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Santa Clara Unified School District

Coordinates: 37°21′27″N 121°59′44″W / 37.35739264149114°N 121.99544432834782°W / 37.35739264149114; -121.99544432834782
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Santa Clara Unified School District
Address
1889 Lawrence Road
, California, 95051
United States
Coordinates37°21′27″N 121°59′44″W / 37.35739264149114°N 121.99544432834782°W / 37.35739264149114; -121.99544432834782
District information
TypePublic[1]
MottoUnlocking infinite potential in every child[5]
GradesK–12[1]
EstablishedSeptember 28, 1965
(59 years ago)
 (1965-09-28)[2]
SuperintendentGary Waddell[3]
Schools31[4]
NCES District ID0635430[1]
Students and staff
Students13,919[1] (2022–2023)
Teachers720.69 (FTE)[1] (2022–2023)
Staff1,582.07 (FTE)[1] (2022–2023)
Student–teacher ratio19.31[1] (2022–2023)
Colors  Dark Blue
  Orange
  Blue
  Yellow[5]
Other information
Websitewww.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 (K5), four middle schools (68), one K8 school, five high schools (912), 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

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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,[b] the Santa Clara Elementary School District,[c] the Santa Clara Union High School District,[d] and the Jefferson School District.[e] Due to rapid population increases and industrialization, the four districts began making efforts to merge in the 1950s.[10][21] 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.[22][23]

The Santa Clara Unified School District experienced declining enrollment throughout the 1970s and 1980s, resulting in the closure of 15 schools and significant restructuring before the 1981–1982 school year.[16][24] Buchser High School closed, and its campus was repurposed as Santa Clara High School's new location.[9][25] Buchser Junior High School[f] was established at the former Santa Clara High School campus.[16][26] Additionally, Peterson High School was converted into Peterson Middle School, with the high school students joining the Wilcox High School student body.[16]

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.[27] Agnew Elementary School and Huerta Middle School opened in 2021, and MacDonald High School opened in 2022.[28]

Superintendents

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  • Lawrence C. Curtis (1966–1970)[23]
  • J.W. Hoffner (1970–1973)[29][30]
  • Donald Callejon (1973–1974)[31]
  • Rudy Gatti (1974–1989)[31]
  • Donald Callejon (1989–1990)[31]
  • Bob Carter (1990–1993)[32][33][34][35]
  • Nicholas Gervase (1993–1995)[36][37]
  • Paul Perotti (1995–2005)[38]
  • Rod Adams (2005–2008)[39]
  • Steve Stavis (2008–2011)[40]
  • Bobbie Plough (2011–2013)[41]
  • Stanley Rose III (2013–2019)[42][43]
  • Stella M. Kemp (2019–2022)[44]
  • Gary Waddell (2022–present)[45]

Schools

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Schools (2022–2023)
Name[4][46] Grades[47] City[48] Students[49] FTE Teachers[49] Pupil/Teacher Ratio[49]
Abram Agnew Elementary School K5 San Jose 317 15 21.13
Bowers Elementary School K5 Santa Clara 232 13 17.85
Bracher Elementary School K5 Santa Clara 236 15.55 15.18
Braly Elementary School K5 Sunnyvale 352 19.4 18.14
Briarwood Elementary School K5 Santa Clara 287 14.6 19.66
Buchser Middle School 68 Santa Clara 715 39.67 18.02
Juan Cabrillo Middle School 68 Santa Clara 817 43.43 18.81
Central Park Elementary School K5 Santa Clara 430 19.1 22.51
Don Callejon Arts and Design School K8 Santa Clara 581 37.2 15.62
C. W. Haman Elementary School K5 Santa Clara 319 16.4 19.45
Dolores Huerta Middle School 68 San Jose 377 17.05 22.11
Kathryn Hughes Elementary School K5 Santa Clara 270 15 18
Laurelwood Elementary School K5 Santa Clara 521 22.1 23.57
Kathleen MacDonald High School 912 San Jose 209 14.07 14.85
George Mayne Elementary School K5 Alviso 300 14 21.43
Millikin Elementary School K5 Santa Clara 518 22 23.55
Mission Early College High School 1012 Santa Clara 159 6.93 22.94
Montague Elementary School K5 Santa Clara 272 16 17
New Valley High School 912 Santa Clara 169 13.3 12.71
Marian A. Peterson Middle School 68 Sunnyvale 729 35.87 20.32
Pomeroy Elementary School K5 Santa Clara 300 16.51 18.17
Ponderosa Elementary School K5 Sunnyvale 501 22.7 22.07
Santa Clara Adult Education Adult Santa Clara Unknown Unknown Unknown
Santa Clara Community Day School 612[50] Santa Clara 10 2.03 4.93
Santa Clara High School 912 Santa Clara 1849 92.81 19.92
Scott Lane Elementary School K5 Santa Clara 396 19 20.84
Sutter Elementary School K5 Santa Clara 305 15.1 20.2
Washington Open Elementary School K5 Santa Clara 309 16 19.31
Westwood Elementary School K5 Santa Clara 382 18.1 21.1
Adrian C. Wilcox High School 912 Santa Clara 1859 92.45 20.11
Wilson High School 912 Santa Clara 163 16.32 9.99

