Pacific Grove schools: the PGUSD schools, the boundary, and what buyers should check
Pacific Grove Unified School District serves Pacific Grove and part of Pebble Beach. If schools are part of why you are looking here, the boundary matters as much as the house, because the district generally does not take students from outside it. Here is what the district and the California School Directory say.
By Jonathan Balog, Broker Associate, Compass · Carmel-by-the-Sea · Facts checked Nov 12, 2026
The short version: PGUSD runs two elementary schools (Forest Grove and Robert H. Down), Pacific Grove Middle School (grades 6 to 8), Pacific Grove High School (grades 9 to 12), Pacific Grove Community High School and Pacific Grove Adult Education. To attend, a student generally has to live in Pacific Grove city limits or in Pebble Beach between Pacific Grove and the Bird Rock area. As a “basic aid” district, PGUSD has a general policy of not accepting inter-district transfers except in specific situations. Confirm any address with the district’s Business Office at 831-646-6517.
Schools
Two elementary, middle, two high schools and adult ed.
Middle school
Grades at Pacific Grove Middle.
High school
Grades at Pacific Grove High.
Transfer requests
Start date for next year’s requests.
The schools in Pacific Grove Unified
Addresses and phone numbers from each school’s website, checked Nov 12, 2026.
Forest Grove Elementary
1065 Congress Avenue, Pacific Grove, CA 93950. Front office (831) 646-6560.
The school site lists a TK and K tech lab.
Robert H. Down Elementary
485 Pine Ave., Pacific Grove, CA 93950. Front office (831) 646-6540.
Pacific Grove Middle School
835 Forest Avenue, Pacific Grove, CA 93950. (831) 646-6568.
Grades 6 to 8, per the California School Directory.
Pacific Grove High School
615 Sunset Drive, Pacific Grove, CA 93950. Front office (831) 646-6590.
Grades 9 to 12, per the California School Directory.
Pacific Grove Community High
1004 David Ave., Bldg A, Pacific Grove, CA 93950. Front office (831) 646-6535.
Ask the school about its program and enrollment.
Pacific Grove Adult Education
1025 Lighthouse Avenue, Pacific Grove, CA 93950. Front office (831) 646-6580.
PGUSD says residency requirements do not apply to adult education classes.
The district also posts School Accountability Report Cards and state testing information on pgusd.org. I do not rank schools here; visit, read the reports and talk to the schools.
Which homes are in the district
The boundary is not the same as a Pacific Grove mailing address.
Pacific Grove
PGUSD says its boundary generally means within Pacific Grove city limits.
Part of Pebble Beach
It also includes Pebble Beach between Pacific Grove and the Bird Rock area. Families between Bird Rock and Carmel are told to contact Carmel Unified or Monterey Peninsula Unified to find out which district they are in. See moving to Pebble Beach for the rest of the Pebble Beach picture.
Check the map
The district posts an interactive attendance boundary map. Homes inside its shaded areas are in the PGUSD system.
Proof of residence
Board Policy 5111.1 requires the district to enforce residency, and new students submit proof of residence for verification.
Inter-district transfers
Do not count on transferring in from outside the boundary.
A basic aid district
PGUSD describes itself as a “basic aid” district that does not receive state funding to educate students who live outside its boundaries, and it has a general policy of not accepting inter-district transfer students, except in specific situations.
When requests open
The district begins accepting and processing transfer requests for the next school year on January 1.
Reasons it may approve
The district lists students moving into the district soon, children of district employees, mid-year residency changes, certain juniors and seniors with existing permits, and victims of bullying, subject to factors such as space. Board Policy and Administrative Regulation 5117 have the details.
If you are buying in Pacific Grove or Pebble Beach for schools
A short checklist.
1. Confirm the address
Call the PGUSD Business Office at 831-646-6517 with the exact address before you write an offer. In Pebble Beach, ask whether the home is north or south of the Bird Rock line.
2. Check the tax bill
School bonds and parcel taxes show on the property tax bill and differ by district. See Carmel and Pebble Beach property taxes.
3. Compare nearby options
Carmel Unified serves Carmel-by-the-Sea and parts of Pebble Beach. See the Carmel schools guide and the private schools guide.
4. Look at the homes
Browse current listings and neighborhoods on Pacific Grove homes.
Related guides
Other guides on this site that pair with this one.
Buying with schools in mind?
I can confirm the school district for any address before you make an offer, and help you compare homes in Pacific Grove, the PGUSD part of Pebble Beach and the Carmel Unified side of Pebble Beach and Carmel.
Pacific Grove homesPebble Beach homesCarmel-by-the-Sea homes
Questions about a specific address?
Call or text 831-747-0310, or book a 30-minute call.
Before you rely on this
- School names, addresses and phone numbers are from PGUSD and its school websites, checked Nov 12, 2026. Grade spans for the middle school and Pacific Grove High School are from the California School Directory.
- Boundary and transfer details are from the PGUSD residency page, checked Nov 12, 2026. Boundaries and policies can change, so confirm with the district.
- This page does not rank or rate schools.
Pacific Grove schools: quick questions
What schools are in Pacific Grove Unified?
Forest Grove Elementary, Robert H. Down Elementary, Pacific Grove Middle School, Pacific Grove High School, Pacific Grove Community High School and Pacific Grove Adult Education.
Is Pebble Beach in the Pacific Grove school district?
Part of it. PGUSD says its boundary includes Pebble Beach between Pacific Grove and the Bird Rock area. Families between Bird Rock and Carmel should contact Carmel Unified or Monterey Peninsula Unified.
Does Pacific Grove Unified accept inter-district transfers?
Generally not. PGUSD says that as a basic aid district it has a general policy of not accepting inter-district transfer students, except in specific situations such as students moving into the district soon or children of district employees.
When can I apply for a transfer into PGUSD?
The district begins accepting and processing inter-district transfer requests for the next school year on January 1.
What grades does Pacific Grove Middle School serve?
Grades 6 to 8, per the California School Directory. Pacific Grove High School serves grades 9 to 12.
How do I confirm which school district a home is in?
Use PGUSD’s interactive attendance boundary map and call the district Business Office at 831-646-6517 with the exact address.
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