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Capistrano Unified School District, California

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Capistrano Unified School District
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Orange County, California
District details
Superintendent: Christopher Brown
# of school board members: 7
Website: Link

Capistrano Unified School District is a school district in California.

Click on the links below to learn more about the school district's...

Superintendent

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 		This information is updated as we become aware of changes. Please contact us with any updates.

Dr. Christopher Brown is the superintendent of the Capistrano Unified School District. He started the position on July 1, 2023. He previously worked as the assistant superintendent for research, assessment and school improvement in the Long Beach Unified School District.[1]

Past superintendents

  • Clark Hampton was the interim superintendent of the Capistrano Unified School District. He previously served as the district's deputy superintendent.[2]
  • Kirsten Vital was the superintendent of the Capistrano Unified School District from 2014 to 2022. Vital was appointed superintendent in June 2014 and served until December 2022 when the school board voted to terminate her contract.[2] Vital's previous career experience includes working as a teacher, principal, and college professor.[3]

School board

The Capistrano Unified School District school board consists of seven members elected by district to four-year terms.

Elections

See also: Capistrano Unified School District, California, elections

Members of the Capistrano Unified School District school board are elected to four-year terms. Three or four seats are up for election on a staggered basis every even-numbered year in November.

Four seats on the board were up for general election on November 5, 2024.


Ballotpedia covered school board elections in 367 school districts in 29 states in 2024. Those school districts had a total student enrollment of 12,203,404 students. Click here to read an analysis of those elections.


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Public participation in board meetings

The Capistrano Unified School District school board maintains the following policy on public testimony during board meetings:[4]

“

ADDRESSING THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Members of the public are encouraged to attend Board meetings and to address the Board concerning any item on the agenda or within the Board's jurisdiction. In governing the District, the Board has pledged to consider the will and needs of the community.

Any member wishing to address the Board at a regular meeting, on an issue that is not on the published agenda, may request to do so during Oral Communications (Non-Agenda Items).

Those wishing to address the Board on an item on the Closed Session agenda may do so immediately after the Closed Session Call to Order.

So as not to inhibit public participation, persons attending Board meetings shall not be requested to sign in, complete a questionnaire, or otherwise provide their name or other information as a condition of attending the meeting. (Government Code 54953.3). However, persons choosing to speak may be asked to give their name and city or area of residence.

One of the Board’s responsibilities to the public is to conduct District business in an orderly and efficient way; therefore, the following procedures shall regulate public comment to the Board.

Oral Communications (Non-Agenda Items)

Regular, scheduled meetings of the Board shall have a portion of each meeting devoted to Oral Communications. A person wishing to address the Board on a non-agenda item may do so under the Oral Communications portion of the Board agenda. Oral Communications will take place at the beginning of the Board meeting and immediately following the Special Recognitions portion of the Board meeting.

1. The total time for the OralCommunications (Non-Agenda Items) portions of regular meetings shall be twenty (20) minutes. When more than 20 individuals have presented requests to speak, the time allowed to the first 20 who made requests will be as follows:

a. 1-7 speakers will each be allowed three (3) minutes to address the Board.
b. 1-10 speakers will each be allowed two (2) minutes to address the Board.
c. 1-20 or more speakers will each be allowed one (1) minute to address the Board.
d. Those who presented requests to speak, but could not be accommodated during Oral Communications, within the allotted twenty (20) minutes, will each be allowed to speak after other Board business has been concluded, prior to adjournment.

2. A person wishing to be heard by the Board on a non-agenda item during Oral Communications, after having submitted a "Request to Address the Board of Trustees" card prior to the commencement of the Oral Communications portion of the meeting, shall first be recognized by the Board President.

The speaker may identify himself/herself by providing the Board with his/her name and city/community of residence.

3. No additional “Request to Address the Board of Trustees” cards will be accepted once the Oral Communications portion of the meeting has begun unless otherwise approved by the Board.

