Santa Clara Unified School District

School district in California

Santa Clara Unified School District

Address

1889 Lawrence Road

Santa Clara

, California, 95051
United States
Coordinates| 37°21′27″N 121°59′44″W﻿ / ﻿37.35739264149114°N 121.99544432834782°W﻿ / 37.35739264149114; -121.99544432834782
District information
Type| Public[1]
Motto| Unlocking infinite potential in every child[5]
Grades| K–12[1]
Established| September 28, 1965
(59 years ago) (1965-09-28)[2]
Superintendent| Gary Waddell[3]
Schools| 31[4]
NCES District ID| 0635430[1]
Students and staff
Students| 13,919[1] (2022–2023)
Teachers| 720.69 (FTE)[1] (2022–2023)
Staff| 1,582.07 (FTE)[1] (2022–2023)
Student–teacher ratio| 19.31[1] (2022–2023)
Colors|  Dark Blue
Orange
Blue
Yellow[5]
Other information
Website| www.santaclarausd.org

The Santa Clara Unified School District (SCUSD) is a public school district in Santa Clara County, California, United States that serves roughly 14,000 students from the cities of Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, and San Jose.[1][6] The Santa Clara Unified School District operates eighteen elementary schools (K–5), four middle schools (6–8), one K–8 school, five high schools (9–12), one community day school, one adult education program, and one dual enrollment partnership with the West Valley–Mission Community College District at Mission College.[4] The district is very diverse, with 71% of the community being nonwhite.[7]

## History

[edit]

In 1850, the city of Santa Clara's first permanent school, the Little Brick School, was organized to serve students in grades one through four.[8] In 1867, the Santa Clara Grammar School was built downtown,[8] and Santa Clara High School was established on the same property in 1872.[9][10] However, in 1905, the high school's board of education oversaw the construction of a new building at a different site,[11] and the school moved the following year.[10][12][a] By 1922, the Santa Clara Union High School District was established as a union school district covering the area of several nearby elementary schools.[10]

Prior to 1965, the Santa Clara region comprised four school districts:[2][13] the Alviso School District, the Santa Clara Elementary School District,[b] the Santa Clara Union High School District,[c] and the Jefferson School District.[d] Due to rapid population increases and industrialization, the four districts began making efforts to merge in the 1950s.[10][19] They ultimately unified in 1965 to form the Santa Clara Unified School District.[2] SCUSD's first superintendent was Lawrence C. Curtis, who had previously served as the superintendent of Jefferson School District since 1932.[20][21]

The Santa Clara Unified School District underwent significant restructuring before the 1981–1982 school year.[14] Buchser High School closed, and its campus was repurposed as Santa Clara High School's new location.[22][9] Buchser Junior High School[e] was established at the former Santa Clara High School campus.[14][23] Additionally, Peterson High School was converted into Peterson Middle School, with the high school students joining the Wilcox High School student body.[14]

In June 2014, the Santa Clara Unified School District purchased 59.4 acres of the former Agnews Developmental Center to build a K–12 educational facility.[24] Agnew Elementary School and Huerta Middle School opened in 2021, and MacDonald High School opened in 2022.[25]

## Schools

[edit]

Schools (2022–2023)  Name[4][26] | Grades[27] | City[28] | Students[29] | FTE Teachers[29] | Pupil/Teacher Ratio[29]