High schools

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Kathleen MacDonald High School

[edit]

MacDonald High School opened in 2022 and is the newest school in the Santa Clara Unified School District.[51]

Mission Early College High School

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Mission Early College High School is a dual enrollment partnership with the West Valley–Mission Community College District.[52] It was established in 2017 as a college immersion program to replace the former Mission Middle College Program.[52]

New Valley High School

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New Valley High School is a small alternative continuation high school.[53]

Santa Clara High School

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Santa Clara High School is the oldest school in the Santa Clara Unified School District.[10][54] It moved to the campus of then-Emil R. Buchser High School in 1981.[16][55]

Adrian C. Wilcox High School

[edit]

Wilcox High School opened in 1961 and is named after Adrian Clyde Wilcox, a longtime Santa Clara Union High School board member.[13][56]

Wilson High School

[edit]

Wilson High School is an alternative school established in 1982[57]

Teacher housing

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In 2002 the district opened Casa del Maestro ("House of the Teacher" in Spanish) as the first district-built teacher housing in California.[58] A second phase opened in 2009.[59]

Transportation

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As of the 2023–2024 school year, the Santa Clara Unified School District has a fleet of 29 school buses.[60] In 2020, SCUSD received four electric buses through the Carl Moyer Grant Program.[61]

SCUSD Bus Fleet (2023–2024)
Make/model[62] Year[60] Seating capacity[60] Energy source[60] Quantity[60]
Thomas Saf-T-Liner ER 1993 90 Diesel 1
Blue Bird TC/2000 1998 84 Diesel 1
Thomas MVP-ER 1998 84 Diesel 1
Blue Bird All American A3RE 1999 84 Diesel 1
Blue Bird All American A3RE 2000 84 Diesel 6
Thomas MVP-ER 2002 84 Diesel 1
Thomas HDX 2003 84 Diesel 6
Blue Bird All American D3RE 2013 78 Diesel 2
Blue Bird All American T3RE 2015 78 Diesel 6
Blue Bird All American T3RE Electric 2020 81 Electric 4
SCUSD Decommissioned Buses
Make/model[62] In service[60][62] Seating capacity Energy source Quantity[60]
Blue Bird All American, Gen 2 1983–2013 Unknown Diesel 2
Blue Bird All American, Gen 3 1990–2020 Unknown Diesel 4
Crown Supercoach[citation needed] Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown

Notes

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  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. ^ The Alviso School District was likely established as the authority of the Alviso Grammar School, which opened in 1855.[14] It primarily served the children of local farmers in the North San Jose and Rancho Milpitas areas.[15]: 122  The district had a high Japanese population, and there were many Japanese schools in the area.[15]: 123  After the grammar school burned down in 1899,[14] it was rebuilt as the Alviso School.[15]: 124 
  3. ^ As of the 1959–1960 school year, the Santa Clara Elementary School District included Fremont School (previously the Santa Clara Grammar School),[16] C. W. Haman School, Scott Lane School, Washington School, Westwood School, and William A. Wilson Intermediate School.[17]
  4. ^ 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.[18]
  5. ^ The Jefferson School District likely formed from Jefferson School[19] and three other schoolhouses in rural, unincorporated areas.[2][20] As of the 1959–1960 school year, the district included the schools of Braly, Doyle, Jefferson, and Agnew.[10]
  6. ^ Buchser Junior High School became Buchser Middle School in 1986.[26]

