Founded in 1888, the Santa Ana Unified School District is the sixth largest school district in California, and the largest in Orange County, educating 56,000 students at 61 schools and educational sites.
A diverse school district, over 60% of students are English language learners, 87% of students qualify for the free and reduced-price lunch program, and 94% of SAUSD parents do not have a college education. SAUSD’s college going rate is over 60% and over 70% of students pass the state’s high school exit exam (CAHSEE) as 10th graders. Santa Ana schools have been designated as the most improved in the County of Orange, with eleven schools designated with awards by the Orange County Register. Despite a large number of students whose first language is not English, 91% of SAUSD schools reached their achievement targets for English language proficiency.