Midland School, Los Olivos, California

Last updated

Midland School
Address
Midland School, Los Olivos, California
5100 Figueroa Mountain Road

Los Olivos
,
California
93441

United States
Information
Type Private, Boarding
MottoIn Robore Virtus
(Our Strength Lies in the Oak)
Established1932
Head of schoolHannah Nelson
Faculty20
Enrollment80 total (co-ed)
100% boarding
Average class size11 students
Student to teacher ratio4:1
Color(s)Green and black
Athletics4 Interscholastic Sports
MascotOak Tree
Website www.midland-school.org

Midland School is a small, co-ed, outdoor education, preparatory boarding school [1] for grades 9 to 12 in Los Olivos, California. Midland was founded in 1932 by Kent School and Harvard graduate Paul Squibb. [2] Squibb envisioned a small, rural community reliant on the work of its inhabitants to meet its basic needs. [3] Squibb and his wife, Louise, founded Midland in the midst of the Great Depression, believing that the essentials of education are a student, a teacher, and an idea. [4]

Contents

Campus and surroundings

The school is located on 2,860 acres (12 km²) of largely undeveloped ranchland characteristic of central California's coastal hill country. [5] The main part of the campus is split up into living yards and academic spaces called Lower Yard, Middle Yard, and Upper Yard. The school also has a 10-acre organic farm and garden, grazing land for steers, and a horseback riding facility. [6] Students live in cabins [7] which are heated by small wood stoves. Until 2022 when the school changed over to solar-powered water heaters, students chopped wood to make fires to heat their shower water. [8]

Some 25 percent of Midland's electricity needs are met with grid-tied, student-installed solar arrays. [9] Several campus buildings, including on-campus faculty housing, were constructed decades ago by students and faculty.

Midland is approximately 35 minutes by car from Santa Barbara. It is two hours' drive north of Los Angeles and five hours' drive south of the San Francisco Bay Area. The property neighbors the Los Padres National Forest, the largest national forest in California, and is also adjacent to the San Rafael Wilderness Area, home of the Manzana River and its tributaries. [10]

Student jobs

Midland School students participate in Dish House as part of the jobs program. Midland School student in dish house.jpg
Midland School students participate in Dish House as part of the jobs program.

An integral part of Midland's philosophy is self-reliance, and students and faculty perform much of the work that goes into maintaining the school. All students have daily jobs that are an essential part of school operations. [11]

Farm-to-table and Ranch-to-table programs

The school has a 10-acre (40,000 m2) organic garden. Students help with planting, cultivating, and harvesting the fruits and vegetable that are delivered to the school kitchen or donated to local food pantries. The produce from the garden, orchard, and farm provide about 50% of the food eaten by this California boarding school community. The school also raises grass-fed steers for beef. Students help by moving cattle on horseback and taking part in all parts of the ranching cycle around the property. [12]

Midland School's 10-acre organic farm & garden Midland School Farm and Garden.jpg
Midland School's 10-acre organic farm & garden

Athletics & activities

The athletic program is based around fall, winter and spring seasons. Students are required to participate in one competitive sport per year, in order to promote cooperation and athleticism. Soccer, volleyball, cross-country running, and basketball are offered as competitive options. Midland School competes in the private, college preparatory Condor League.

A student rides a horse to mid-morning assembly at Midland School. Horse on Midland School campus.jpg
A student rides a horse to mid-morning assembly at Midland School.

Students also may elect to spend time in one of Midland's non-competitive athletics programs. Students may work in the campus’ 10-acre (40,000 m2) organic farm, explore the outdoors and build leadership skills, explore circus arts, learn to surf, or join the school's natural horsemanship program. [13] [ better source needed ]

Governance, accreditation and endowment

The school is a non-profit organization governed by a 16-member Board of Trustees. [14] The estimated value of Midland's property is $15,000,000 and the school's growing endowment is currently approaching $4,000,000. Annual giving generally yields $300,000, the bulk of which helps fund Midland's substantial financial aid program. In 2015–2016, Midland awarded over $1 million in need-based financial aid to 47% of the student body.[ citation needed ]

Midland is accredited through 2024 by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), and is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools, the California Association of Independent Schools, The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS) Midland School, the Western Boarding Schools Association, A Better Chance, Inc., The Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, the California Interscholastic Federation, and the National Association for College Admission Counseling.

Awards

Noted alumni and faculty

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References

  1. ↑ "Midland School (2022-23 Profile) | Los Olivos, CA". Boarding School Review. Retrieved October 13, 2022.
  2. ↑ Norris, Jim (February 20, 2008). Los Olivos. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN   9781439635988. Archived from the original on February 26, 2022. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
  3. ↑ Holden, Ming (March 18, 2010). "Schwarzenegger, Solar Power, and Midland School". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on February 5, 2017. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
  4. ↑ "History of Midland | Paul and Louise Squibb". Midland School. August 16, 2021. Retrieved October 13, 2022.
  5. ↑ "Midland School's Wilderness Protected". www.independent.com. February 18, 2009. Archived from the original on February 5, 2017. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
  6. ↑ Virtual Campus Tour - Midland School, California , retrieved October 13, 2022
  7. ↑ The Cabins at Midland: Lower Yard , retrieved October 13, 2022
  8. ↑ Lieber, Ron (October 28, 2016). "The School of Wants and Needs — and Wood-Fired Showers". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on January 7, 2017. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
  9. ↑ Writer, Raiza Canelon/Staff. "Midland School students install campus solar panels". Santa Ynez Valley News. Archived from the original on January 22, 2018. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
  10. ↑ Midland School Webpage. "Visiting Campus". Archived from the original on February 5, 2017. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
  11. ↑ Jobs Program - Midland School, California , retrieved October 13, 2022
  12. ↑ Midland Farm & Garden Program - Midland School, California , retrieved October 13, 2022
  13. ↑ "Boarding School Sports and Activities". Midland School. August 23, 2021. Retrieved October 13, 2022.
  14. ↑ "Midland School Board of Trustees". Archived from the original on February 4, 2017. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
  15. ↑ "It is Easy Being Green at Midland School, California Association of Independent Schools, Faculty Newsletter" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on November 7, 2014. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
  16. ↑ "Midland School Awarded California's Highest Environmental Honor". Daily Kos. Retrieved October 13, 2022.
  17. ↑ "NAIS - Spreading Good Ideas Through the E.E. Ford Foundation". www.nais.org. Retrieved October 13, 2022.
  18. ↑ "Midland School, Advancement & Admissions Offices Wins 2022 Outstanding Website Internet Advertising Award for Midland School Website - Live Your Education". www.iacaward.org. Retrieved October 13, 2022.
  19. ↑ "Mike Rubel, builder of area castle, dies at 67". Archived from the original on February 5, 2017. Retrieved February 4, 2017.

34°43′55″N120°5′14″W / 34.73194°N 120.08722°W / 34.73194; -120.08722

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