|
|
|
|
|

Abram Agnew Elementary School | K–5 | San Jose | 317 | 15 | 21.13
Bowers Elementary School | K–5 | Santa Clara | 232 | 13 | 17.85
Bracher Elementary School | K–5 | Santa Clara | 236 | 15.55 | 15.18
Braly Elementary School | K–5 | Sunnyvale | 352 | 19.4 | 18.14
Briarwood Elementary School | K–5 | Santa Clara | 287 | 14.6 | 19.66
Buchser Middle School | 6–8 | Santa Clara | 715 | 39.67 | 18.02
Juan Cabrillo Middle School | 6–8 | Santa Clara | 817 | 43.43 | 18.81
Central Park Elementary School | K–5 | Santa Clara | 430 | 19.1 | 22.51
Don Callejon Arts and Design School | K–8 | Santa Clara | 581 | 37.2 | 15.62
C. W. Haman Elementary School | K–5 | Santa Clara | 319 | 16.4 | 19.45
Dolores Huerta Middle School | 6–8 | San Jose | 377 | 17.05 | 22.11
Kathryn Hughes Elementary School | K–5 | Santa Clara | 270 | 15 | 18
Laurelwood Elementary School | K–5 | Santa Clara | 521 | 22.1 | 23.57
Kathleen MacDonald High School | 9–12 | San Jose | 209 | 14.07 | 14.85
George Mayne Elementary School | K–5 | Alviso | 300 | 14 | 21.43
Millikin Elementary School | K–5 | Santa Clara | 518 | 22 | 23.55
Mission Early College High School | 10–12 | Santa Clara | 159 | 6.93 | 22.94
Montague Elementary School | K–5 | Santa Clara | 272 | 16 | 17
New Valley High School | 9–12 | Santa Clara | 169 | 13.3 | 12.71
Marian A. Peterson Middle School | 6–8 | Sunnyvale | 729 | 35.87 | 20.32
Pomeroy Elementary School | K–5 | Santa Clara | 300 | 16.51 | 18.17
Ponderosa Elementary School | K–5 | Sunnyvale | 501 | 22.7 | 22.07
Santa Clara Adult Education | Adult | Santa Clara | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown
Santa Clara Community Day School | 6–12[30] | Santa Clara | 10 | 2.03 | 4.93
Santa Clara High School | 9–12 | Santa Clara | 1849 | 92.81 | 19.92
Scott Lane Elementary School | K–5 | Santa Clara | 396 | 19 | 20.84
Sutter Elementary School | K–5 | Santa Clara | 305 | 15.1 | 20.2
Washington Open Elementary School | K–5 | Santa Clara | 309 | 16 | 19.31
Westwood Elementary School | K–5 | Santa Clara | 382 | 18.1 | 21.1
Adrian C. Wilcox High School | 9–12 | Santa Clara | 1859 | 92.45 | 20.11
Wilson High School | 9–12 | Santa Clara | 163 | 16.32 | 9.99

### High schools

[edit]

#### Kathleen MacDonald High School

[edit]

Main article: Kathleen MacDonald High School

MacDonald High School opened in 2022 and is the newest school in the Santa Clara Unified School District.[31]

#### Mission Early College High School

[edit]

Main article: Mission Early College High School (California)

Mission Early College High School is a dual enrollment partnership with the West Valley–Mission Community College District.[32] It was established in 2017 as a college immersion program to replace the former Mission Middle College Program.[32]

#### New Valley High School

[edit]

Main article: New Valley Continuation High School

New Valley High School is a small alternative continuation high school.[33]

#### Santa Clara High School

[edit]

Main article: Santa Clara High School (Santa Clara, California)

Santa Clara High School is the oldest school in the Santa Clara Unified School District.[10][34] It moved to the campus of then-Emil R. Buchser High School in 1981.[14][35]

#### Adrian C. Wilcox High School

[edit]

Main article: Adrian C. Wilcox High School

Wilcox High School opened in 1961 and is named after Adrian Clyde Wilcox, a longtime Santa Clara Union High School board member.[13][36]

#### Wilson High School

[edit]

Main article: Wilson High School (California)

Wilson High School is an alternative school established in 1982[37]

## Teacher housing

[edit]

In 2002 the district opened Casa del Maestro ("House of the Teacher" in Spanish), housing for employees. A second phase opened in 2009.[38]

## Transportation

[edit]

This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

Santa Clara Unified School District consists of the following bus fleet; the amounts are unknown

* Gen 3 Thomas Saf-T-Liner HDX
* Gen 4 Blue Bird All American RE (A3)
* Gen 2 Thomas Saf-T-Liner HDX
* Gen 2 Thomas Saf-T-Liner WestCoast-ER
* Gen 3 Thomas Saf-T-Liner C2 Diesell
* Gen 5 Blue Bird All American RE (D3)
* Gen 6 Blue Bird All American RE (T3) Diesel
* Gen 6 Blue Bird All American RE (T3) Electric (more on the way)

### Historical fleet

[edit]

