Capistrano Unified School District (CUSD) is the largest school district in

Orange County Orange County most commonly refers to: *Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area Orange County may also refer to: U.S. counties *Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando *Orange County, Indiana *Orange County, New ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, United States. It is the 8th largest district in the state and the 78th largest in the country. The district currently has 54,036 students and administers 33

elementary school A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ed ...

s, two

K-8 school K8 or K-8 may refer to: * K-8 (Kansas highway), two highways in Kansas, one in northern Kansas, one in southern Kansas * K-8 school, a type of school that includes kindergarten and grades one through eight * AMD K8, the internal designation for the ...

s, ten

middle school A middle school (also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school) is an educational stage which exists in some countries, providing education between primary school and secondary school. ...

s, six comprehensive

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

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charter school A charter school is a school that receives government funding but operates independently of the established state school system in which it is located. It is independent in the sense that it operates according to the basic principle of auto ...

s, and multiple

alternative education Alternative education encompasses many pedagogical approaches differing from mainstream pedagogy. Such alternative learning environments may be found within state, charter, and independent schools as well as home-based learning environments. ...

programs. CUSD has 40

California Distinguished School California Distinguished School is an award given by the California State Board of Education to public schools within the state that best represent exemplary and quality educational programs. Approximately 5-10% of California schools are awarded t ...

s, 11

National Blue Ribbon Schools The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a United States Department of Education award program that recognizes exemplary public and non-public schools on a yearly basis. Using standards of excellence evidenced by student achievement measures, ...

, 19 Golden Bell winning programs, and 36 California Business Honor Roll Schools, among many other award-winning schools and school programs. The district has a graduation rate of 97.2%, much higher than California's average of 85.1%. Every CUSD high school is ranked in the top 1000 US high schools by ''U.S. News & World Report''. Formed in 1965, Capistrano Unified School District encompasses and employs 3,992 people, making it the largest employer in South Orange County. With Laguna Beach Unified School District, it is part of the College and Career Advantage (formerly South Coast Regional Occupational Program) (ROP).

Service area

The school district serves all or part of the following cities and unincorporated areas: *

Aliso Viejo Aliso Viejo (Spanish for "Old Sycamore") is a city in the San Joaquin Hills of southern Orange County, California. It had a population of 47,823 as of the 2010 census, up from 40,166 as of the 2000 census. It became Orange County's 34th city on ...

Coto de Caza Coto de Caza (Spanish for "Hunting Reserve") is a census-designated place (CDP) and guard-gated private community in Orange County, California. The population was 14,799 at the 2017 census. The CDP is a suburban planned community of about 4,000 ...

Dana Point Dana Point () is a city located in southern Orange County, California, United States. The population was 33,107 at the 2020 census. It has one of the few harbors along the Orange County coast, and with ready access via State Route 1, it is a po ...

* Dove Canyon *

Ladera Ranch Ladera Ranch is a master-planned community and census-designated place located in south Orange County, California, just outside the city limits of San Juan Capistrano, Rancho Santa Margarita and Mission Viejo. History Ladera Ranch is a planne ...

Laguna Beach Laguna Beach (; ''Laguna'', Spanish for "Lagoon") is a seaside resort city located in southern Orange County, California, in the United States. It is known for its mild year-round climate, scenic coves, environmental preservation efforts, and a ...

Laguna Niguel Laguna Niguel () is a city in Orange County, California, United States. The name Laguna Niguel is derived from the words "Laguna" (Spanish for "lagoon") and "Niguili" (the name of a Native American village once located near Aliso Creek). As of ...

* Las Flores *

Mission Viejo Mission Viejo ( ; corruption of ''Misión Vieja'', Spanish for "Old Mission") is a commuter city in the Saddleback Valley in Orange County, California, United States. Mission Viejo is considered one of the largest master-planned communities eve ...

Rancho Mission Viejo Rancho Mission Viejo (Spanish: ''Rancho Misión Vieja'', meaning "Old Mission Ranch") is an active ranch and farm, habitat reserve, residential community, and census-designated place in South Orange County, California. Rancho Mission Viejo orig ...

Rancho Santa Margarita :''This article refers to the San Luis Obispo County, California, land grant. For the city of Rancho Santa Margarita, see Rancho Santa Margarita, California'' Rancho Santa Margarita was a Mexican land grant in the Santa Lucia Mountains, in ...

San Clemente San Clemente (; Spanish for " St. Clement") is a city in Orange County, California. Located in the Orange Coast region of the South Coast of California, San Clemente's population was 64,293 in at the 2020 census. Situated roughly midway betwee ...

San Juan Capistrano San Juan Capistrano (Spanish for "St. John of Capistrano") is a city in Orange County, California, located along the Orange Coast. The population was 34,593 at the 2010 census. San Juan Capistrano was founded by the Spanish in 1776, when St. ...

