Sacramento City Unified School District

Founding

In 1854, city commissioners opened Sacramento's first public school, consisting of two grammar schools and a co-ed primary school. In 1856, Sacramento High School, the city's first high school, opened. It was the second oldest American high school west of the Mississippi River until closing in 2003. In 1894, the board of education abolished segregated education.

Development

In 2012, voters approved two general obligation bonds, Measure Q for $346,000,000 and Measure R for $68,000,000, to improve district facilities.

Demographics

The Civil Rights Project at Harvard University conducted for TIME magazine named Sacramento “America’s Most Diverse City.” Accordingly, SCUSD’s student population is reflected as 36% Hispanic or Latino, 18.3% Asian; 16.3% African American; and 19% white. About 7% of students are of two or more races. Residents within SCUSD speak more than 40 languages; 38% of students do not speak English at home.

Elementary schools

The following is a list of SCUSD elementary schools:

Middle schools

The following is a list of SCUSD middle schools:

High schools

The following is a list of SCUSD high schools:

Charter schools

The following is a list of SCUSD charter schools:

Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education

The Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education was formed by disgruntled parents, educators, and community members to counteract what was perceived as an attack on unionized public schools and the abrogation of the responsibility of the district to fund education for every child.

Background

The Sacramento City Unified School District (SCUSD) Board of Education, led by Superintendent Jim Sweeney, created several charter schools in the district, the most controversial of which is located on the campus of Sacramento High School.

To create a charter school at Sacramento High School, the SCUSD Board made the controversial decision to close Sacramento High School. They then issued a charter to St. Hope, a not-for-profit community development corporation founded by former NBA player Kevin Johnson. St. Hope opened its charter school on September 2, 2003. Some parents, along with the teachers' union, sued the district because it felt the creation of the charter school was not in compliance with California state law. The court found that SCUSD indeed violated the charter school law. A consent decree was entered into by the plaintiffs, St. Hope, and SCUSD. and the settlement required that SCUSD create a public high school for the attendance area served by Sacramento High School. To date several unsuccessful attempts have been made to establish a replacement program for Sacramento High school.