A child must have a birthdate between May 1, 2021 and July 1, 2022 to be eligible for kindergarten entry in the 2027-28 school year.
Crossroads has established an age eligibility policy based on years of experience, research, and an understanding of the developmental demands of our kindergarten program. Our program is engaging, fast-paced, and includes many transitions and specialist classes throughout the day.
Applications for kindergarten open on August 3, 2026 and are due December 16, 2026.
Crossroads offers daily bus service for students, with one-way and round-trip options available. Routes serve many Los Angeles neighborhoods. View Crossroads bus routes and transportation information here. In addition, Crossroads is located in a transit-rich area of Santa Monica and is accessible by bus, train, bicycle, walking and car. Learn more about our campuses and transportation options here.
No. Once students enroll at Crossroads, they remain part of the school community through graduation and do not need to reapply as they move between divisions. In fact, kindergarten entrants are affectionately known as "lifers" because they have the opportunity to grow and learn at Crossroads all the way through 12th grade.
A wide variety of students thrive at Crossroads. We seek curious, engaged learners who are excited to explore new ideas, build relationships, and contribute to our community. We value a student body that reflects the social, economic, racial, and cultural diversity of Los Angeles, and we strive for balance across many dimensions, including gender. Because our kindergarten program is lively and engaging, with many transitions, we also look for children who demonstrate the emotional readiness to participate successfully in that environment.
We offer tours from September through December as part of the application process. To view available tour dates and sign up for any of our admission events, please visit our admission portal at xrds.org/apply.
Diversity is one of Crossroads’ founding values and central to our mission. We strive to reflect the many backgrounds, identities and perspectives of Los Angeles. Approximately 56% of our students identify as people of color and 44% as White. Our community includes meaningful socioeconomic diversity, with about one in four students receiving support through our Affordability Program. We believe learning in a diverse community enriches every student’s experience and prepares them to engage thoughtfully with the world around them. Please visit our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion page to learn more.
No. We do not administer admission or readiness tests. Instead, our evaluation process includes parent/guardian conversations, teacher recommendations, school records (when applicable) and an in-person visit. These elements help us understand each child and determine whether Crossroads is the right fit for the student and family.
The kindergarten visit is an opportunity for our teachers to get to know your child and for your child to experience life at Crossroads. Children spend the morning participating in age-appropriate classroom activities and interacting with teachers and peers in a setting that reflects a typical kindergarten day. While children are with our faculty, parents and guardians meet with school administrators to learn more about the Crossroads program, community and educational philosophy. The visit is designed to be engaging, welcoming and developmentally appropriate for all children.
No. Crossroads accepts only the application materials required as part of the admission process. Limiting application materials helps ensure a fair and equitable process for all applicants and reflects our commitment to inclusion and accessibility.
Crossroads gives consideration to siblings, alumni families and employee families, but admission is never guaranteed. Ideally, we would like all members of a family to attend Crossroads, but we know that what is right for one child might not necessarily be right for another. We look at each child individually and thoughtfully with an eye to their various needs, strengths and learning styles. Our goal is to ensure that each child feels secure and successful in our learning environment. We seek to balance continuity within families while also welcoming new families into the community.
Crossroads alumni applicants include the biological or adopted children of Crossroads alumni, as well as the biological or adopted siblings of Crossroads graduates.
Additional family circumstances may be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Yes. Families wishing to be considered for a future admission cycle must submit a new application. Because children grow and change significantly from year to year, we rely on the most current information available when evaluating applicants. A new application ensures that our admission committee has an up-to-date understanding of each child's development, experiences and readiness for Crossroads.
The application fee is $175. If the application fee would be a financial barrier, please email afford@xrds.org to request a fee waiver application. Families seeking a fee waiver will be asked to complete a brief form, and eligibility will be determined based on the information provided.
While Crossroads does not offer merit-based scholarships, awards through our Affordability Program are allocated based on demonstrated financial need. Please see the Affording Crossroads page for more detailed information.
Socioeconomic diversity is a core value of the School. Each year, Crossroads provides more than $11 million in affordability assistance to families across a wide range of income levels, benefiting approximately one in four students.
At the heart of all of our educational programs is the nurturing of the social, emotional, physical and spiritual development of each child. Springing from our roots in progressive education, we know that learning should be experiential, child-centered and socially mindful. The beginning years (K-2) of our program allow for the many variations that are a natural function of child development. Accordingly, little homework is given through second grade. From third to fifth grades, students are given increased homework responsibilities, long-range projects and problem-solving opportunities in a non-competitive atmosphere.
In Elementary School, grades K-5, there are approximately 26 children per class and two classes per grade. Each class is staffed with two full-time teachers. Students attend nine specialized classes throughout the week in groups of 13. Specializations include library, STEAM Lab, science, art, music, drama/dance, Spanish and physical education (PE). Students attend PE daily in kindergarten through third grades and four times per week in fourth and fifth grades. When half of the class is with a specialist, the other half is in the classroom, engaged in small group work and one-on-one activities. Each child receives personalized attention in the half groups and an opportunity for collaboration and socialization in the full group setting.
One of the five founding commitments in the Crossroads philosophy is to the development of a student population of social, economic and racial diversity. Our community is a blend of cultures, ethnicities, socio-economic statuses, religions and family types. Within our community of learners, 54% identify as students of color and 38% of our K-12 faculty members identify as people of color. Our families come from 91 different zip codes, and one in four students receives grant awards from our Affordability Program. In our current kindergarten class, 51% of students identify as students of color, the families come from 31 preschools and 20 different zip codes and there are 49 different parent professions.
In the Elementary School, an all-school Social Justice Week launched in 2015 has strengthened our commitment to equity and inclusion. Developmentally appropriate and thought-provoking activities at each grade level produce deep discussions, compelling student presentations and awareness of the need for more equity and fairness in our world and compassion for our classmates and neighbors. Social Justice Week continues to be a critically important aspect of the curriculum.
In 2019, Crossroads launched our groundbreaking Equity & Justice Institute to deepen and extend our work and find meaningful solutions to the challenges our students will inherit, including racism, sexism, poverty, war, environmental degradation, educational inequities, religious persecution and genocide.
Learn more about the School's commitment to diversity and inclusion here.
Crossroads is a true community and every parent/guardian automatically becomes a part of the Parent Association. The parent/guardian/school partnership is essential and we welcome involvement through a range of opportunities, such as joining the hospitality committee, working in the library, serving school lunch, participating in the Crossroads Fund Phon-a-Thon or being a classroom parent. Because we know many parent/guardians have significant work commitments, we make sure there are opportunities for participation in a variety of ways.
Yes. Our before- and after-school program is called Hang Out. The program includes early morning care (at no additional fee), daily and "drop-in" after-school care and enrichment classes, such as jazz band and strings. After-school athletics are offered beginning in grade five.
We offer four bus lines in the morning and afternoon for an additional fee. (Financial assistance is available). All four of the buses have a return trip that picks up from both campuses and leaves school by 3:30 p.m. We also offer zip code lists and maps in order to encourage carpooling.
Please visit our Transportation page for more detailed information.
