San Dieguito Academy

San Dieguito High School Academy
Address
800 Santa Fe Dr.

Encinitas
,
California
92024
Information
Type Public
Established 1936
School district San Dieguito Union High School District
Principal Cara Dolnik
Faculty 115
Teaching staff 81.13 (FTE)
Grades 9-12
Enrollment 2,059 (2020-21)
Student to teacher ratio 25.38
Color(s) Navy and White    
Mascot Mustang
Newspaper The Mustang
Yearbook The Hoofprint
Website http://sd.sduhsd.net/

San Dieguito High School Academy, originally known as San Dieguito Union High School and San Dieguito High School, is a public high school in the San Dieguito Union High School District of Encinitas, California in San Diego County, California. The school was established in 1936.

As of the 2020–21 school year, 2,059 students were enrolled at San Dieguito High School Academy with a senior class of over 450 students. The pupil-teacher ratio is 25:1. The average SAT score in 2013–2014 was 1840 and the average ACT score was 27. The student body is 67% White, 22% Hispanic, 4% Asian/Pacific Islander, and 5% other. During the 2020–21 school year, San Dieguito Academy's senior class had a 97.9% graduation rate.

History

Historic Mustangs signboard before being removed in 2013 and restored in 2017
The school's gymnasium
The school's senior court prior to its demolition in 2015 as part of constructing a new math and science building

The school was founded in 1936 as the first public high school within the new San Dieguito Union High School District, educating students in grades 8 through 12. Since the campus had not yet been built when school started September 14, 1936, students attended classes in tents.

In 1996, San Dieguito High School was re-designed as a "school of choice" and renamed San Dieguito High School Academy to offer a student centered environment for a maximum of 1,450 students.

All students living within the district may enroll at either La Costa Canyon High School or Torrey Pines High School within their attendance areas, but they are also eligible to attend San Dieguito Academy and Canyon Crest Academy, both of which are designed to be "schools of choice." Typically, more students apply than there are available spaces, so a lottery of applicants is conducted to determine who may attend. New students with siblings that already attend SDA are automatically enrolled to the school.

Many years this lottery is challenged due to students and parents desire to go to San Dieguito Academy. In 2022 a lottery was reimplemented for the first time since 2015 because 491 students chose the school as their top choice and only 428 spots were available. This would raise the capacity to 137 more students than there were in the 2021–2022 school year. In an attempt to amend the lottery, many argued that students living within walking distance should be given priority, however, under the Open Enrollment Act of 1993, location cannot be used to prioritize individuals in a lottery.

One hallmark of a San Dieguito Union High School District academy is a "4x4" class schedule as opposed to a more traditional "rotating block schedule". This means that students may take four 90-minute classes every day during an 18-week course, completing eight classes (80 credits) a year.

In 1998, the school had roughly 1000 students, and by 2002, had 1500 (population limits of district high schools and academies are required to grow relative to the district). Fall 2003 enrollment was 1462.

In the fall of 2015, construction began on the new Math and Science building in the place of old Senior Court. Construction funded by SDUHSD voter-approved Proposition AA bond measure.

In March 2020, SDUHSD began its Distance Learning Plan by closing schools district wide. Many students were able to return to campus on January 4, 2021 in a hybrid setting, allowing students to choose to learn from home or return to campus. Students were welcomed back to campus full time at the start of the 2021–2022 school year.

Athletics

San Dieguito Academy is part of the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), and is a member of the North County Conference of the San Diego Section. The school has teams in 15 sports (1 boys' team, 3 girls' teams, 3 coed teams, and 8 sports with both boys' and girls' teams).

Notable faculty

Notable alumni