York School

York School, a local co-ed college preparatory academy, was founded as a boy's school in 1959 in Pacific Grove (today it's in Monterey near the Laguna Seca Golf Course). It was named for the Diocese of York in England and founded in the Episcopal school tradition, but the school is independent and has never been diocesan. For a time in the 1960s the school housed boarding students. In 1970 the school went co-ed.York is especially proud of its commitment to diversity; it gives need-based financial aid to nearly 40 percent of its 200-plus students. About 40 percent of seniors are recognized annually as National Merit Scholars. Among its alumni, the school counts an animator for "Spiderman II," an internationally-known violinist, a Stanford math professor, a top executive at Universal Studios, and an all-Ivy League soccer goalie.