Saddleback Valley Unified School District, California
| Saddleback Valley Unified School District |
|---|
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| Orange County, California |
| District details |
| Superintendent: Crystal Turner |
| # of school board members: 5 |
| Website: Link |
Saddleback Valley Unified School District is a school district in California.
Click on the links below to learn more about the school district's...
- Superintendent
- School board
- Elections
- Budget
- Teacher salaries
- Academic performance
- Students
- Staff
- Schools
- Contact information
Superintendent
 |
This information is updated as we become aware of changes. Please contact us with any updates. |
Crystal Turner is the superintendent of the Saddleback Valley Unified School District. Turner was appointed superintendent in April 2017. Turner's previous career experience includes working as a third-grade teacher, elementary school principal, and assistant superintendent of administrative services.[1]
School board
The Saddleback Valley Unified School District school board consists of five members elected by district to four-year terms.
| Office | Name | Date assumed office |
|---|---|---|
| Saddleback Valley Unified School District school board Area 1 | Dan Walsh | December 9, 2022 |
| Saddleback Valley Unified School District school board Area 2 | Michele Sparks | December 13, 2024 |
| Saddleback Valley Unified School District school board Area 3 | Suzie Swartz | December 11, 2020 |
| Saddleback Valley Unified School District school board Area 4 | Amanda Morrell | December 11, 2020 |
| Saddleback Valley Unified School District school board Area 5 | Barbara Schulman | January 1, 2019 |
Elections
Members of the Saddleback Valley Unified School District school board are elected to four-year terms. Two or three seats are up for election on a staggered basis every even-numbered year in November.
Three 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.
Join the conversation about school board politics
Public participation in board meetings
The Saddleback Valley Unified School District school board maintains the following policy on public testimony during board meetings:[2]
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.[3]
| SOURCE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal: | $31,983,000 | $1,311 | 8% |
| Local: | $252,153,000 | $10,338 | 63% |
| State: | $118,968,000 | $4,878 | 30% |
| Total: | $403,104,000 | $16,527 |
| TYPE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Expenditures: | $364,345,000 | $14,938 | |
| Total Current Expenditures: | $334,957,000 | $13,733 | |
| Instructional Expenditures: | $224,234,000 | $9,193 | 62% |
| Student and Staff Support: | $37,449,000 | $1,535 | 10% |
| Administration: | $34,284,000 | $1,405 | 9% |
| Operations, Food Service, Other: | $38,990,000 | $1,598 | 11% |
| Total Capital Outlay: | $9,493,000 | $389 | |
| Construction: | $8,813,000 | $361 | |
| Total Non El-Sec Education & Other: | $7,209,000 | $295 | |
| Interest on Debt: | $3,133,000 | $128 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-2025[4] | $63,300 | $133,169 |
| 2023-2024[5] | $62,630 | $131,760 |
| 2018-2019[6] | $52,870 | $111,226 |
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.[7]
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 | 51 | 75-79 | <50 | 29 | PS | 65-69 | 58 |
| 2018-2019 | 53 | 73 | 30-34 | 31 | <50 | 69 | 63 |
| 2017-2018 | 52 | 73 | 30-34 | 31 | 21-39 | 64 | 61 |
| 2016-2017 | 51 | 72 | 25-29 | 31 | 40-59 | 64 | 62 |
| 2015-2016 | 50 | 71 | 25-29 | 29 | 40-59 | 63 | 59 |
| 2014-2015 | 48 | 68 | 30-34 | 27 | 40-59 | 62 | 57 |
| 2013-2014 | 77 | 85-89 | 60-69 | 64 | PS | 80-84 | 83 |
| 2012-2013 | 73 | 87 | 55-59 | 56 | 70-79 | 84 | 81 |
| 2011-2012 | 73 | 86 | 60-64 | 56 | 60-69 | 82 | 80 |
| 2010-2011 | 74 | 86 | 60-64 | 55 | 60-69 | 82 | 80 |
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 | 73 | 85-89 | 40-59 | 60 | PS | 75-79 | 79 |
| 2018-2019 | 64 | 79 | 50-54 | 45 | <50 | 76 | 73 |
| 2017-2018 | 64 | 81 | 40-44 | 46 | 40-59 | 75 | 73 |
| 2016-2017 | 64 | 78 | 45-49 | 46 | 60-79 | 75 | 74 |
| 2015-2016 | 65 | 79 | 50-54 | 47 | 40-59 | 75 | 74 |
| 2014-2015 | 62 | 75 | 50-54 | 42 | 60-79 | 72 | 71 |
| 2013-2014 | 72 | 75-79 | 70-79 | 57 | PS | 70-74 | 80 |
| 2012-2013 | 73 | 83 | 65-69 | 54 | 70-79 | 83 | 82 |
| 2011-2012 | 75 | 85 | 70-74 | 57 | 60-69 | 85 | 83 |
| 2010-2011 | 75 | 85 | 65-69 | 55 | 80-89 | 84 | 83 |
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 | 93 | >=95 | >=80 | 89 | PS | 90-94 | 95 |
| 2018-2019 | 93 | 90-94 | 80-89 | 89 | PS | 90-94 | 95 |
| 2017-2018 | 92 | >=95 | 80-89 | 87 | >=50 | >=95 | 95 |
| 2016-2017 | 93 | >=95 | >=90 | 90 | >=50 | >=95 | 94 |
| 2015-2016 | 96 | >=95 | >=90 | 93 | >=50 | >=95 | 97 |
| 2014-2015 | 95 | >=95 | >=90 | 92 | >=50 | >=95 | 97 |
| 2013-2014 | 95 | >=95 | >=90 | 91 | >=50 | >=95 | 96 |
| 2012-2013 | 95 | >=95 | >=90 | 91 | >=50 | >=95 | 97 |
| 2011-2012 | 95 | >=95 | >=90 | 91 | >=50 | >=95 | 97 |
| 2010-2011 | 94 | >=95 | >=90 | 88 | >=50 | >=95 | 96 |
Students
| Year | Enrollment | Year-to-year change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-2024 | 23,199 | -2.2 |
| 2022-2023 | 23,711 | -2.9 |
| 2021-2022 | 24,390 | -2.3 |
| 2020-2021 | 24,954 | -5.4 |
| 2019-2020 | 26,304 | -1.7 |
| 2018-2019 | 26,747 | -2.4 |
| 2017-2018 | 27,378 | -1.6 |
| 2016-2017 | 27,803 | -3.2 |
| 2015-2016 | 28,706 | -1.1 |
| 2014-2015 | 29,028 | -2.4 |
| 2013-2014 | 29,731 | -2.1 |
| 2012-2013 | 30,355 | -1.7 |
| 2011-2012 | 30,885 | -2.7 |
| 2010-2011 | 31,724 | -2.1 |
| 2009-2010 | 32,387 | -1.7 |
| 2008-2009 | 32,936 | -1.9 |
| 2007-2008 | 33,558 | -1.0 |
| 2006-2007 | 33,909 | -2.0 |
| 2005-2006 | 34,592 | -0.9 |
| 2004-2005 | 34,901 | -1.3 |
| 2003-2004 | 35,349 | -0.6 |
| 2002-2003 | 35,566 | 1.3 |
| 2001-2002 | 35,117 | -0.2 |
| 2000-2001 | 35,199 | 1.5 |
| 1999-2000 | 34,657 | 0.0 |
| RACE | Saddleback Valley Unified School District (%) | California K-12 STUDENTS (%) |
|---|---|---|
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 0.1 | 0.4 |
| Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander | 12.8 | 12.1 |
| Black | 1.1 | 4.9 |
| Hispanic | 39.2 | 56.1 |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Two or More Races | 9.2 | 5.8 |
| White | 37.2 | 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, Saddleback Valley Unified School District had 1,002.97 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 23.13.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF TEACHERS |
|---|---|
| Prekindergarten: | 0.00 |
| Kindergarten: | 84.57 |
| Elementary: | 551.18 |
| Secondary: | 367.22 |
| Total: | 1,002.97 |
Saddleback Valley Unified School District employed 16.00 district administrators and 53.85 school administrators as of the 2023-2024 school year.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS |
|---|---|
| District Administrators: | 16.00 |
| District Administrative Support: | 73.64 |
| School Administrators: | 53.85 |
| School Administrative Support: | 115.68 |
| TYPE | NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF |
|---|---|
| Instructional Aides: | 330.11 |
| Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors: | 32.60 |
| Total Guidance Counselors: | 55.44 |
| Elementary Guidance Counselors: | 24.34 |
| Secondary Guidance Counselors: | 22.00 |
| Librarians/Media Specialists: | 1.16 |
| Library/Media Support: | 0.00 |
| Student Support Services: | 79.48 |