4. There shall be no transfer of a person’s time or a portion of a person’s time, to another speaker.

5. Legally, the Board may not take action on items raised by speakers under Oral Communications. The Board may, however, at its discretion, refer items to the administration for follow-up or place topics on a future Board agenda. (Education Code 35145.5, Government Code 54954.3)

Oral Communications (Agenda Items)

1. Members of the public shall have an opportunity to address the Board prior to the Board's consideration of each agenda item. (Education Code 35145.5, Government Code 54954.3)

2. The total time for Oral Communications shall be twenty (20) minutes on any individual Information/Discussion/Action agenda item, and twenty (20) minutes in total for the Consent Calendar. Individual speakers will be allowed between one (1) and three (3) minutes to address the Board, depending on the number of individuals who have presented requests to speak.

3. Persons seeking to address the Board on an agenda item shall complete a "Request to Address the Board of Trustees" card and give it to the Board Secretary or other designated staff member. “Request to Address the Board of Trustees” will be accepted only until 30 minutes after the start of Open Session.

a. A speaker wishing to address the Board, after having submitted a "Request to Address the Board of Trustees" card in a timely manner, shall first be recognized by the Board President. The speaker may identify himself/herself by providing the Board with his/her name and city/community of residence. The Board shall hear all oral communications by the public after any staff comments but prior to the formal discussion by Board Members of the agenda topic under consideration. Upon completion of his/her remarks, the speaker shall leave the podium unless requested to remain by the Board President.
b. The Board shall limit the total time for oral communications by the public to twenty (20) minutes during agenda sections Closed Session and Consent Calendar. With Board consent, the Board President may modify the individual time allowed; however, the individual time may not be reduced to less than one (1) minute.
c. Each speaker shall be provided up to three (3) minutes to address the Board regarding any Discussion/Action item on the agenda. The Board shall limit the total time for oral communications by the public to twenty (20) minutes per topic on Discussion/Action items.
With Board consent, the Board President may modify the individual time allowed and/or the total time allowed for oral communications by the public; however, the individual time may not be reduced to less than one (1) minute.
d. There shall be no transfer of a person’s time, or a portion of a person’s time, to another speaker.
e. Students who have presented requests to speak will be allowed to do so prior to adult members of the community.
f. The Board of Trustees will first hear from in-person speakers and then online. The order of speakers will be announced at the beginning of each Board meeting.[5]
 ”


District map

School district map

Budget

The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[6]

Revenue, 2021-2022
SOURCE AMOUNT AMOUNT PER STUDENT PERCENT
Federal: $54,676,000 $1,279 8%
Local: $432,246,000 $10,110 61%
State: $219,079,000 $5,124 31%
Total: $706,001,000 $16,513
Expenditures, 2021-2022
TYPE AMOUNT AMOUNT PER STUDENT PERCENT
Total Expenditures: $642,974,000 $15,038
Total Current Expenditures: $616,571,000 $14,421
Instructional Expenditures: $401,408,000 $9,388 62%
Student and Staff Support: $73,820,000 $1,726 11%
Administration: $65,174,000 $1,524 10%
Operations, Food Service, Other: $76,169,000 $1,781 12%
Total Capital Outlay: $15,411,000 $360
Construction: $14,646,000 $342
Total Non El-Sec Education & Other: $13,000 $0
Interest on Debt: $2,997,000 $70


Teacher salaries

The following salary information was pulled from the district's teacher salary schedule. A salary schedule is a list of expected compensations based on variables such as position, years employed, and education level. It may not reflect actual teacher salaries in the district.

Year Minimum Maximum
2023-2024[7] $63,319 $129,202
2020-2021[8] $55,047 $112,324

Academic performance

Each year, state and local education agencies use tests and other standards to assess student proficiency. Although the data below was published by the U.S. Department of Education, proficiency measurements are established by the states. As a result, proficiency levels are not comparable between different states and year-over-year proficiency levels within a district may not be comparable because states may change their proficiency measurements.[9]

The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:

School year All (%) Asian/Pacific Islander (%) Black (%) Hispanic (%) Native American (%) Two or More Races (%) White (%)
2020-2021 50 75-79 21-39 32 <50 55-59 54
2018-2019 61 81 35-39 38 40-49 73 68
2017-2018 60 82 35-39 37 60-69 72 67
2016-2017 58 80 32 35 50-59 66 65
2015-2016 58 81 40-44 34 50-59 68 66
2014-2015 56 80 35-39 32 50-54 66 62
2013-2014 77 92 60-69 59 >=80 85-89 82
2012-2013 73 90 50-54 54 70-74 79 79
2011-2012 74 90 52 55 60-64 78 79
2010-2011 73 89 50 55 70-74 78 78

