Highland Academy in Carlsbad operates a play-based, Reggio Emilia-inspired preschool and Kinder-prep program for children ages two through transitional kindergarten on a three-quarter-acre campus at 3016 Highland Drive. The curriculum builds on the Reggio Emilia philosophy that children construct knowledge through hands-on exploration, a pedagogical framework that feeds into the structured academic environments at schools such as Carlsbad High School farther along the K-12 pipeline. Classrooms maintain a 1-to-8 educator-to-student ratio, and the outdoor campus includes a vegetable-and-herb garden built in partnership with Return Co., a mud kitchen restocked with upcycled greenery, and sensory-play stations integrated into the natural landscape. Year-round enrollment spans full-time and flexible half-day schedules, supplemented by Homeroom Hourly Child Care, a reservation-based drop-in program that provides by-the-minute care for children ages two through twelve. The performing-arts and movement programming shares a creative-education emphasis with enrichment studios like Evolution Dance Center, extending expressive-arts development beyond the preschool campus. The Highland Drive facility holds a California Community Care License for school-age day care and conducts LiveScan background checks on all staff, board members, and recurring volunteers as a condition of engagement.