Santa Clara Unified School District

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, San Jose, and Cupertino. The district operates eighteen elementary schools, four middle schools, one K–8 school, five high schools, one community day school, one adult education program, and one dual enrollment partnership with the West Valley–Mission Community College District at Mission College. SCUSD is very diverse, with 38% of students being Hispanic or Latino and 31% being Asian.

History

Before unification

The Santa Clara Unified School District was preceded by three elementary school districts and one union high school district.<ref name=cityhistory>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=SCUSDunification>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Alviso School District

The Alviso School District was established in 1855Template:Sfn and administered several primary schools in the North San Jose and Rancho Milpitas areas.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The district primarily served the children of local farmers and had a significant Japanese population.Template:Sfn In 1965, the Alviso School District served 757 students.<ref name=SCUSDunification />

The Alviso Grammar School was established in 1855 as the oldest school in the area,<ref name="Alviso Grammar School">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and it was where Bank of America founder Amadeo Giannini attended elementary school.Template:Sfn After the school burned down in 1899, it was rebuilt as the Alviso School with funding and land from local rancher George Mayne.<ref name="Alviso Grammar School" />Template:Sfn The Alviso School District also included Midway School and several Japanese-only schools.Template:Sfn

Jefferson Union School District

The Jefferson Union School District was established in 1926Template:Sfn<ref name=Jefferson>Template:Cite news</ref> to administer several primary schools in rural unincorporated areas in Santa Clara and Sunnyvale.<ref name=SCUSDunification />Template:Sfn Jefferson's first superintendent was George Max Wilhelmy,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Buchser's statement" /> who was succeeded by Lawrence C. Curtis in 1932.Template:Sfn In 1965, the district served 11,511 students.<ref name=SCUSDunification />

The Jefferson Union School District initially included the schools of Jefferson, Millikin, Braly, and Agnew.<ref name=Jefferson />Template:Sfn The original Jefferson School was established along the San Tomas Aquino Creek in 1861, six years after the original Millikin School was established on Lawrence Station Road.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn In 1927, a new Jefferson School with more amenities was built at the intersection of Lawrence and Monroe.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Santa Clara Elementary School District

The Santa Clara Elementary School DistrictTemplate:Refn was established by 1925<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> and administered several primary schools in downtown Santa Clara, east of the San Tomas Aquino Creek.<ref name=SCUSDunification /> Its oldest school, the Santa Clara Grammar School, was established in 1867.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn In 1965, the district served 3,366 students.<ref name=SCUSDunification />

By 1960, the Santa Clara Elementary School District included Fremont School,Template:Refn C. W. Haman School, Scott Lane School, Washington School, Westwood School, and William A. Wilson Intermediate School.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Santa Clara Union High School District

The Santa Clara Union High School District was a union school district established before the 1921–1922 academic yearTemplate:Sfn<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> to administer several secondary schools in the areas covered by the Alviso, Jefferson, and Santa Clara Elementary districts.<ref name=SCUSDunification /><ref name="Buchser's statement">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 1959, it served roughly 2,800 students.<ref name="Buchser's statement" />

Santa Clara High School was established in 1872 on the same property as the Santa Clara Grammar School, eventually moving to its own location in 1906.<ref name="Buchser's statement" /><ref name="SCHS history" />Template:Sfn<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> By 1966, the district included Santa Clara High School, Emil R. Buchser High School, Adrian C. Wilcox High School, and Marian A. Peterson High School.<ref name=cityhistory /><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Unification and recent history

Due to rapid population increases and industrialization, the four school districts began making efforts to merge in the 1950s.<ref name="Buchser's statement" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Following new financial incentives offered by the state government in 1964, Santa Clara voters approved school district unification in September 1965.<ref name=SCUSDunification /> The Santa Clara Unified School District was officially established on July 1, 1966,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> to serve neighborhoods in Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, San Jose, and Cupertino.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> SCUSD's first superintendent was Lawrence C. Curtis, who had previously served as the superintendent of Jefferson Union School District.Template:Sfn<ref name=Curtis>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In the 1970s and 1980s, demographic shifts resulted in smaller, older families in the area, causing a 50% decrease in enrollment and the closure of 15 schools before the 1981–1982 academic year.Template:Sfn<ref name="over the years">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Buchser High School closed, and its campus was repurposed as Santa Clara High School's new location.<ref name="SCHS history">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Buchser Middle School was established at the former Santa Clara High School campus.<ref name="over the years" /><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Additionally, Peterson High School was converted into Peterson Middle School, with the high school students joining the Wilcox High School student body.<ref name="over the years" />

