DISTRICT PROFILE

The Tustin Unified School District encompasses the city of Tustin, and portions of the cities of Irvine and Santa Ana, as well as unincorporated North Tustin. Tustin Unified serves approximately 21,830 students in grades Preschool-12th and is committed to a tradition of excellence with a 95.7% graduation rate. The District’s facilities include 16 Elementary Schools, 2 K-8 Schools, 4 Middle Schools, 1 6-12 Magnet Academy, 4 High Schools, Adult Education Campus, and 2 Online Program sites.  

A Legacy of Excellence 

The legacy of Tustin's schools dates back to the 1860s - two decades before Orange County became independent of Los Angeles. 

Education was a priority of Tustin's namesake and community developer, Columbus Tustin, a Petaluma carriage maker who purchased 839 acres in the 1860s and plotted streets and square blocks through a terrain of wild mustard and sycamore trees. 

In 1872, he built a one-room schoolhouse and donated it to the community. Originally called Sycamore School District because of the abundant sycamore trees in the foothills, its first trustees were elected by 11 voters. Residents also approved a tax rate of $740 to build a larger schoolhouse and $300 for school supplies. The District's first teacher, Miss Annie Cozad, was paid $60 monthly; its second teacher came five years later. 

Tustin's plans for a large city were temporarily waylaid in 1877 when the Southern Pacific Railroad built its southern terminus in Santa Ana instead of Tustin. Columbus Tustin died in 1883 just as the community's population grew with new homes, stores, places of worship, and an addition to the school. 

The school district was renamed the Tustin School District with the creation of the County of Orange in 1889. After the turn of the Century, Tustin grew as the upscale residential suburb of Santa Ana, the county seat of government. Tustin's homes and businesses reflected that upscale lifestyle, as did its schools. 

Growth in the early 20th Century mirrored many Orange County communities, with larger schools built to accommodate an expanding population. Tustin Union High School opened in 1922 and served five elementary school districts: Tustin, San Joaquin, Trabuco, El Toro, and Laguna. 

Residents voted for unification in 1972, and Tustin's elementary and high schools were unified as a single district - Tustin Unified School District. 

Today, the District serves over 21,000 students at 16 Elementary Schools, 2 K-8 Schools, 4 Middle Schools, 1 6-12 Magnet Academy, 4 High Schools, Adult Education Campus, and 2 Online Program sites. Its administrative center is located at 300 South C Street in Tustin. 

District Administration Center and School Bell 

The Tustin Unified School District offices are in the remodeled grammar school auditorium, built in 1950. After the grammar school was vacated, the elementary district administration moved from the Little Red School House into this building. The bell, cast in 1887, originally hung in the old Victorian schoolhouse and today welcomes visitors to the District Administration Center at 300 South C Street in Tustin. 


District Campus Map
Click to enlarge