, flexible classroom, office, and meeting spaces to fit the needs of today’s students—and those in generations to come.
The school has undertaken a $24 million capital campaign to fund the campus that has been a dream and a vision for many years.
“We are committed to reaching our fundraising goal,” said Dr. Eldred, “and are excited to create an enduring campus that, God willing, will welcome even more students to make Providence their home.”