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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Agnew Elementary School and Huerta Middle School opened in 2021, and MacDonald High School opened in 2022.<ref name=Agnews>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2017, the district began paying for certain college entrance and Advanced Placement exams to eliminate barriers for low-income students.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

On March 13, 2020,Template:Refn the Santa Clara County Public Health Department announced the closure of all public schools in the county due to the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref name=Soroten_2020>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> At the time of the closure, no SCUSD students or staff had tested positive for COVID-19.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The district began distance learning on March 24, 2020, for grades 6–12 and on March 30, 2020, for grades K–5.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Distance learning continued into the 2020–2021 academic year.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Schools began a phased reopening<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> with a hybrid learning format on March 29, 2021.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The district fully reopened for the 2021–2022 academic year with several precautions, including mask-wearing and weekly COVID-19 screening.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The Santa Clara Unified School District implemented phone- and device-free policies across all schools at the start of the 2025–2026 academic year in accordance with California's Phone-Free School Act.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Multiref2</ref>

Superintendents

• Lawrence C. Curtis (1966–1970)<ref name=Curtis />
• James W. Hoffner (1970–1973)<ref name=SCUSDhistory>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

• Donald J. Callejon (1973–1974)<ref name=SCUSDhistory /><ref name="Tower & Lichtenstein">Template:Cite book</ref>
• Rudy Gatti (1974–1989)<ref name="Tower & Lichtenstein" />
• Donald J. Callejon (1989–1990)<ref name=SCUSDhistory /><ref name="Tower & Lichtenstein" />
• Robert Carter (1990–1993)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=SCUSDhistory />
• Nicholas Gervase (1993–1994)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• Paul Perotti (1994–2005)<ref name=Whiting2007 />
• Rod Adams (2005–2008)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• Steve Stavis (2008–2011)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• Bobbie Plough (2011–2013)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• Stanley Rose III (2013–2019)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• Stella M. Kemp (2019–2022)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• Gary Waddell (2022–2025)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

• Damon J. Wright (2025–present)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Administration

SCUSD is a public school district<ref name=NCES /> governed by an elected Board of Trustees, which appoints the superintendent.<ref name=trustees>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The SCUSD Board of Trustees consists of seven members who serve four-year terms.<ref name=trustees /> In 2022, the district switched from at-large board member elections to district-based representation.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Schools

Schools (2022–2023)