* Wagon Wheel

Schools

Elementary schools

*Aliso Viejo **Canyon Vista Elementary School (

and California Business for Education Excellence "Scholar" School) **Don Juan Avila Elementary School (California Distinguished School and California Business for Education Excellence "Scholar" School) **Oak Grove Elementary School (California Distinguished School and California Business for Education Excellence "Scholar" School) **Wood Canyon Elementary School (California Distinguished School) *Dana Point **Palisades Elementary School **R.H. Dana Elementary School (California Distinguished School and

National Blue Ribbon School The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a United States Department of Education award program that recognizes exemplary public and non-public schools on a yearly basis. Using standards of excellence evidenced by student achievement measures, ...

) **R.H. Dana Exceptional Needs Facility *Ladera Ranch **Chaparral Elementary School (California Distinguished School and California Business for Education Excellence "Scholar" School) **Ladera Ranch Elementary School (California Business for Education Excellence "Scholar" School) **Oso Grande Elementary School (California Business for Education Excellence "Scholar" School) *Laguna Niguel **Crown Valley Elementary School (California Distinguished School) **George White Elementary School (California Distinguished School and California Business for Education Excellence "Scholar" School) **Hidden Hills Elementary School (California Distinguished School) **John S. Malcom Elementary School (California Distinguished School, National Blue Ribbon School, and California Business for Education Excellence "Scholar" School) **Laguna Niguel Elementary School (California Distinguished School and California Business for Education Excellence "Scholar" School) **Marian Bergeson Elementary School (California Distinguished School and California Business for Education Excellence "Scholar" School) **Moulton Elementary School (California Distinguished School, National Blue Ribbon School, and California Business for Education Excellence "Scholar" School) *Las Flores **Wagon Wheel Elementary School (California Business for Education Excellence "Scholar" School) *Mission Viejo **Bathgate Elementary School (California Distinguished School, National Blue Ribbon School, and California Business for Education Excellence "Scholar" School) **Castille Elementary School (California Distinguished School and California Business for Education Excellence "Scholar" School) **Phillip Reilly Elementary School (California Distinguished School and National Blue Ribbon School **Viejo Elementary two-way language immersion school *Rancho Santa Margarita **Las Flores Elementary School (California Distinguished School and California Business for Education Excellence "Scholar" School) **Tijeras Creek Elementary School (California Distinguished School and California Business for Education Excellence "Scholar" School) *San Clemente **Clarence Lobo Elementary School (California Distinguished School) **Concordia Elementary School (California Distinguished School and California Business for Education Excellence "Scholar" School) **Las Palmas Elementary two-way language immersion school (California Distinguished School) **Marblehead Elementary School **Truman Benedict Elementary School (California Distinguished School and California Business for Education Excellence "Scholar" School) **Vista del Mar Elementary School (California Distinguished School and California Business for Education Excellence "Scholar" School) *San Juan Capistrano **Del Obispo Elementary School (California Distinguished School) **Harold Ambuehl Elementary School (California Distinguished School) **Kinoshita Elementary School **San Juan Elementary two-way language immersion school

K-8 schools

*Arroyo Vista K-8 School (California Distinguished School and California Business for Education Excellence "Scholar" School) *Capistrano Home School *Carl Hankey K-8

International Baccalaureate The International Baccalaureate (IB), formerly known as the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), is a nonprofit foundation headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and founded in 1968. It offers four educational programmes: the IB Dip ...

World School (California Gold Ribbon School and California Business for Education Excellence "Star" School) *Esencia K-8 School

Middle schools

*Aliso Viejo **Aliso Viejo Middle School (California Distinguished School and California Business for Education Excellence "Scholar" School) **Don Juan Avila Middle School (California Distinguished School and California Business for Education Excellence "Scholar" School) *Ladera Ranch **Ladera Ranch Middle School (California Distinguished School and California Business for Education Excellence "Scholar" School) *Laguna Niguel **Niguel Hills Middle School (California Distinguished School and California Business for Education Excellence "Scholar" School) *Mission Viejo **Newhart Middle School (California Distinguished School, National Blue Ribbon School, and California Business for Education Excellence "Scholar" School) *Rancho Santa Margarita **Las Flores Middle School (California Distinguished School and California Business for Education Excellence "Scholar" School) *San Clemente **Bernice Ayer Middle School (California Distinguished School and California Business for Education Excellence "Scholar" School) **Shorecliffs Middle School (California Distinguished School) **Vista del Mar Middle School (California Distinguished School and California Business for Education Excellence "Scholar" School) *San Juan Capistrano **Marco Forster Middle School (California Distinguished School and California Business for Education Excellence "Star" School)

High schools

*Aliso Viejo **

Aliso Niguel High School Aliso Niguel High School (ANHS), which is part of the Capistrano Unified School District, is located in the city of Aliso Viejo, California. Most of its students reside in the communities of Aliso Viejo and Laguna Niguel. The school is a Californ ...

(California Distinguished School, National Blue Ribbon School, California Business for Education Excellence "Scholar" School, ''U.S. News/World Report'' "Best High School," ''Newsweek'' "Best High School," and US Department of Education New American High School) *Dana Point **

Dana Hills High School Dana Hills High School is a high school in Dana Point, California opened in 1973. The school's enrollment of nearly 3,000 students is drawn from the nearby communities of Laguna Niguel, Dana Point, Capistrano Beach, and San Juan Capistrano. When ...

(California Distinguished School, National Blue Ribbon School, California Business for Education Excellence "Scholar" School, and U.S. News/World Report "Best High School") *Las Flores **

Tesoro High School Tesoro High School is a public high school in southern Orange County area of Las Flores, California, United States. Established in the fall of 2001, Tesoro is 1 of 6 regular high schools in the Capistrano Unified School District. As of the 2014� ...

(California Distinguished School, California Business for Education Excellence "Scholar" School, ''U.S. News/World Report'' "Best High School," and ''Newsweek'' "Best High School") *Mission Viejo **

Capistrano Valley High School Capistrano Valley High School (often called CVHS or Capo) is a public high school at the southern border of Mission Viejo, California, USA, that is run by the Capistrano Unified School District. It is set on a hilltop overlooking the San Diego Fre ...

(California Distinguished School, California Business for Education Excellence "Scholar" School, ''U.S. News/World Report'' "Best High School," and International Baccalaureate World School) *San Clemente ** San Clemente High School (California Distinguished School, California Business for Education Excellence "Scholar" School, ''U.S. News/World Report'' "Best High School," and International Baccalaureate World School) *San Juan Capistrano ** California Preparatory Academy

virtual school An online school (virtual school or e-school or cyber-school) teaches students entirely or primarily online or through the Internet. It has been defined as "education that uses one or more technologies to deliver instruction to students who are se ...

San Juan Hills High School San Juan Hills High School is a high school located in San Juan Capistrano, California, and it is the sixth high school of the Capistrano Unified School District. The school officially opened in the 2007–2008 school year as a new comprehensive ...

(California Business for Education Excellence "Star" School, ''U.S. News/World Report'' "Best High School," and ''Newsweek'' "Best High School")

Alternative education programs

*San Juan Capistrano ** Capistrano Adult School ** CUSD Adult Transition Program ** Union High School (California Department of Education Model Continuation High School)

Student ethnicity

Controversies

In 1994, a science teacher refused to teach

evolution Evolution is change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. These characteristics are the expressions of genes, which are passed on from parent to offspring during reproduction. Variation ...

because he felt it was a religion. In '' Peloza v. Capistrano School District'', the

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (in case citations, 9th Cir.) is the U.S. federal court of appeals that has appellate jurisdiction over the U.S. district courts in the following federal judicial districts: * District o ...

ruled in favor of the school district. In 2012, Capistrano Unified School District was found guilty for the wrongful death of three-year old Kevin Cisler, who slowly asphyxiated to death on a bus ride home from preschool. The bus driver and CUSD employees failed to properly secure Kevin in his seat, which resulted in the child asphyxiating with the incorrect placement of his chest restraint and seat belt. I
Cisler v. Capistrano Unified School District
the jury found CUSD guilty and negligent in its actions. In 2015, a principal was removed from San Clemente High School. This prompted community outrage and resulted in the removal of the assistant superintendent. Controversies regarding district management have prompted two efforts to recall school board members.

School board

The Capistrano Unified School District has a seven-member board of trustees, with each trustee representing one of seven geographic areas within the school district. Each trustee is elected to a four-year term of office. Trustees must reside in the area they represent. Current board of trustees: *Amy Hanacek, Area 1 *Michael Parham, Area 2 *Lisa Davis, Area 3 *Gary Pritchard, Area 4 *Krista Castellanos, Area 5 *Gila Jones, Area 6 *Judy Bullockus, Area 7 The board of trustees is the policy-making body for the school district. It is charged with providing a quality educational program for students in kindergarten through grade 12 in accordance with the California Constitution, the laws of the state, adopted board policies, and the desires of the community. As elected officials, trustees are state officers responsible for the governance of a political subdivision of the state. The school district is independent of city and county governments, but cooperates with them. In addition to establishing school district policies, the board adopts an annual budget and approves all expenditures, employment decisions, curricula, textbooks, and courses of study, and makes decisions on school sites, building plans and construction contracts. Trustees have no power to act individually in the name of the board. Formal action can be taken only when the board is in session with a quorum of at least half of the trustees.

The superintendent

The administration of the school district is delegated by trustees to a professional administrative staff headed by the superintendent. The superintendent acts as secretary to the board of trustees. Superintendents since unification: *1965-1969 Dr. Charles F. Kenney *1969-1975 Truman Benedict *1975-1991 Dr. Jerome R. Thornsley *1991-2006 Dr. James A. Fleming *2007-2007 Dr. Dennis Smith *2007-2009 Woodrow Carter *2010-2014 Dr. Joseph M. Farley *2014–2022 Kirsten M. Vital Brulte

References

External links

* {{Authority control School districts in Orange County, California Mission Viejo, California School districts established in 1965 1965 establishments in California