Anaheim Union High School District

About Us:

The Anaheim Union High School District is the premiere school system in the premiere county in the state of California. We have so much to celebrate.

Founded in 1898, the AUHSD has a student population of approximately 32,000. The AUHSD is one of the largest school districts in the state, with an average daily-attendance rate of 31,000 students. In comparison, most school districts in California have an average daily-attendance rate of just 500 students.

The district covers 46 square miles and stretches across the cities of Anaheim, Cypress, Buena Park, La Palma and Stanton. Our students, who speak 46 different languages in their homes, attend 20 campuses and come to us from five feeder elementary districts.

We have 2,734 employees, approximately 1,300 of whom are teachers. Our physical plant is enormous—20 campuses equal to the size of two Anaheim stadiums, plus parking lots. The community is benefiting from $257 million in improvements to our campuses, thanks to the voter-approved, Measure Z bond measure and matching funds.

We are proud of the many academic accomplishments of our students, and the teachers who spur them on. Four of our campuses have been recognized as Distinguished Schools by the California Department of Education: Lexington Junior High School, Cypress High School, Western High School, and Oxford Academy. The education department also has recognized Loara High School with a California Title I Academic Achievement Award. Title I funds assist schools in meeting the educational needs of students living near or at the poverty level, and to earn this award a school's socioeconomically disadvantaged students must have doubled the achievement targets set for them for two consecutive years.

U.S. News and World Report awards gold, silver, and bronze medals to the Best High Schools in the nation, and Oxford Academy was ranked No. 4 nationally. Cypress High School earned a silver medal, and bronze medals were awarded to Anaheim and Western high schools and Hope Special Education Center. Newsweek’s list of the nation’s top high schools included just 1,600 campuses, and Oxford came in at No. 11. Also making the list was Cypress High School. In addition, Western High School has been cited by the U.S. and California departments of education as a model school for its efforts to close the achievement gap.

Our junior and senior high school campuses have shown steady, and, in some cases, dramatic improvement on state testing. Five campuses have Academic Performance Indexes above 800, which is the state target: Oxford Academy, Cypress High School, Lexington Junior High School, Kennedy High School, and Walker Junior High School. Western High School is fast approaching that mark. This year, 12 schools increased their APIs by double digits, and any time you see growth, it is a mark of success. In addition, we are pleased to see the growth our English learners have exhibited at the junior high level, indicating a reduction in the achievement gap. Several years ago, the achievement gap was 30 points. Today, it is just five points.

We have the most expansive Career Technical Education pathway program of any school district in the county. We have established 58 career pathways in 12 industries, all designed to lead to meaningful post-secondary employment.

Our e-learning program has exploded. Last year, we had a little over 100 students enrolled in online classes. This year, we have over 1,000 students.

We are the first school district in Orange County to offer graduates a Seal of Biliteracy on their diplomas. To attain the seal, students must show academic literacy in English and a second language through Advanced Placement scores and/or high marks in both languages. The goal is to encourage students to learn and master an additional language and to recognize the mastery of two languages as a valuable asset for participation in the diverse 21st century economy.

We have maintained marvelous programs in music, art, and athletics, despite severe budgetary challenges. Our junior high school intramural-athletics program has a student participation rate of more than 50 percent. More than 15,000 students are enrolled in visual and performing arts classes, and our boys’ and girls’ high school sports teams take home their share of California Interscholastic Federation championships.

The district also is the third-largest employer in the city of Anaheim.