The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:

School year All (%) Asian/Pacific Islander (%) Black (%) Hispanic (%) Native American (%) Two or More Races (%) White (%)
2020-2021 72 84 40-59 58 >=50 75-79 77
2018-2019 70 85 55-59 50 70-79 81 77
2017-2018 70 85 55-59 49 60-69 82 77
2016-2017 69 84 54 47 60-69 77 76
2015-2016 68 84 50-54 46 70-79 80 76
2014-2015 69 84 50-54 45 65-69 79 76
2013-2014 75 86 60-69 55 60-79 85-89 81
2012-2013 75 88 65-69 52 70-74 85 82
2011-2012 77 89 62 56 70-74 83 83
2010-2011 76 87 61 55 80-84 84 82

The following table shows the graduation rate of district students each school year:

School year All (%) Asian/Pacific Islander (%) Black (%) Hispanic (%) Native American (%) Two or More Races (%) White (%)
2019-2020 96 97 >=90 95 >=50 >=95 96
2018-2019 96 98 >=90 96 >=50 >=95 96
2017-2018 96 98 80-89 95 >=50 >=95 96
2016-2017 97 >=95 >=90 96 >=50 >=95 97
2015-2016 97 >=95 80-89 96 >=80 >=95 98
2014-2015 97 98 >=90 94 >=80 >=95 98
2013-2014 97 >=99 >=90 94 >=80 >=95 98
2012-2013 97 >=95 >=90 95 >=50 >=95 98
2011-2012 97 98 >=90 94 >=80 >=95 98
2010-2011 97 98 >=90 93 >=80 >=95 98


Students

Year Enrollment Year-to-year change (%)
2023-2024 40,836 -2.5
2022-2023 41,855 -2.1
2021-2022 42,754 -2.3
2020-2021 43,719 -6.4
2019-2020 46,501 -1.5
2018-2019 47,205 -13.6
2017-2018 53,622 0.0
2016-2017 53,613 -0.5
2015-2016 53,878 -0.3
2014-2015 54,036 0.4
2013-2014 53,833 0.1
2012-2013 53,785 1.1
2011-2012 53,170 0.0
2010-2011 53,192 -0.4
2009-2010 53,381 1.3
2008-2009 52,681 0.6
2007-2008 52,390 1.7
2006-2007 51,512 0.5
2005-2006 51,245 1.2
2004-2005 50,615 1.7
2003-2004 49,746 2.3
2002-2003 48,608 3.8
2001-2002 46,756 3.6
2000-2001 45,074 3.2
1999-2000 43,648 0.0
Racial Demographics, 2023-2024
RACE Capistrano Unified School District (%) California K-12 STUDENTS (%)
American Indian/Alaska Native 0.1 0.4
Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander 8.4 12.1
Black 0.8 4.9
Hispanic 27.0 56.1
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 0.1 0.4
Two or More Races 11.4 5.8
White 52.0 20.2

Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.


Staff

As of the 2023-2024 school year, Capistrano Unified School District had 1,882.72 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 21.69.

Teachers, 2023-2024 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF TEACHERS
Prekindergarten: 0.00
Kindergarten: 165.43
Elementary: 1,046.65
Secondary: 670.64
Total: 1,882.72

Capistrano Unified School District employed 27.00 district administrators and 117.30 school administrators as of the 2023-2024 school year.

Administrators, 2023-2024 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS
District Administrators: 27.00
District Administrative Support: 98.50
School Administrators: 117.30
School Administrative Support: 181.02
Other staff, 2023-2024 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF
Instructional Aides: 574.91
Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors: 16.20
Total Guidance Counselors: 89.40
Elementary Guidance Counselors: 46.40
Secondary Guidance Counselors: 34.00
Librarians/Media Specialists: 0.00
Library/Media Support: 0.00
Student Support Services: 155.57
Other Support Services: 826.42