NameTemplate:Nowrap	Grades<ref name=locator>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Opened<ref name=opened>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	City<ref name=map>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Students<ref name=table>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	FTE Teachers<ref name=table />	Pupil/Teacher Ratio<ref name=table />	Logo
Abram Agnew Elementary School	K–5	2021<ref name="agnew opening">Template:Cite news</ref>	San Jose	317	15	21.13
Bowers Elementary School	K–5	1957	Santa Clara	232	13	17.85
Bracher Elementary School	K–5	1958	Santa Clara	236	15.55	15.18
Braly Elementary School	K–5	1855Template:Sfn	[[Sunnyvale, California|Template:Shy]]	352	19.4	18.14
Briarwood Elementary School	K–5	1956	Santa Clara	287	14.6	19.66
Buchser Middle School	6–8	1981<ref name="over the years" />	Santa Clara	715	39.67	18.02
Juan Cabrillo Middle School	6–8	1961	Santa Clara	817	43.43	18.81
Central Park Elementary School	K–5	1957	Santa Clara	430	19.1	22.51
Don Callejon Arts and Design School	K–8	2006	Santa Clara	581	37.2	15.62	File:Download (1)e.png DCADS logo
C. W. Haman Elementary School	K–5	1952	Santa Clara	319	16.4	19.45
Dolores Huerta Middle School	6–8	2021<ref name="agnew opening" />	San Jose	377	17.05	22.11
Kathryn Hughes Elementary School	K–5	1964	Santa Clara	270	15	18
Laurelwood Elementary School	K–5	1964	Santa Clara	521	22.1	23.57
Kathleen MacDonald High School	9–12	2022<ref name="agnew opening" />	San Jose	209	14.07	14.85
George Mayne Elementary School	K–5	1955	Alviso	300	14	21.43
Millikin Elementary School	K–5	1855Template:Sfn	Santa Clara	518	22	23.55
Mission Early College High School	10–12	2017<ref name=MECHS />	Santa Clara	159	6.93	22.94
Montague Elementary School	K–5	1961	Santa Clara	272	16	17
New Valley High School	9–12	2001	Santa Clara	169	13.3	12.71
Marian A. Peterson Middle School	6–8	1981<ref name="over the years" />	[[Sunnyvale, California|Template:Shy]]	729	35.87	20.32
Pomeroy Elementary School	K–5	1952	Santa Clara	300	16.51	18.17
Ponderosa Elementary School	K–5	1964	[[Sunnyvale, California|Template:Shy]]	501	22.7	22.07
Santa Clara Adult Education	Adult	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> || Santa Clara || 581<ref name=adult /> || Unknown || Unknown
Santa Clara Community Day School	6–12<ref name="community day school">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> || 2011<ref name="community day school" /> || Santa Clara || 10 || 2.03 || 4.93
Santa Clara High School	9–12	1872<ref name="SCHS anniversary" />	Santa Clara	1,849	92.81	19.92
Scott Lane Elementary School	K–5	1952	Santa Clara	396	19	20.84
Sutter Elementary School	K–5	1962	Santa Clara	305	15.1	20.2
Washington Open Elementary School	K–5	1961	Santa Clara	309	16	19.31
Westwood Elementary School	K–5	1954	Santa Clara	382	18.1	21.1
Adrian C. Wilcox High School	9–12	1961Template:Sfn	Santa Clara	1,859	92.45	20.11
Wilson High School	9–12	1982<ref name=WilsonHS />	Santa Clara	163	16.32	9.99
District totals (2023–2024)<ref name=NCES />				14,236	730.92	19.48

Closed SchoolsTemplate:Refn

Name	Opened	Closed	City	Namesake
Agnew Elementary SchoolTemplate:Refn	1958<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	1975Template:Sfn	Santa Clara	Abram Agnew, philanthropist who settled in the Santa Clara Valley in 1873<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Bennett Elementary School	1957Template:Sfn	1978Template:Sfn	Santa Clara	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> owner of a tract of land south of Homestead Road<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite map</ref>
Brown Elementary School	1963Template:Sfn	1979Template:Sfn	Santa Clara	Walter G. Brown, secretary of Jefferson Union School District<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Emil R. Buchser High SchoolTemplate:Refn	1957	1981	Santa Clara	Emil R. Buchser Sr., final superintendent of the Santa Clara Elementary and Union High School Districts<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Lawrence Curtis Elementary SchoolTemplate:Refn	1965	1981Template:Sfn	Santa Clara	Lawrence C. Curtis, final superintendent of the Jefferson Union School District and first superintendent of SCUSDTemplate:Sfn
Lawrence Curtis Intermediate School	1958Template:Nowrap	1965Template:Refn
Fremont Elementary SchoolTemplate:Refn	1867Template:Nowrap	1966Template:Nowrap	Santa Clara	John C. Frémont, explorer and U.S. senator from California<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Jefferson Intermediate School	1927Template:Sfn	1975Template:Nowrap	Santa Clara
Mariposa Elementary SchoolTemplate:Refn	1956<ref name=Mariposa />	1978Template:Sfn	Santa Clara
Montgomery Elementary School	1963Template:Sfn	1975Template:Sfn	Santa Clara	John Joseph Montgomery, pioneer aviator and professor at Santa Clara University<ref name=cityhistory />
Monticello Elementary SchoolTemplate:Refn	1961	1981Template:Sfn	Santa Clara
Nadine Bollinger McCoy Elementary School	1959<ref name="McCoy name" />	1975Template:Sfn	Santa Clara	Nadine Bollinger McCoy, clerk of the Santa Clara Elementary and Union High School Districts<ref name="Buchser's statement" /><ref name="McCoy name">Template:Cite news</ref>
Patrick Henry Intermediate SchoolTemplate:Refn	1962	1979Template:Sfn	[[Sunnyvale, California|Template:Shy]]	Patrick Henry, Founding Father of the U.S.
Marian A. Peterson High SchoolTemplate:Refn	1965<ref name=cityhistory />	1981	[[Sunnyvale, California|Template:Shy]]	Marian A. Peterson, board member of the Santa Clara Elementary and Union High School Districts<ref name=cityhistory />
Raynor Elementary School	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> || 1979<ref name=Raynor /> || [[Sunnyvale, California|Template:Shy]] || Raymond and Eleanor Bryant, children of landowners Clarence and Clara Bryant<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
William A. Wilson Intermediate School	1955<ref name=cityhistory />	1981Template:Sfn	Santa Clara	William A. Wilson Sr., school board member and president of the Santa Clara Elementary and Union High School DistrictsTemplate:Sfn<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

