Several years later a school was opened, and Diego Fernandez received $15 a month as its teacher.

But Governor Echeandia ordered that, as not a single scholar attended, this expense be discontinued; yet he required the comandante to compel parents to send their children to school.
In 1833 Presidente Duran, discussing with Governor Figueroa the question of secularization, deprecated too sudden action, and suggested a partial and experimental change at some of the oldest Missions, Santa Barbara among the number.
When the decree from Mexico, came, however, this was one of the first ten Missions to be affected thereby.

Anastasio Carrillo was appointed comisionado, and acted from September, 1833.

His inventory in March, 1834, showed credits, $14,953; buildings, $22,936; furniture, tools, goods in storehouse, vineyards, orchards, corrals, and animals, $19,590; church, $16,000; sacristy, $1500; church ornaments, etc., $4576; library, $152; ranches, $30,961; total, $113,960, with a debt to be deducted of $1000.
The statistics from 1786 to 1834, the whole period of the Mission's history, show that there were 5679 baptisms, 1524 marriages, 4046 deaths.

The largest population was 1792 in 1803.