About HBCSD

The Hermosa Beach City School District (HBCSD) was established on April 4, 1904, and has proudly served the community for over a century. Below is a timeline of the Hermosa Schools that have shaped our district's history:

HBCSD Timeline of Schools

Ocean View School - was located at 1738 Monterey Boulevard in Hermosa Beach and was the first school built and operated in our school district in 1904. It was sold in 1945 to St. Cross Church.

Pier Avenue School - was located at 710 Pier Avenue in Hermosa Beach and was opened for intermediate/middle school/junior high from 1912 to 1933. It closed due to the 6.4 magnitude Long Beach Earthquake, reopened in 1939, closed permanently in 1975, and sold in 1978. It's now the Hermosa Beach Community Center.

South School - was located at 446 Monterey Boulevard in Hermosa Beach and was opened for elementary grades from 1924 to the mid/late 1980s. It's no longer in existence and was demolished for condos and a city park.

North School - was located at 417 25th Street in Hermosa Beach and was open for elementary grades from 1924 to 1988. Later it was used as an adult education school and child care facility until it was demolished in 2019 to build Hermosa Vista School.

Prospect Avenue School - was located at 6th and Prospect in Hermosa Beach (next to Fort Lots of Fun) and was opened for elementary students and then became the district storage from 1925 to the mid/late 1980s. It's still in existence but is now owned by the City of Hermosa Beach.

Prospect Heights School - was located at 425 Hollowell Avenue in Hermosa Beach and was opened for elementary grades from 1949 to the mid/late 1980s. It's no longer in existence and was demolished for homes and a city park.

Hermosa Valley Vista School - now known as Hermosa Valley School - is located at 1645 Valley Drive in Hermosa Beach and opened in 1949 as Hermosa Valley Vista School, but was converted to a K-8 school and renamed Hermosa Valley School in 1987. In fall 2022, Hermosa Valley began operating as a 5th-8th grade school.

Hermosa View School - is located at 1800 Prospect Avenue in Hermosa Beach and originally opened in 1949, closed in 1988, reopened on September 15, 1993, closed again for reconstruction in spring 2021, and reopened on September 6, 2022, as a TK-2nd grade school. In fall 2023, Hermosa View started operating as a TK-1st grade school.

Hermosa Vista School - is located at 417 25th Street in Hermosa Beach and opened on April 12, 2021. It operated its first year as Hermosa View at Vista School (TK-2nd grade) and its second year as Hermosa Vista School (3rd-4th grade). In fall 2023, Hermosa Vista began operating as a 2nd-4th grade school.

Hermosa Beach Preschool at View - is located at 1800 Prospect Avenue in Hermosa Beach at Hermosa View School. In fall 2023, Hermosa Beach Preschool opened to three to four-year-olds.

Today, HBCSD operates as one school on three sites - Hermosa Beach Preschool at View (three to four-year-olds), Hermosa View (TK-1), Hermosa Vista (2-4), and Hermosa Valley (5-8).

HVS 8th Graders Get To Choose Where to Attend High School - Mira Costa High School or Redondo Union High School

In November 1992, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, and Redondo Beach voters passed Proposition V, also known as split unification, by a 59.1% vote. The vote approved the dissolution of the South Bay Union High School District, which included elementary districts - Manhattan Beach City Elementary School District, Redondo Beach City Elementary School District, and Hermosa Beach City Elementary School District and create separate K-12 school districts. Soon the school districts were reorganized as Manhattan Beach Unified School District (K-12), Redondo Beach Unified School District (K-12), and Hermosa Beach City School District (HBCSD) remained an elementary district with students permitted to attend high school at either Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach or Redondo Union High School in Redondo Beach.

School District Reorganization

AB 325 (Felando) -- School district reorganization. Status: Chapter 24, Statues of 1992.

Specifies conditions for the organization of the South Bay Union High School District, the Manhattan Beach City Elementary School District and the Redondo Beach City Elementary School District and permits high school students who live within the boundaries of the Hermosa Beach City Elementary School District to attend either the Manhattan Beach City Unified School District or the Redondo Beach City Unified School District.