About AUSD
Ranked in the top 1% of school districts in America by Niche, the Arcadia Unified School District is a nationally renowned public school district that proudly educates more than 9,000 students throughout 11 award-winning schools. Nestled in the San Gabriel Valley in Southern California, all schools are located in Arcadia, California. Business Week named Arcadia as the “best place to raise your kids” in the entire state of California on two separate occasions.
The District, which is a proud member of the prestigious League of Innovative Schools, consists of 11 schools: six elementary schools, three middle schools, one high school, and one alternative school and outreach program. In addition to numerous National Blue Ribbon and California Distinguished schools throughout the district, Arcadia High School has been named a U.S. News and World Report Gold Medal School three times, named to Newsweek’s Top Public High Schools in America list, and ranked among the top two percent of high schools in California according to Niche. 2017 marked the second straight year that Arcadia High’s graduating class had at least one student accepted into every Ivy League University in the country, and Arcadia High School graduates continue to matriculate to Ivy League schools and top universities across the country.
Arcadia Unified is committed to educational excellence, and this commitment is reflected in the outstanding achievements made by its students, faculty, staff, and leadership each school year. Highly qualified, dedicated, and professional, the District’s teaching staff is exceptional. With various professional development opportunities, conferences, staff development workshops, collaboration time, and learning walks, the Arcadia Unified faculty stays ahead of the curve to ensure a rigorous, vertically aligned curriculum that fully prepares students for college and career. Programs and strategies, such as The Leader in Me, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), Restorative Practices, Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) and more are implemented district-wide, as are students, teachers, and staff encouraged to bring forward innovative ideas for instruction by asking, “What if?” and “Why not?”
In 2006, the Arcadia community demonstrated its generosity and its commitment to education by passing a $218 million bond measure for the refurbishment and modernization of school facilities across the District. Working with an advisory group comprised of Arcadia residents, parents, and community members, the District’s Board of Education and facilities team have successfully managed the project, which has upgraded school technology and renovated all classrooms, libraries/media centers, science labs, sports/recreation facilities, and arts and music education spaces, creating high-tech classrooms and learning environments throughout the entire district. As of 2021, Arcadia Unified is continuing to upgrade its facilities, technology, classrooms, and campuses thanks to this bond measure.
In 2017, the Arcadia community once again supported its schools by extending Measure A, a parcel tax that will last 18 years, through 2035, and generate approximately $77 million during its lifetime that goes directly to Arcadia Unified schools to fund teachers, counselors, and maintain high-level educational programs for our students.
As one of the most innovative school districts in the country, Arcadia Unified’s mission is to champion students and staff to Imagine, Inquire, and Inspire. The purpose of the District is to challenge and inspire students to make a positive and profound impact on their world.