* Crown Supercoach
* Gen 2 Blue Bird All American RE
* Blue Bird TC/2000

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ In 1922, a larger building was built for Santa Clara High School at a site adjacent to the 1905–1922 location.[10] The 1905 building was then used as Santa Clara's first intermediate school, serving students in grades six through eight.[12]
2. ^ As of the 1959–1960 school year, the Santa Clara Elementary School District included Fremont School (previously the Santa Clara Grammar School),[14] C. W. Haman School, Scott Lane School, Washington School, Westwood School, and William A. Wilson Intermediate School.[15]
3. ^ As of the 1959–1960 school year, the Santa Clara Union High School District included two high schools, Emil R. Buchser High School and Santa Clara High School.[16]
4. ^ The Jefferson School District had likely formed from Jefferson School[17] and three other schoolhouses in rural, unincorporated areas.[2][18] As of the 1959–1960 school year, the district included the schools of Braly, Doyle, Jefferson, and Agnew.[10]
5. ^ Buchser Junior High School became Buchser Middle School in 1986.[23]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f g h "Santa Clara Unified". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved March 5, 2022.
2. ^ a b c d "1965 SCUSD Unification Created Today's Trustee Areas". The Silicon Valley Voice. April 30, 2014. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
3. ^ "Superintendent". Santa Clara Unified School District. Santa Clara Unified School District. Retrieved June 19, 2024.
4. ^ a b c "Schools". Santa Clara Unified School District. Santa Clara Unified School District. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
5. ^ a b "Santa Clara Unified School District". Santa Clara Unified School District. Santa Clara Unified School District. Retrieved June 19, 2024.
6. ^ "About Us". Santa Clara Unified School District. Santa Clara Unified School District. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
7. ^ "ACS-ED District Demographic Dashboard 2018–22". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved June 19, 2024.
8. ^ a b Lichtenstein 2004, p. 84.
9. ^ a b "History of SCHS". Santa Clara High School. Archived from the original on December 31, 2014. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
10. ^ a b c d e f g Buchser, Emil R. (October 11, 1959). "To whom it may concern" (PDF). Retrieved June 25, 2024.
11. ^ "New High School". San Jose Mercury News. Santa Clara. April 17, 1905. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
12. ^ a b Lichtenstein 2004, p. 89.
13. ^ a b "City History". City of Santa Clara. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
14. ^ a b c d e Cheng, Cynthia (March 21, 2018). "Santa Clara Schools Over The Years". The Silicon Valley Voice. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
15. ^ "Santa Clara Elementary School District Directory for 1959–60" (PDF). Benefit Capital.
16. ^ "Santa Clara Union High School District Directory for 1959–60" (PDF). Benefit Capital.
17. ^ Lichtenstein 2004, p. 86.
18. ^ Lichtenstein 2004, p. 87.
19. ^ "Unified District For Santa Clara Schools Rejected". The Campbell Press. July 15, 1954. Retrieved June 24, 2024. "Efforts to unify school districts of Santa Clara, Alviso and Jefferson schools were rejected Tuesday night by trustees of both Santa Clara Union High and Santa Clara Elementary School districts."
20. ^ Lichtenstein 2004, p. 93.
21. ^ "An Oral History Archive for the City of Santa Clara, California - Lawrence Curtis/Mary and Vangie Botello". California Revealed. August 12, 1974. Retrieved December 26, 2024.
22. ^ Towne, Erika (January 11, 2019). "Santa Clara High School Alumni Push to Bring Back Panther Mascot". The Silicon Valley Voice. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
23. ^ a b "Buchser Middle School 2022–2023 School Accountability Report Card" (PDF). Finalsite. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
24. ^ "Agnews Property - Future Park". City of San José. December 1, 2015. Archived from the original on November 11, 2017. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
25. ^ Towne, Erika (October 20, 2021). "Final Beam Put Into Place At Kathleen MacDonald High School". The Silicon Valley Voice. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
26. ^ "School Profile Search Results". California Department of Education. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
27. ^ "Santa Clara Unified School District". MySchool Locator. PowerSchool. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
28. ^ "2019DistrictMap.pdf" (PDF). Finalsite. Santa Clara Unified School District. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
29. ^ a b c "ELSI - Elementary and Secondary Information System". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
30. ^ "Santa Clara Community Day - School Directory Details". California Department of Education. March 25, 2024. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
31. ^ "About Us". Kathleen MacDonald High School. Finalsite. Archived from the original on December 19, 2023. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
32. ^ a b "Mission Early College High School 2022-2023 School Accountability Report Card" (PDF). Finalsite. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
33. ^ "New Valley High School 2022-2023 School Accountability Report Card" (PDF). Finalsite. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
34. ^ Bensch, Andrew (November 3, 2022). "Santa Clara High 150th Anniversary". The Silicon Valley Voice. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
35. ^ "Santa Clara High School 2022-2023 School Accountability Report Card" (PDF). Finalsite. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
36. ^ "WHS School Profile" (PDF). Finalsite. Wilcox High School. 2023. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
37. ^ "Wilson High School 2022-2023 School Accountability Report Card" (PDF). Finalsite. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
38. ^ Dorfman, Thompson (April 12, 2009). "Casa del Maestro – Santa Clara Affordable Housing Program Gets A+ From Teachers". Thompson Dorfman, LLC. Retrieved May 12, 2021.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Lichtenstein, Bea (2004). "Education". Santa Clara. Images of America. Arcadia Publishing. pp. 81–94. ISBN 0-7385-2881-1.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website

* v
* t
* e

Sunnyvale, California

Education

Primary and secondary schools|

* Sunnyvale School District
* Cupertino Union School District
* Fremont Union High School District
* Fremont High School
* Santa Clara Unified School District

Other education|

* Sunnyvale Public Library

Other

Landmarks|

* Sunnyvale Town Center

| Closed|

* Onizuka Air Force Station

|

This list is incomplete.

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* United States

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template