San Diego Unified School District Profile and Competitor Analysis

District Overview

The San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) is the second largest public school district in California, serving over 95,000 students from pre-school through high school. With more than 150 years of service, it continues to play a pivotal role in educating the youth of San Diego.

Financial Information

The district historically operated with a budget totaling approximately $2,309,589,000 for the fiscal year 2019–2020. This highlights its significant financial throughput in managing educational services for a large student population.

Key Leadership

Dr. Fabiola Bagula: Acting Superintendent, leading dynamic change initiatives for improved educational outcomes. Recognized as a Latino Leader of Influence by the San Diego Business Journal. Contact: [fbagula@sandi.net](mailto:fbagula@sandi.net).

Enrique Ruacho, Ed.D.: Senior Executive Director of Staff, focusing on staff leadership and management. Contact: [eruacho@sandi.net](mailto:eruacho@sandi.net).

W. Drew Rowlands: Deputy Superintendent, Operations, managing the district's operational aspects. Contact: [drowlands@sandi.net](mailto:drowlands@sandi.net).

John Hensley: Senior Executive Director, Operations Division, supporting services that sustain district functionality and educational goals.

Board of Education

The Board is composed of distinguished leaders:

Shana Hazan: Board President, representing District B.

Cody Petterson: Board Vice President, representing District C.

Richard Barrera: Represents District D.

Sharon Whitehurst-Payne: Represents District E.

Recent Leadership Updates

Dr. Lamont A. Jackson served as Superintendent from March 2022 to 2024. He was succeeded by Dr. Fabiola Bagula as interim superintendent in September 2024.

Competitor Overview

Clovis Unified School District

Location: Clovis, California

Schools: 49 schools

Students: Approximately 43,000

Student-Teacher Ratio: 23.06

Remark: Notable for being a non-union school district, unusual in California.

Fresno Unified School District

Location: Fresno, California

Schools: 106 schools

Students: Around 73,000

Budget: Approximately $1.6 billion

Feature: California's third-largest district, representing 76 languages.

Queen Creek Unified School District

Location: Queen Creek, Arizona

Schools: 14 schools

Students: About 12,592

Student-Teacher Ratio: 20.57

Origin: Formed from the Higley Unified School District in 1947.

Orange Unified School District

Location: Orange, California

Schools: 42 educational sites

Students: Enrollment of 25,420

Student-Teacher Ratio: 24.79

Recognition: Multiple California Distinguished Schools.

Capistrano Unified School District

Location: San Juan Capistrano, California

Schools: 59 schools

Students: 54,036

Student-Teacher Ratio: 25.29

Achievements: 97.2% graduation rate, 40 California Distinguished Schools.

Key Insights for San Diego Unified School District

Recognizing competitor strengths is essential for SDUSD's growth, strategic planning, and educational offerings:

Clovis Unified's large scale without unionization may offer flexible operational insights.

Fresno Unified and Capistrano Unified present models for size and diversity with large student bodies and extensive budgets.

Capistrano's high rate of distinguished schools can benchmark academic excellence.

Strategies from Orange Unified may contribute to achieving academic recognition and performance.

This analysis underscores the significance of leveraging competitors' strengths to enhance SDUSD's strategic development plans for educational excellence and competitive parity.