San Dieguito Union High School District Explained

Address:	710 Encinitas Boulevard
Zipcode:	92024
Type:	Public
Motto:	Engaged, Inspired, Prepared
School Board:	Rimga Viskanta Katrina Young Jane Lea Smith Michael Allman Phan Anderson
Schools:	10
District Id:	3768346
Grades:	7–12
Superintendent:	Anne Staffieri
Students:	13,001 (2020–2021)
Teachers:	515.28 (FTE)
Staff:	938.8 (FTE)
Ratio:	25.23:1

San Dieguito Union High School District (SDUHSD) is a public school district in northern San Diego County, California.^[1] Established in 1936, the district serves over 13,000 students in five middle schools, five comprehensive high schools, and one alternative high school.^{[2] [3]}

History

Prior to 1936, students who lived in coastal North County attended high school in Oceanside. In January 1936, the communities of Encinitas, Cardiff, Solana Beach, Del Mar, Green Valley, and Olivenhain voted in favor to form a new high school district.^[4] San Dieguito Union High School, now San Dieguito High School Academy was the flagship school of the district, in which the first classes were held in September 1936. Architect Lillian J. Rice was hired by the district board to design the school.^{[5] [6]}

The district now serves students from five elementary school districts in North County: the Encinitas, Rancho Santa Fe, Cardiff, Solana Beach, and Del Mar School Districts. Students from those school districts matriculate through the middle schools and high schools.^[7]

Subjects of Study

Students in the SDUHSD district have to take 3 years of math, 2 years of sciences, 3 years of humanities and histories, 4 years of English, and 3 years of a foreign language.

Board of trustees

The district is governed by a five-member school board, called the Board of Trustees.^[8] Since 2017, trustees are elected directly by voters from five separate areas within the district's boundaries.^[9]

The current board trustees include Rimga Viskanta, Katrina Young, Jane Lea Smith, Michael Allman, and Phan Anderson.^[10] Viskanta and Smith have served as board president and board vice president since 2023. Allman and Young were elected to the board in 2020.^[11] Anderson, Smith, and Viskanta were elected to the board in November 2022.^[12]

Viskanta is a policy analyst, and former board trustee for the Encinitas Union School District.^[13] Smith is a businesswoman, and former school teacher and administrator.^[14] Young is a community volunteer who previously served as chairman of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.^[15] Allman was former chairman, president, and CEO of Southern California Gas Company at Sempra Energy.^[16] Anderson is a software engineer.^[17]

Leadership and staff

The president of the board of trustees is Rimga Viskanta. She has served as president since December 2022. Viskanta previously was a member of the Encinitas Union School District board of trustees from 2016 to 2020, where she also served as board president.^[18] Dr. Anne Staffieri, former superintendent of the Escondido Union High School District, has served as superintendent since July 2023.^[19]

On May 10, 2023, the district announced in a press release that Dr. Anne Staffieri would serve as superintendent pending board approval of her contract beginning July 2023. Dr. Staffieri was superintendent of Escondido Union High School District since 2019.^[20] Staffieri succeeds Tina Douglas, associate superintendent of business services, who had served as interim superintendent since April 2022.

Cheryl James-Ward, professor at San Diego State University and former CEO of E3 Civic High School, was hired in November 2021.^[21] James-Ward was placed on administrative leave in April 2022 after controversial comments she made about Asian Americans during a board workshop.^[22] Board trustees Muir, Allman, and Bronstein voted in the affirmative, while Young voted against it. The board subsequently voted unanimously to terminate her contract on June 26, 2022, effective August 15, 2022, without cause.^{[23] [24]}

The board appointed Lucile Lynch as interim superintendent in May 2021.^[25] She served in the role until the board hired James-Ward in November 2021. Lynch was preceded by Robert Haley, who served in the role beginning on November 1, 2018.^[26] He resigned in April 2021.^[27]

School sites and properties

High schools

There are five high schools in the district, including four comprehensive schools and one alternative school. Although officially named academies, there is no official academic or educational difference between San Dieguito and Canyon Crest Academies and Torrey Pines and La Costa Canyon High Schools. SDUHSD uses school choice, which allows any student within the elementary and middle school boundaries to attend any of the four comprehensive high schools.

