Education in California facts for kids

Stanford University, located in the Santa Clara Valley, is one of the top universities in the world.

California's education system includes many different types of schools. You'll find public and private schools, from elementary (K-5) to middle (6-8) and high schools (9-12). For older students, there are public universities like the University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU) systems, plus many private colleges. There are also California Community Colleges that offer a great start to higher education.

History of California Schools

Established in 1851, Santa Clara University, in Santa Clara, is the oldest operating university in California.

Long ago, when California was part of Spain, learning to read and write was very important, especially for soldiers who wanted to get promoted. The first school in California was opened in 1795 in San Jose by a retired soldier named Manuel de Vargas. Even after California became independent from Spain in 1821, small schools run by former soldiers continued to teach children.

Governors tried hard to bring more teachers to California. Governor Pablo Vicente de Solá even used his own money to try and start a high school in Monterey. However, the teachers he brought didn't stay long. Later, in 1828, Governor José María de Echeandía created a law to make sure parents sent their children to the schools he had set up. This was one of the first laws about school attendance!

By 1829, there were 11 primary schools in California, teaching about 339 students. Private schools also existed, like "El Seminario del Patrocinio de San Jose," started by Don Guillermo Arnel in 1833. For the next 20 years, public schools faced challenges like not enough money or teachers.

Founded in 1851, Notre Dame High School, in San Jose, is the oldest high school in California and the first Californian institution accredited to give degrees to women.

When California became part of the United States in 1847, there were only a few hundred people who could read and write out of a population of 26,000. This meant only about 2 out of every 100 people could read! But with new funding, a steady public education system began to grow from 1854 onwards. Early primary schools taught subjects like reading, writing, math, history, and even French and Spanish.

The oldest university still operating in California is Santa Clara University, which started in 1851. The public university system began in 1857 with the California State Normal School. This school later became San Jose State University, which is the first campus of the California State University system. The University of California system started with the College of California in 1855, which later became University of California, Berkeley.

Loyola High School, founded in 1856, is the oldest educational institution in Southern California.

K–12 Education in California

Mission High School, founded in 1890, is located in San Francisco.

California is the state with the most people in the U.S., so it also has the most students! In 2005-06, over 6.2 million students were in California schools. That's more students than the total population of many other states! About 25% of these students are "English learners," meaning they are learning English as a new language.

One challenge for K-12 schools in California has been the number of students who drop out of high school before graduating. To help with this, California has programs like the Dropout Recovery and Prevention Act (SB 65). This program, started in 1985, helps students stay in school and graduate. It offers different ways to support students and prevent them from dropping out.

Torrance High School, founded in 1917, is located in Torrance.

In 2014, Governor Jerry Brown mentioned that almost 30% of students were either new to the country or learning English.

School Funding and Costs

California's public schools get their money from a few main sources. The biggest part comes from the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), which includes local property taxes. Federal money also helps, especially for programs like free or reduced-price lunches.

The amount of money schools get per student can vary. Some school districts, often in areas with more expensive homes, receive more funding per student because of how property taxes work. This means that schools in wealthier areas might have more resources than schools in less wealthy areas. For example, some schools in East San Jose get less money per student than schools in Saratoga, where homes are much more expensive.

School Buildings and Facilities

Monrovia High School, founded in 1893, in Monrovia.

Many public school buildings in California need repairs or updates. A report found that about 75% of California schools needed renovations to be considered "good." It would cost a lot of money to bring all K-12 public school buildings up to modern standards.

Sometimes, problems with school buildings can affect students. For instance, in 2014, students in Fremont couldn't study well because the heating and air conditioning wasn't working. In 2003, students at Fremont High School in Los Angeles felt embarrassed by the repairs their school needed.

Nonpublic Nonsectarian Schools (NPS)

"Nonpublic, nonsectarian schools" (NPS) are private schools that help students with special learning needs. Unlike regular private schools, the local school district pays for students to attend NPS schools. These schools must also follow the rules set by the California Department of Education.

Universities and Colleges

California has many options for higher education, including large public university systems and numerous private colleges.

Public Universities

The University of California, Berkeley is the flagship school of the UC system.

The main public research university system is the University of California (UC). There are ten major UC campuses, each led by a chancellor. These campuses are located in places like Berkeley, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Irvine. The University of California, San Francisco campus focuses only on health sciences for graduate students. The UC system is known for accepting very strong students, often from the top of their high school classes. It also awards many doctoral degrees.

The UC system also helps manage important research centers called national laboratories, like Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

San José State University is the oldest public university on the West Coast and the founding campus of the California State University.

The California State University (CSU) system is the largest four-year public university system in the United States. CSU campuses like Cal Poly, Long Beach State, and San José State (which is the oldest public university in California) are very popular. The CSU system was originally meant for students from the top one-third of California high school graduates, but many campuses are now more selective. The CSU system can also grant doctoral degrees in certain fields, like education and nursing.

The California Community Colleges system offers "General Education" courses that you can transfer to UC or CSU schools. They also provide training for jobs, help with basic skills, and offer continuing education programs. There are 112 community colleges across California, serving over 2.9 million students. These colleges also provide training for police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) in the state.

Private Universities

The California Institute of Technology is one of the most selective research universities in the world.

California is home to hundreds of private colleges and universities. Many of these are religious schools or focus on specific subjects. Areas like the San Francisco Bay Area and greater Los Angeles have a very high number of these private universities, offering many unique learning opportunities.