Schools

The Capistrano Unified School District operates 59 schools. They are listed below in alphabetical order.
List of schools
SCHOOL NAMENUMBER OF STUDENTSGRADES
Aliso Niguel High2,6089-12
Aliso Viejo Middle7996-8
Arroyo Vista Elementary518KG-5
Arroyo Vista Middle3306-8
Bathgate Elementary579KG-5
Bernice Ayer Middle8786-8
Bridges Community Day147-12
California Preparatory Academy2259-12
Canyon Vista Elementary508KG-5
Capistrano Home/Virtual91KG-8
Capistrano Union High1159-12
Capistrano Valley High1,9819-12
Carl Hankey Elementary318KG-5
Carl Hankey Middle1756-8
Castille Elementary497KG-5
Chaparral Elementary661KG-5
Clarence Lobo Elementary335KG-5
Concordia Elementary501KG-5
Dana Hills High1,8059-12
Del Obispo Elementary315KG-5
Don Juan Avila Elementary675KG-5
Don Juan Avila Middle8916-8
Early Childhood Center0
Esencia904KG-5
Esencia Middle2846-8
Fred Newhart Middle1,0836-8
George White Elementary390KG-5
Harold Ambuehl Elementary312KG-5
Hidden Hills Elementary317KG-5
John Malcom Elementary551KG-5
Kinoshita Elementary322KG-5
Ladera Ranch Elementary612KG-5
Ladera Ranch Middle1,1006-8
Laguna Niguel Elementary397KG-5
Las Flores Elementary322KG-5
Las Flores Middle5596-8
Las Palmas Elementary748KG-5
Marblehead Elementary218KG-5
Marco Forster Middle1,0406-8
Marian Bergeson Elementary486KG-5
Moulton Elementary530KG-5
Niguel Hills Middle7336-8
Oak Grove Elementary584KG-5
Oso Grande Elementary887KG-5
Palisades Elementary336KG-5
Philip J. Reilly Elementary418KG-5
Richard Henry Dana Elementary384KG-5
San Clemente High2,7659-12
San Juan Elementary673KG-5
San Juan Hills High2,7689-12
Shorecliffs Middle6796-8
Tesoro High2,0409-12
Tijeras Creek Elementary318KG-5
Truman Benedict Elementary590KG-5
Viejo Elementary451KG-5
Vista Del Mar Elementary727KG-5
Vista Del Mar Middle5296-8
Wagon Wheel Elementary447KG-5
Wood Canyon Elementary410KG-5

Noteworthy events

2014: New superintendent starts

In August 2014, the Capistrano Unified School District welcomed Kirsten Vital as its new superintendent. Before serving Capistrano Unified School District, Vital served for over five years as Alameda Unified School District's superintendent. Vital replaced Joe Farley, who retired as superintendent on July 1, 2014. In addition to her work in the Alameda Unified School District, Vital also served as an administrator in the Oakland Unified School District and the Los Angeles Unified School District.[10][11]

Contact information

Capistrano Unified School District seal.jpg
Capistrano Unified School District
33122 Valle Road
San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
Phone: 949-234-9200


About school boards

Education legislation in California

Bills are monitored by BillTrack50 and sorted by action history.

See also

California School Board Elections News and Analysis
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External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ OCDE Newsroom, "Capistrano Unified announces Long Beach educator as its next superintendent," June 15, 2023
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Capistrano Dispatch, "Capo Unified Trustees Announce Termination of Superintendent’s Contract," December 22, 2022
  3. ↑ Capistrano Unified School District, "News Release: Capistrano Unified Announces its Next Superintendent," June 19, 2014
  4. ↑ Capistrano Unified School District, "Article 9: Bylaws of the Board - Meeting Conduct," accessed January 10, 2024
  5. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  6. ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
  7. ↑ Capistrano Unified School District, "CERTIFICATED SALARY SCHEDULE with Base Credential," accessed February 2, 2024
  8. ↑ Capistrano Unified School District, California, "Certificated Salary Schedule With Base Credential," accessed July 7, 2021
  9. ↑ U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC: EDFacts, "State Assessments in Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics- School Year 2018-19 EDFacts Data Documentation," accessed February 25, 2021
  10. ↑ East Bay Times, "Alameda: A farewell to schools Superintendent Kirsten Vital," July 23, 2014
  11. ↑ The Orange County Register, "Capistrano district hires Alameda superintendent as schools chief," June 19, 2014
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