San Dieguito High School Academy (SDA), formerly San Dieguito Union High School, San Dieguito High School, and San Dieguito Academy, is the district's flagship school.^[28] Opening in 1936, the school is located in Encinitas around one mile from the coast. Similar to Canyon Crest Academy, SDHSA uses a semester class schedule, which allows students to take year-long courses in one semester. During the 2020-2021 school year, 2,059 students were enrolled.^[29]

Torrey Pines High School (TPHS) was established in 1974, located in the Del Mar Highlands area of San Diego.^[30] Torrey Pines enrolled 2,547 students during the 2020-2021 school year, making it the largest school in the district.^[31] It is a traditional high school, using a rotating block schedule with year-long courses. The school's rival is La Costa Canyon High School.^[32]

La Costa Canyon High School (LCC), located in south Carlsbad, opened in 1996 and is the smallest high school in the district. The district's only International Baccalaureate (IB) World School, La Costa Canyon enrolled 1,834 students during the 2020-2021 school year.^[33] It is one of the district's two traditional high schools, using a rotating block schedule. La Costa Canyon is best known for its athletic programs, producing numerous professional sports players.^[34] The school's rival is Torrey Pines High School.

Canyon Crest Academy (CCA) opened in 2004 in the Carmel Valley area of San Diego.^[35] The school uses the semester class schedule similar to San Dieguito Academy. During the 2020-2021 school year, CCA enrolled 2,503 students making it the second largest school in the district.^[36] Canyon Crest has been ranked the #1 high school in the state since 2018.^[37]

Sunset High School

Sunset High School is the district's alternative high school located in Encinitas.

Middle schools

The San Dieguito Union High School District currently operates five middle schools. Earl Warren Middle School is the district's first middle school located in Solana Beach.^[38] Oak Crest Middle School in Encinitas opened in 1957.^[39] Diegueño Middle School in Encinitas was established in 1985, located four miles away from La Costa Canyon High School.^[40] Carmel Valley Middle School opened in 1999 in the Carmel Valley community of San Diego.^[41] Pacific Trails Middle School was built in 2015, a half-mile away from Canyon Crest Academy.^[42]

Recent events

March–June 2021

• On March 19, 2021, Area 5 trustee Kristin Gibson resigned from board, citing personal reasons. The board of trustees would have 60 days to either hold a special election or execute a provisional appointment.^[43] On March 29, 2021, the board of trustees voted 3-1 to execute a provisional appointment.^[44] Michael Allman, Mo Muir, and Melisse Mossy voted in favor of the process; Katrina Young voted against it.
• On April 22, 2021, Ty Humes was unanimously appointed to the board of trustees.^[45]
• At the April 27, 2021 special board meeting, president Mo Muir stated that the board accepted superintendent Robert A. Haley's voluntary resignation agreement effective April 30, 2021.^[46] The agreement stated he would receive one year's salary and the district would "maintain his health and welfare benefits until April 30, 2022."^[47]
• On April 30, 2021, Lucile Lynch was appointed as interim superintendent in a 4-1 vote.^[48] Allman, Humes, Muir, and Mossy voted in favor of the appointment; Young voted against it.
• On June 9, 2021, the district announced that a petition to hold a special election for the Area 5 board seat "was deemed legally sufficient."^[49] Humes was then vacated from the board.^[50]

October–November 2021

• On October 10, 2021, Cheryl James-Ward was announced as the lone finalist for superintendent.^[51] Subsequently, on October 14, 2021, the board voted 3-1 on her contract effective November 1, 2021. Allman, Muir, and Mossy voted in favor; Young voted against it.^[52]
• On November 3, 2021, Julie Bronstein won the Area 5 special election against Humes and a community member.

February 2022

• On February 10, 2022, the board selected three final trustee area maps in the 2020 census redistricting process, mandated by the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA). Maps 1C, 7, and 8 were chosen. Bronstein and Young voted against Maps 7 and 8, citing gerrymandering. Young motioned to include Map 1C in the final options, which passed unanimously 5-0.^[53] The deadline for final map adoption was March 1, 2022.
• On February 14, 2022, the board of trustees adopted Map 8 in a 3-2 vote. Allman, Muir, and Mossy voted in favor of the map; Bronstein and Young voted against it. Before the maps were adopted, superintendent Cheryl James-Ward indicated she received a letter from San Diego County superintendent of schools Paul Gothold. The letter stated the county board of education could take over the redistricting process if any delay were to occur due to litigation over the maps.^[54] Gothold also stated the county was informed that at least one of the maps considered could violate the CVRA. Days later, on February 22, 2022, a lawsuit was filed in the San Diego County Superior Court by two community members against the district. It claimed that the maps "disenfranchised" people of color and was gerrymandered.^[55]

April 2022

• On April 4, 2022, the San Diego County Board of Education voted unanimously to take over the trustee area map decision process for SDUHSD.^[56]
• On April 12, 2022, Melisse Mossy resigned from the board of trustees.^[57]
• On April 20, 2022, superintendent Cheryl James-Ward was placed on administrative leave for comments she made about Asian Americans at a diversity, equity and inclusion board workshop on April 11, 2022. The board of trustees voted 3-1. Allman, Bronstein, and Muir voted for placing her on leave; Young voted against it. The next day, the board unanimously appointed Tina Douglas, associate superintendent of business services, as interim superintendent at a special board meeting.^[58]

May–June 2022

• On May 22, 2022, an article was published by The San Diego Union-Tribune about text messages between board vice president Michael Allman and superintendent Cheryl James-Ward. The messages were read by community activist Mali Woods-Drake during public comments at the May 17, 2022 board meeting. James-Ward confirmed she sent the texts to Woods-Drake. The exchange was regarding a La Costa Canyon High School teacher's mask enforcement. Allman texted obscene language and profanity to James-Ward, and urged her to fire the teacher and the principal, Reno Medina: "I will out this SOB. End of story. Does he not know, or does he know and ignore? If he does not know, fire Medina. If he know and ignores, fire the teacher.”^{[59] [60]}
• On June 26, 2022, superintendent Cheryl James-Ward was fired. The board of trustees voted unanimously 4-0 to terminate her contract, without cause, effective August 15, 2022.^[61]

August 2022

• On August 25, 2022, the board of trustees unanimously adopted a resolution regarding gun violence prevention written by La Costa Canyon High School student body presidents Andrew and Shane Baum. The resolution advocated for safe gun storage and common sense gun laws. It was the first resolution written by the community in district history.^{[62] [63]}

November–December 2022

• On November 8, 2022, Rimga Viskanta, Jane Lea Smith, and Phan Anderson won election to the board of trustees. Anderson defeated incumbent Julie Bronstein in the Area 5 race.
• On December 13, 2022, Rimga Viskanta was elected as board president. The board of trustees voted 5-0.

See also

• List of school districts in San Diego County, California
• List of primary and secondary schools in San Diego
• List of school districts in California

External links

• San Dieguito Union High School District
• Earl Warren middle school
• Canyon Crest
• http://www.sduhsd.net/documents/Achievements/SanDieguito_DARC.pdf
• http://www.sduhsd.net/About-SDUHSD/School-Board/index.html

Notes and References

1. Web site: Our District . 2022-07-06 . www.sduhsd.net.
2. Web site: Our Schools . 2022-06-27 . www.sduhsd.net.
3. Web site: Archived copy . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20190126221201/https://www.sduhsd.net/documents/LCAP/2017-20/18-19%20LCAP%20summary.pdf . 2019-01-26 . 2019-01-26.
4. Web site: History . 2022-11-21 . sdafoundation.com.
5. Web site: Pioneering Women of American Architecture . 2022-11-21 . Pioneering Women of American Architecture . en-US.
6. Web site: Lilian Jenette Rice . 2022-11-21 . San Diego History Center San Diego, CA Our City, Our Story . en-US.
7. Web site: Our District . 2022-11-22 . www.sduhsd.net.
8. SDUSHD Governance Handbook 2020 .
9. Web site: SDUHSD 2017 Redistricting Cranberry 1 Map .
10. Web site: Board of Trustees . 2022-06-27 . www.sduhsd.net.
11. Web site: San Dieguito Union High School District, California . 2022-12-14 . Ballotpedia . en.
12. Web site: Election Night Results . 2022-12-14 . www.livevoterturnout.com . en.
13. Web site: Rimga Viskanta . 2022-12-14 . www.sduhsd.net.
14. Web site: Jane Lea Smith . 2022-12-14 . www.sduhsd.net.
15. Web site: Katrina Young . 2022-12-14 . www.sduhsd.net.
16. Web site: Michael Allman . 2022-12-14 . www.sduhsd.net.
17. Web site: Phan Anderson . 2022-12-14 . www.sduhsd.net.
18. Web site: Rimga Viskanta . 2022-12-14 . www.sduhsd.net.
19. Web site: Billing . Karen . 2023-05-10 . Escondido schools chief tapped to lead San Dieguito district . 2023-05-11 . San Diego Union-Tribune . en-US.
20. Web site: Announcements . 2023-05-11 . www.sduhsd.net.
21. Web site: Billing . Karen . 2021-10-18 . 'Together we move forward': San Dieguito appoints new superintendent . 2022-11-22 . Del Mar Times . en-US.
22. Web site: 2022-04-22 . San Dieguito superintendent on administrative leave for racially biased comment . 2022-07-08 . KPBS Public Media . en.
23. Web site: Taketa . Kristin . 2022-06-27 . San Dieguito school board fires superintendent . 2022-11-22 . San Diego Union-Tribune .
24. Web site: Schmiedeberg . Renee . 2022-06-22 . San Dieguito Union High School District Board Terminates Ward From Superintendent Position . 2022-11-22 . NBC 7 San Diego . en-US.
25. Web site: Billing . Karen . 2021-04-30 . Lucile Lynch named San Dieguito's interim superintendent . 2022-07-08 . Del Mar Times . en-US.
26. Web site: Robert Haley . 2022-07-06 . www.sduhsd.net.
27. Web site: Billing . Karen . April 28, 2021 . Superintendent Robert Haley resigns from San Dieguito school district . July 8, 2022 . San Diego Union-Tribune . en-US.
28. Web site: San Dieguito Academy - About . 2022-12-03 . sd.sduhsd.net.
29. Web site: Search for Public Schools - School Detail for San Dieguito HS Academy . 2022-12-03 . nces.ed.gov . EN.
30. Web site: Torrey Pines High School - Home . 2022-12-03 . tp.sduhsd.net.
31. Web site: Search for Public Schools - School Detail for Torrey Pines High . 2022-12-03 . nces.ed.gov . EN.
32. Web site: Billing . Karen . 2021-11-02 . Torrey Pines takes the surfboard with win over rival LCC . 2022-12-03 . Del Mar Times . en-US.
33. Web site: Search for Public Schools - School Detail for La Costa Canyon High . 2022-12-03 . nces.ed.gov . EN.
34. Web site: La Costa Canyon - Athletics . 2022-12-03 . lc.sduhsd.net.
35. Web site: Canyon Crest Academy - Home . 2022-12-03 . cc.sduhsd.net.
36. Web site: Search for Public Schools - School Detail for Canyon Crest Academy . 2022-12-03 . nces.ed.gov . EN.
37. Web site: 2023 Best Public High Schools in California . 2022-12-03 . Niche . en.
38. Web site: Earl Warren Middle School . 2022-07-04 . www.sduhsd.net.
39. Web site: Oak Crest Middle School . 2022-07-04 . www.sduhsd.net.
40. Web site: Diegueño Middle School . 2022-07-04 . www.sduhsd.net.
41. Web site: Carmel Valley Middle School . 2022-07-04 . www.sduhsd.net.
42. Web site: Pacific Trails Middle School . 2022-07-04 . www.sduhsd.net.
43. Web site: Slane . Bill . 2021-03-23 . The Coast News Group . 2022-11-27 . The Coast News Group . en-us.
44. Web site: Billing . Karen . 2021-03-30 . San Dieguito school board will appoint new trustee . 2022-11-27 . Encinitas Advocate .
45. Web site: Billing . Karen . 2021-04-24 . San Dieguito appoints Ty Humes to vacant board seat . 2022-11-27 . Del Mar Times . en-US.
46. Web site: Billing . Karen . 2021-04-28 . Superintendent Robert Haley resigns from San Dieguito school district . 2022-11-27 . San Diego Union-Tribune . en-US.
47. Web site: Page . Eric S. . Devine • • . Rory . San Dieguito Union HS District Superintendent Resigns . 2022-11-27 . NBC 7 San Diego . en-US.
48. Web site: Slane . Bill . 2021-05-01 . The Coast News Group . 2022-11-27 . The Coast News Group . en-us.
49. Web site: Announcements . 2022-11-27 . www.sduhsd.net.
50. Web site: Stone . Ken . 2021-06-11 . Ty Humes, Removed from San Dieguito School Board, Vows Run as Parent Rep . 2022-11-27 . Times of San Diego . en-US.
51. Web site: Announcements . 2022-11-27 . www.sduhsd.net.
52. Web site: Slane . Bill . 2021-10-19 . The Coast News Group . 2022-11-27 . The Coast News Group . en-us.
53. Web site: Billing . Karen . 2022-02-15 . San Dieguito board selects three final maps in redistricting process . 2022-11-27 . Del Mar Times . en-US.
54. Web site: Slane . Bill . 2022-02-19 . The Coast News Group . 2022-11-27 . The Coast News Group . en-us.
55. Web site: Slane . Bill . 2022-02-22 . The Coast News Group . 2022-11-27 . The Coast News Group . en-us.
56. Web site: 2022-04-05 . County Office of Education takes over San Dieguito's election map process . 2022-12-01 . Encinitas Advocate . en-US.
57. Web site: Billing . Karen . 2022-04-13 . Melisse Mossy resigns from San Dieguito board . 2022-12-01 . Del Mar Times . en-US.
58. Web site: Taketa . Kristin . 2022-04-21 . San Dieguito superintendent placed on administrative leave . 2022-12-01 . San Diego Union-Tribune . en-US.
59. Web site: Taketa . Kristin . 2022-05-20 . Profanity-laced text messages from San Dieguito school board trustee read during board meeting . 2022-12-01 . San Diego Union-Tribune . en-US.
60. Web site: Taketa . Kristin . 2022-05-22 . Obscenity-laced text messages from San Dieguito school board trustee read during board meeting . 2022-12-01 . Los Angeles Times . en-US.
61. Web site: Schmiedeberg . Renee . San Dieguito Union High School District Board Terminates Ward From Superintendent Position . 2022-12-01 . NBC 7 San Diego . en-US.
62. Web site: Place. Laura. 2022-08-31. San Dieguito board passes student-written gun violence resolution. 2022-12-04. The Coast News Group. en-us.
63. Web site: Billing. Karen. 2022-08-30. San Dieguito board passes student-driven resolution on gun violence. 2022-12-04. Encinitas Advocate. en-US.