Capistrano Unified School District


Capistrano Unified School District is the second largest school district in Orange County, California, 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 schools, two K-8 schools, ten middle schools, six comprehensive high schools, five charter schools, and multiple alternative education programs.
CUSD has 40 California Distinguished Schools, 11 National Blue Ribbon Schools, 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 .

Service area

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

Elementary schools

Controversies

In 1994, a science teacher refused to teach evolution because he felt it was a religion. In Peloza v. Capistrano School District, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals 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. In 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:
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: