California is a huge state of over 39.5 million people and nearly 1000 school districts, many of which are among the largest school districts in the country. Therefore, to be named one of the top public school districts in the state is a significant honor. Let’s take a closer look at five school districts that truly distinguished themselves among the Golden State’s many hundreds of school systems. 

The top public school district in California is Acalanes Union High School District, consisting of four high schools in Contra Costa County. Acalanes’ four schools are all accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and boast a tradition of exceptional academic performance: each ranks in the top 6 percent of high schools in California on the Academic Performance Index.  

Laguna Beach Unified is California’s 2nd best public high school district. The district’s Laguna Beach High School has earned AP Honor Roll designation for increasing AP access, and its students excel in areas outside of academics as well, indicated by 100% participation in arts and athletics. 

Earning the #3 spot is Piedmont Unified School District. The district is made up of seven schools in the city of Piedmont, which is completely surrounded by Oakland. PUSD students achieve some of the highest scores in the state on standardized tests, and over 95 percent of graduates go on to enroll in higher education.  

Like California’s top school district, #4 Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District is comprised solely of high schools in the San Jose area. Both of the district’s two schools are exceptional, boasting a 97% graduation rate and student test scores well above state averages in math and language arts. 

San Marino Unified School District is California’s 5th best school district. A small district compared to others on the list, SMUSD comprises two elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. The district’s schools have earned numerous honors and recognitions, and all are Blue Ribbon Award winners?.

Top School Districts in California, 2020

Methodology

The following variables contributed to the ranking: number of students (K-12), graduation rate, school funding per student, student to teacher ratio, percent of students scoring above proficient in standardized state Math test, percent of students scoring above proficient in standardized state Reading and Language test. Data from a total of 10,247 public school districts were used to compute a score for each school district. The following states were omitted due to lack of sufficient data: Hawaii, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Utah, and Virginia. Note that high schools in some states have their own independent districts.