San Marcos Unified School District is a public school district in northern San Diego County, California

San Diego County, California

San Diego County is a large county located in the southwestern corner of the US state of California. Hence, San Diego County is also located in the southwestern corner of the 48 contiguous United States. Its county seat and largest city is San Diego. Its population was about 2,813,835 in the 2000...

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The San Marcos Unified School District is one of the largest school districts in San Diego County and includes 19 schools with diverse educational programs for kindergarten through adult education students. SMUSD has 11 elementary schools, 3 middle schools, 2 comprehensive high schools, 1 charter high school,1 independent study high school and 1 continuation school. SMUSD serves more than 17,851 students in San Marcos, as well as sections of Vista, Escondido, Carlsbad, and some unincorporated areas of the County.

Enrollment

Due to the rapid growth of the city of San Marcos and surrounding areas, the population of San Marcos Unified has increased tremendously in recent years.


The rapid growth has also resulted in many new schools and facilities within San Marcos Unified:

Richland Elementary (2012- proposed construction date)

La Costa Meadows Elementary (2012- proposed construction date)

Alvin Dunn Elementary (2011- proposed construction date)

San Marcos High School (2011- proposed construction start date)

San Marcos Elementary (2010)

Joli Ann Leichtag Elementary (2008)

San Elijo Elementary (2006)

San Elijo Middle (2004)

Mission Hills High School (2004)

Carrillo Elementary (1999)

Twin Oaks Elementary (1998)

Discovery Elementary (1997)

Recent Academic Accomplishments

San Marcos Unified School District is arguably one of the best school districts in San Diego County and even in the state of California. It is apparent, that students enrolled in SMUSD schools tend to score higher on California State Tests than their peers. The similar schools ranking of the CA API scores is the best indicator of how students perform when compared to other schools with similar demographics, socioeconomic status, etc. For the 2008 CA state test, SMUSD schools received an average similar schools ranking of 8.7, the highest average of any K-12 district in San Diego County. It surpasses the noteworthy Poway Unified School District by over two points (6.1), while nearly doubling that of Carlsbad Unified (4.4) and ahead of San Dieguito Union, including its feeder districts (6.21) SMUSD has worked to ensure that students are given the best education and that they reach their full potential. The 8.7 similar schools average means that SMUSD schools perform better than 87% of similar schools (similar demographics).

• African American students, with a district average API score of 824, have the highest API score for their ethnicity in San Diego County and the 6th highest in Southern California out of all K-12 school districts.
• Filipino students, with a district average API score of 917, also have the highest API score in Southern California for their ethnicity out of all K-12 districts
• Caucasian students of the San Marcos Unified School District, with an API of 898, have the highest API score in San Diego County and the 5th highest API score in Southern California out of all K-12 districts.

Comparison to Notable School Districts

Ethnicity	San Marcos	Poway	Carlsbad	Irvine	Temecula
Asian	961	947	957	962	906
Filipino	947	881	910	920	889
White	919	891	895	907	877
Black	843	797	793	809	796
Hispanic	803	805	774	822	826

Also, the San Marcos Unified School District's overall API score increased by 26 points, from 810 to 836, the largest increase of any school district in San Diego County.

Distinguished Schools

Of the 15 SMUSD schools eligible for the California Distinguished school award (1 school is too new for eligibility), 12 have received the award. Discovery, Paloma, Knob Hill, Richland, San Marcos Middle, and La Costa Meadows schools have received the award multiple times. The only schools that have not received the award are the three newest elementary schools, San Elijo, Carrillo, and Joli Ann, in addition to the oldest school, San Marcos Elementary. Ironically the two highest performing schools in the district have yet to receive the award (San Elijo & Carrillo). Joli Ann did not have 2 years worth of test scores in 2010, when elementary schools were nominated, therefore it was ineligible.


2011: Mission Hills High

2010: Discovery, Paloma

2009: San Elijo Middle, Woodland Park

2008: Knob Hill, Richland

2006: Discovery, Paloma

2004: La Costa Meadows, Richland

2002: Knob Hill, Twin Oaks, Paloma

2001: Woodland Park

2000: Discovery, La Costa Meadows, Richland

1999: San Marcos Middle

1996: San Marcos High

1995: Alvin Dunn, Knob Hill, La Costa Meadows, Paloma, Richland

1994: San Marcos Middle

1992: San Marcos Middle

1990: San Marcos Middle

Academic Achievement Awards

Honors Title I schools have demonstrated success in significantly closing the achievement gap between high and low-performing students.

2008: Knob Hill

2007: Knob Hill

2006: Alvin Dunn

Blue Ribbon

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB)-Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors public and private schools that are either high performing or that demonstrate dramatic gains in student achievement.

2004: Twin Oaks

2003: Knob Hill

2010-2011 Demographics

• Hispanic: 46.4% (-0.5%)
• White: 40.5% (+0.3%)
• Asian: 4.9% (+0.3%)
• Black: 3.1% (-0.1%)
• Filipino:2.9% (-0.2%)

High Schools

• Mission Hills High School
  Mission Hills High School
  Mission Hills High School is a high school located in San Marcos, California. It first opened in August 2004 on of land that was previously part of a local dairy...
  
  
• San Marcos High School
  San Marcos High School (San Marcos, California)
  San Marcos High School is a high school in the North County city of San Marcos, California. San Marcos High School is a member of the San Marcos Unified School District and serves students from San Marcos, Vista, and Carlsbad. -Academics:...
  
  
• Foothills Alternative High School
• Twin Oaks Continuation High School

Middle Schools

• San Elijo Middle School
  San Elijo Middle School
  San Elijo Middle School is one of the three middle schools in San Marcos, California in the United States. It is a part of the San Marcos Unified School District. Doug Hall is the principal with Gary Debora and Virginia Kim as assistant principals. The Golden Eagle is the mascot. The school is a...
  
  
• San Marcos Middle School
  San Marcos Middle School
  San Marcos Middle School is a middle school located in San Marcos, California in the United States. It is part of the San Marcos Unified School District, and its mascot is the Crusader.-Extracurricular activities:*Band*ASB*AVID*Track*Football*Soccer...
  
  
• Woodland Park Middle School
  Woodland Park Middle School
  Woodland Park Middle School is a middle school located in San Marcos, California in the United States. It is part of the San Marcos Unified School District, and its mascot is the bulldog.-Academics:...
  
  

Elementary Schools

• Alvin Dunn
• Carrillo
• Discovery
• Joli Ann
• Knob Hill
• La Costa Meadows
• Paloma
• Richland
• San Elijo
• San Marcos
• Twin Oaks

External links

• San Marcos Unified School District Official site