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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 aschool district inCalifornia.

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Superintendent

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This information is updated as we become aware of changes. Pleasecontact 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 theLong 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 electedby 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.

Three of the seven seats on theCapistrano Unified School District school board inCalifornia are up for general election onNovember 3, 2026. The filing deadline for this election isAugust 7, 2026.

Ballotpedia covered school board elections in 187 school districts in 29 states in 2025. Those school districts had a total student enrollment of 4,877,739 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 Boardconcerning 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 thepublished 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 soimmediately 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 andefficient 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 OralCommunications. 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 regularmeetings shall be twenty (20) minutes. When more than 20 individuals have presentedrequests 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 OralCommunications, after having submitted a "Request to Address the Board of Trustees" cardprior to the commencement of the Oral Communications portion of the meeting, shall first berecognized by the Board President.

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

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

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

5. Legally, the Board may not take action on items raised by speakers under OralCommunications. 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'sconsideration 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 individualInformation/Discussion/Action agenda item, and twenty (20) minutes in total for the ConsentCalendar. Individual speakers will be allowed between one (1) and three (3) minutes toaddress the Board, depending on the number of individuals who have presented requests tospeak.

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


School board meetings

The following articles were produced byCitizen Portal using artificial intelligence to analyze public meetings. Citizen Portal publishes articles based on the availability of meeting broadcasts, so the number of articles provided may vary by district. Although these articles are not produced or edited by Ballotpedia, they are included here as a supplemental resource for readers.

School board meeting articles (click to collapse)


District map

Budget

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

Revenue, 2021-2022
SOURCEAMOUNTAMOUNT PER STUDENTPERCENT
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
TYPEAMOUNTAMOUNT PER STUDENTPERCENT
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.

YearMinimumMaximum
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 theU.S. Department of Education, proficiency measurements are established by the states. As a result,proficiency levels are not comparable between different states andyear-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 yearAll (%)Asian/Pacific Islander (%)Black (%)Hispanic (%)Native American (%)Two or More Races (%)White (%)
2021-2022578140-443421-396964
2020-20215075-7921-3932<5055-5954
2018-2019618135-393840-497368
2017-2018608235-393760-697267
2016-20175880323550-596665
2015-2016588140-443450-596866
2014-2015568035-393250-546662
2013-2014779260-6959>=8085-8982
2012-2013739050-545470-747979
2011-20127490525560-647879
2010-20117389505570-747878

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

School yearAll (%)Asian/Pacific Islander (%)Black (%)Hispanic (%)Native American (%)Two or More Races (%)White (%)
2021-2022708655-595040-597976
2020-2021728440-5958>=5075-7977
2018-2019708555-595070-798177
2017-2018708555-594960-698277
2016-20176984544760-697776
2015-2016688450-544670-798076
2014-2015698450-544565-697976
2013-2014758660-695560-7985-8981
2012-2013758865-695270-748582
2011-20127789625670-748383
2010-20117687615580-848482

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

School yearAll (%)Asian/Pacific Islander (%)Black (%)Hispanic (%)Native American (%)Two or More Races (%)White (%)
2021-20229697>=9096>=5090-9496
2020-20219797>=9096>=50>=9598
2019-20209697>=9095>=50>=9596
2018-20199698>=9096>=50>=9596
2017-2018969880-8995>=50>=9596
2016-201797>=95>=9096>=50>=9597
2015-201697>=9580-8996>=80>=9598
2014-20159798>=9094>=80>=9598
2013-201497>=99>=9094>=80>=9598
2012-201397>=95>=9095>=50>=9598
2011-20129798>=9094>=80>=9598
2010-20119798>=9093>=80>=9598


Students

YearEnrollmentYear-to-year change (%)
2023-202440,836-2.5
2022-202341,855-2.1
2021-202242,754-2.3
2020-202143,719-6.4
2019-202046,501-1.5
2018-201947,205-13.6
2017-201853,6220.0
2016-201753,613-0.5
2015-201653,878-0.3
2014-201554,0360.4
2013-201453,8330.1
2012-201353,7851.1
2011-201253,1700.0
2010-201153,192-0.4
2009-201053,3811.3
2008-200952,6810.6
2007-200852,3901.7
2006-200751,5120.5
2005-200651,2451.2
2004-200550,6151.7
2003-200449,7462.3
2002-200348,6083.8
2001-200246,7563.6
2000-200145,0743.2
1999-200043,6480.0
Racial Demographics, 2023-2024
RACECapistrano Unified School District (%)California K-12 STUDENTS (%)
American Indian/Alaska Native0.10.4
Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander8.412.1
Black0.84.9
Hispanic27.056.1
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander0.10.4
Two or More Races11.45.8
White52.020.2

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 censushere.


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
TYPENUMBER 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
TYPENUMBER 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
TYPENUMBER 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 asAlameda 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 theOakland Unified School District and theLos 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 byBillTrack50 and sorted by action history.

See also

CaliforniaSchool Board ElectionsNews 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. ↑2.02.1The 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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