High schools

Kathleen MacDonald High School

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} MacDonald High School opened in 2022 and is the newest school in the Santa Clara Unified School District.<ref name=macdonald>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Mission Early College High School

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Mission Early College High School is a dual enrollment partnership with the West Valley–Mission Community College District.<ref name=MECHS>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It was established in 2017 as a college immersion program to replace the former Mission Middle College Program.<ref name=MECHS />

New Valley High School

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} New Valley High School is a small alternative continuation high school.<ref name=NVHS>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Santa Clara High School

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Santa Clara High School is the oldest school in the Santa Clara Unified School District.<ref name="Buchser's statement" /><ref name="SCHS anniversary">Template:Cite news</ref> It moved to the campus of then-Emil R. Buchser High School in 1981.<ref name="over the years" /><ref name=SCHS>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Adrian C. Wilcox High School

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Wilcox High School opened in 1961 and is named after Adrian Clyde Wilcox, a longtime Santa Clara Union High School board member.<ref name=cityhistory />Template:Sfn

Wilson High School

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Wilson High School is an alternative school established in 1982.<ref name=WilsonHS>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Demographics

The Santa Clara Unified School District is very diverse, with most students being Hispanic or Latino (38.1%), Asian (31.1%), or white (15.9%) as of May 2025.<ref name=yearinreview>Template:Cite book</ref> As of 2024, 22.1% of students are English learners, and 32.6% are considered socioeconomically disadvantaged.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Teacher housing

In 2001,<ref name="Casa del Maestro assessment">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> the Santa Clara Unified School District began construction on subsidized townhouses for staff. An initial 40 units opened in April 2002<ref name=Prince2003>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=Bandlamudi2024 /> and cost roughly $6 million to build,<ref name=Prince2003 /><ref name=Christopher2017 /><ref name=Hansen2022 /> funded through certificates of participation<ref name=Christopher2017>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and rental income.<ref name=Hansen2022>Template:Cite news</ref> A $6-million second phase was built in 2008 and opened in 2009.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Casa del Maestro assessment" /> The complex is the first subsidized teacher housing in California<ref name=Prince2003 /><ref name=Palomino2016>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=Bandlamudi2024>Template:Cite news</ref> and has encouraged other school districts to consider similar initiatives.<ref name=Palomino2016 /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=Whiting2007>Template:Cite news</ref>

Transportation

As of the 2023–2024 academic year, the Santa Clara Unified School District has a fleet of 29 school buses.<ref name=schoolbus>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2020, SCUSD received four electric buses through the Carl Moyer Grant Program.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

SCUSD Bus Fleet (2023–2024)

Make/model<ref name="VIN Decoder">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Year<ref name=schoolbus />	Seating capacity<ref name=schoolbus />	Energy source<ref name=schoolbus />	Quantity<ref name=schoolbus />
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<ref name="VIN Decoder" />	Template:NowrapTemplate:Nowrap	Seating capacity	Energy source<ref name=schoolbus />	Quantity<ref name=schoolbus />
Blue Bird All American, Gen 2	1983–2013	Unknown	Diesel	2
Blue Bird All American, Gen 3	1990–2020	Unknown	Diesel	4
Crown SupercoachTemplate:Citation needed	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown

External links

• Template:Official website