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 "Alviso Local History - San Jose, CA - Signs of History on Waymarking.com". Waymarking. Retrieved December 28, 2024.
  15. ^ a b c Burrill, Robert; Rogers, Lynn (2006). Alviso, San Jose. Images of America. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0-7385-3140-5.
  16. ^ a b c d e Cheng, Cynthia (March 21, 2018). "Santa Clara Schools Over The Years". The Silicon Valley Voice. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  17. ^ "Santa Clara Elementary School District Directory for 1959–60" (PDF). Benefit Capital.
  18. ^ "Santa Clara Union High School District Directory for 1959–60" (PDF). Benefit Capital.
  19. ^ Lichtenstein 2004, p. 86.
  20. ^ Lichtenstein 2004, p. 87.
  21. ^ "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.
  22. ^ Lichtenstein 2004, p. 93.
  23. ^ a b "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.
  24. ^ McLaughlin, Milbrey W.; Pfeifer, R. Scott (1986). "Teacher Evaluation: Learning for Improvement and Accountability and Case Studies" (PDF). Stanford Education Policy Institute. 86 (5). Stanford University: 9.
  25. ^ Towne, Erika (January 11, 2019). "Santa Clara High School Alumni Push to Bring Back Panther Mascot". The Silicon Valley Voice. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
  26. ^ a b "Buchser Middle School 2022–2023 School Accountability Report Card" (PDF). Finalsite. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
  27. ^ "Agnews Property - Future Park". City of San José. December 1, 2015. Archived from the original on November 11, 2017. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  28. ^ Towne, Erika (October 20, 2021). "Final Beam Put Into Place At Kathleen MacDonald High School". The Silicon Valley Voice. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  29. ^ Promethean 1971 (yearbook). Santa Clara: American Yearbook Company. 1971. p. 110.
  30. ^ Promethean '73 (yearbook). Santa Clara: American Yearbook Company. 1973. p. 170.
  31. ^ a b c Tower, Clarence Robert; Lichtenstein, Ken (2014). Legendary Locals of Santa Clara. Arcadia Publishing. p. 46. ISBN 978-1-4671-0121-9.
  32. ^ Knight, Michelle (June 12, 2009). "School trustee frustrated by interim district chief's selection". Camarillo Acorn. Retrieved December 27, 2024. After leaving Oxnard in 1990, Carter served as superintendent of school districts in Northern California and Maryland.
  33. ^ "Decision A244E – Santa Clara Unified School District" (PDF). California Public Employment Relations Board. State of California. April 27, 1993. p. 12. Retrieved December 27, 2024. Superintendent Bob Carter, Ed.D.
  34. ^ Hoberock, Barbara (June 18, 1993). "Education Board Mulls Options In Search for Superintendent". Tulsa World. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
  35. ^ Shields, Todd (May 23, 1996). "Charles County school chief to leave 13 months early". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 27, 2024. Carter was a superintendent in three California school [systems] before coming to Charles County in 1993
  36. ^ "1993–94 Statistical Report for the School Districts of Santa Clara County" (PDF). Santa Clara County Office of Education. p. 4. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
  37. ^ "Personnel Commission Agenda: Regular Meeting #541" (PDF). Santa Clara County Office of Education. October 9, 2024. p. 11. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
  38. ^ "Santa Clara Unified School District § Superintendent". Santa Clara Unified School District. Archived from the original on January 4, 2005. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
  39. ^ Schuk, Carolyn (June 12, 2013). "Santa Clara Education Desk: June 5, 2013". The Silicon Valley Voice. Retrieved December 27, 2024. ...former Superintendent Rod Adams, who retired in 2008 after serving three years...
  40. ^ Sacks, Larry (June 29, 2011). "Superintendent Steve Stavis Retires". The Silicon Valley Voice. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
  41. ^ Cheng, Cynthia (June 26, 2013). "Superintendent Bobbie Plough Retires from the Santa Clara Unified School District". The Silicon Valley Voice. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
  42. ^ Wilson, Alia (May 16, 2013). "Santa Clara Unified names new superintendent". The Mercury News. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
  43. ^ "Superintendent Stan Rose to Retire in June". Santa Clara Unified School District. Archived from the original on November 4, 2020. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
  44. ^ "New Superintendent Announced". Santa Clara Unified School District. Archived from the original on November 4, 2020. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
  45. ^ "Board Names Dr. Gary Waddell Permanent Superintendent". Kathleen MacDonald High School. Finalsite. Archived from the original on December 20, 2023. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
  46. ^ "School Profile Search Results". California Department of Education. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
  47. ^ "Santa Clara Unified School District". MySchool Locator. PowerSchool. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
  48. ^ "2019DistrictMap.pdf" (PDF). Finalsite. Santa Clara Unified School District. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  49. ^ a b c "ELSI - Elementary and Secondary Information System". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
  50. ^ "Santa Clara Community Day - School Directory Details". California Department of Education. March 25, 2024. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
  51. ^ "About Us". Kathleen MacDonald High School. Finalsite. Archived from the original on December 19, 2023. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
  52. ^ a b "Mission Early College High School 2022-2023 School Accountability Report Card" (PDF). Finalsite. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
  53. ^ "New Valley High School 2022-2023 School Accountability Report Card" (PDF). Finalsite. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
  54. ^ Bensch, Andrew (November 3, 2022). "Santa Clara High 150th Anniversary". The Silicon Valley Voice. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
  55. ^ "Santa Clara High School 2022-2023 School Accountability Report Card" (PDF). Finalsite. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
  56. ^ "WHS School Profile" (PDF). Finalsite. Wilcox High School. 2023. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
  57. ^ "Wilson High School 2022-2023 School Accountability Report Card" (PDF). Finalsite. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
  58. ^ Prince, Cynthia D. (2003). Higher Pay in Hard-to-Staff Schools: The Case for Financial Incentives. Scarecrow Press. p. 42. ISBN 0-8108-4696-9.
  59. ^ Dorfman, Thompson (April 12, 2009). "Casa del Maestro – Santa Clara Affordable Housing Program Gets A+ From Teachers". Thompson Dorfman, LLC. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  60. ^ a b c d e f g "Dataset of U.S. School Bus Fleets". World Resources Institute. October 10, 2024. Retrieved December 28, 2024.
  61. ^ "Grant Provides District with New Zero-Emission Buses". Santa Clara Unified School District. Archived from the original on October 30, 2020. Retrieved December 28, 2024.
  62. ^ a b c "VIN Decoder". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Retrieved December 29, 2024.

Further reading

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