| Other Support Services: | 503.41 |
Schools
Noteworthy events
2016: Court rules test scores not required in teacher evaluations
Contra Costa County Superior Court Judge Barry Goode ruled in September 2016 that the Saddleback Valley Unified School District, along with 12 other school districts, were not required to use student test scores in teacher evaluations. Goode's ruling went against a lawsuit filed by the group Students Matter, which sought to mandate the use of student standardized test scores in teacher evaluations. Students Matter argued that the districts' teacher contracts violated California's 1971 Stull Act, which requires school districts to evaluate teachers in a manner related to student performance. Goode concluded that all of the school districts in question were meeting their legal obligations.[8]
“The Legislature endorses many uses of those tests, including evaluating pupils, entire schools and local educational agencies,” Goode wrote in his opinion. “But it does not say the results should be used to evaluate individual teachers.”[8]
Marcellus McRae, who represented the plaintiffs, said he was surprised by the ruling. “If you really think about it, this is such a basic concept that the goal of teaching is for students to learn,” McRae said. “It is, to me, axiomatic that teacher evaluations have to be based at least in part over whether students have learned.”[8]
Students Matter won a similar case in 2012. That lawsuit had been filed against the Los Angeles Unified School District, and the school district was ultimately required to include test scores in its teacher evaluations. In the 2016 case, however, Goode ruled that school districts were allowed to decide how to use test results. “There are serious questions about whether, and the extent to which, a pupil’s standardized test score is ‘reasonably related’ and ‘applicable’ to the performance of a given teacher,” Goode said.[8]
Teachers unions supported Goode's ruling. They argued that standardized test scores overlooked external factors that inhibited student learning, such as poverty.[8]
“Every day teachers across California use a variety of benchmarks, including in-class quizzes, tests, projects, and personal observation to fine-tune their approaches with their students,” said California Federation of Teachers President Joshua Pechthalt. “There is no single method for assessing progress that is ideal or that should be used to the exclusion of all others.”[8]
Contact information
Saddleback Valley Unified School District
25631 Peter A. Hartman Way
Mission Viejo, CA 92691
Phone: 949-586-1234
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
- Search Google News for this topic
- Saddleback Valley Unified School District
- California Department of Education
- California School Boards Association
Footnotes
- ↑ The Orange County Register, "Saddleback Unified trustees choose former district principal, teacher as superintendent," April 7, 2017
- ↑ Saddleback Valley Unified School District, "Bylaws of the Board BB 9323: Meeting Conduct," accessed July 1, 2016
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
- ↑ Saddleback Valley Unified School District, "CERTIFICATED PRIMARY SALARY SCHEDULE Effective 07/01/2024 Work Year: 184 Days," accessed April 22, 2025
- ↑ Saddleback Valley Unified School District, "CERTIFICATED PRIMARY SALARY SCHEDULE ," accessed February 6, 2024
- ↑ Saddleback Valley Unified School District, "Salary Schedules," accessed May 24, 2021
- ↑ 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
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 Los Angeles Times, "Court refuses to mandate use of test scores in teacher evaluations," September 22, 2016
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