About Our School
Welcome to Lighthouse Community Day School
Lighthouse Community Day School is a community day school serving up to 15 students in grades 9 and 10 within the Fort Bragg Unified School District. Our mission is to deliver exceptional, engaging, equitable, and collaborative learning opportunities for every student.
Once seen as a school for students who had fallen behind, Lighthouse has grown into a recognized leader in innovative alternative education — a place where students in the critical early years of high school are truly seen, supported, and prepared to thrive. We provide our 9th and 10th graders with the foundation skills they need to excel as upper-division students, typically continuing on to Noyo High School.
Award-Winning Alternative Education
In 2024, Lighthouse CDS was honored as one of the inaugural recipients of the California Department of Education's Model Community Day School Award, part of the Model Schools Education Recognition Program, which recognizes outstanding alternative education schools across the state. This recognition reflects the hard work of our students, staff, and community — and our shared commitment to reimagining what school can be.
A Big Picture Learning School
Lighthouse Community Day School is a proud Big Picture Learning school. The Big Picture philosophy places students at the center of their own education. Rather than following a rigid, one-size-fits-all curriculum, students work with dedicated Advisors to develop individualized learning plans built around their own interests, passions, and goals — while also being encouraged to explore new areas and expand their horizons.
Teachers at Lighthouse are called Advisors, and students work closely with the same Advisor over time, building the trust and relationships that make deep learning possible.
How We Learn: The Learning Cycle
The school year is organized into three trimester-long learning cycles. Every cycle begins with students creating an individualized learning plan and ends with a public exhibition of learning — a presentation where each student reflects on their academic growth and personal development over the trimester.
Throughout each cycle, students grow through:
- Independent learning and self-directed exploration
- Advisor-led support and goal-setting
- Team problem solving
- Writing personal memoirs and reflections
- Service learning and other real-world "learning to learn" experiences in the community
Service learning is a cornerstone of the Lighthouse experience. By engaging with the broader Fort Bragg community, students begin building the workplace competency skills they'll carry with them long after graduation.
College Access from Day One
Students at Lighthouse take a dual enrollment class through Mendocino Community College to prepare them for college-level coursework. After completing the dual enrollment class, students have the opportunity to continue taking courses on the college campus — a meaningful head start on their futures.
The School Day
The Lighthouse school day is organized into five periods, each designed to support a different dimension of student development:
Advisory
The heart of the Noyo experience. During Advisory, students work one-on-one with their Advisor to develop their plans, track progress, and build the community bonds and emotional resilience that carry them through school and into life.
Independent Exploration
Students pursue their own personalized learning during this time. They have access to our Maker Space, which is equipped for art, fabrication, woodworking, filmmaking, fashion design, cosmetology, and music.
Spot Lessons
Short-term, teacher-led explorations of ideas and opportunities. The goal is simple: spark interest and open doors.
Health & Wellness
Options for both physical and emotional wellbeing, because a student's whole health matters.
Design Lab
Problem-driven design classes where students work in teams to develop real solutions to real challenges.
Get Involved
Parent involvement is vital to the success of our students and our school. Advisors stay in regular contact with families through phone calls, email, ParentSquare messages, and texts. Learning plans are shared with parents, and families are encouraged to attend their student's exhibitions at the end of each learning cycle.
Parents can also get involved through the School Site Council, Student Study Teams, Pre-Enrollment Conferences, Student Attendance Review Meetings, Community Engagement Initiative opportunities, and a range of volunteer opportunities.
Our School Site Council approves the school's annual plan and some categorical budget expenditures. New members are always welcome, and Spanish interpreters are available at many school meetings.
To learn more about volunteering or getting involved, contact Principal Gary Lewis at (707) 961-2889.
School Information
Address: 250 S. Sanderson Way, Fort Bragg, CA 95437
Phone: (707) 961-2889
Fax: (707) 964-1017
Principal: Gary Lewis
Advisors: Amy Scharmann
ascharmann@fbusd.us | (707) 961-3613