Buckley School (California)

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The Buckley School is a private, coeducational day school in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, serving students from kindergarten through 12th grade. Founded in 1933 by Isabelle Buckley, it follows a “4-Fold” vision that values academics, arts, athletics, and ethical education, summarized in the motto Dare to Be True. All grade levels share one 18-acre campus, making Buckley one of the oldest K–12 coed day schools in the area. The school currently enrolls about 830 students with a roughly 8:1 student-teacher ratio and average class sizes around 17.

Academics and schedule
Buckley is accredited by the California Association of Independent Schools, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, and the California Department of Education, and it is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools. The Middle and Upper divisions run on a six-day block schedule with 70-minute classes, while the Lower division follows a five-day schedule that blends development with structure. The school emphasizes a balanced program of academics, arts, and athletics.

Campus and facilities
All divisions share the same campus. In the 2010s, Buckley expanded its facilities to include STEM classrooms and enhanced performing arts spaces, including a black-box theatre and a dedicated performance area, completed around 2016.

Community and culture
Buckley’s culture is guided by the Buckley Commitment, which sets expectations for respect, kindness, honesty, loyalty, self-discipline, and self-reliance. Students and teachers sign the Commitment at the start of each year. The dress code requires uniforms in school colors, and the mascot is the Griffin. The school’s teams compete as the Buckley Griffins and participate in the CIF Southern Section.

athletics and student life
Buckley offers a wide range of sports, including baseball (boys), softball and volleyball (girls), and mixed activities such as basketball, cross-country, track and field, equestrian, soccer, swimming, diving, golf, fencing, and tennis. The school has a no-cut policy in Middle School athletics. The Student Voice is Buckley’s student newspaper, and The Oxford Comma is another publication, with a yearbook also produced by students.

Tuition and fees
New students pay a one-time fee of $2,000. Annual tuition is about $45,935 for the Lower School and $54,090 for the Upper School.

History and notable facts
Isabelle Buckley began the school with a plan that emphasized academics, arts, athletics, and ethics. Over the years, Buckley moved to the current Stansbury Avenue campus, consolidating all divisions by 1973. In 2002, the Performing Arts Department helped premiere The Sounds of Plaid. The school has earned several journalism and art awards, including recognition from the Los Angeles Times, the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, and the Scholastic Art Awards. In 2019, some Buckley families were connected to the Varsity Blues college admissions scandal.