IUSD Overview

Here you can find out why our schools need IPSF and why our mission is even more important today than it was when we were founded in 1996. You can also review answers to our most frequently asked questions and get a primer on the challenges of California school finance.

HOW ARE SCHOOL DISTRICTS USUALLY FUNDED?

Since the early 1970s, most school districts have received their general purpose funding under the so-called “Revenue Limit” formula. The Revenue Limit is calculated by taking a set amount of dollars per student – as determined by the state of California – and multiplying that figure by each district’s Average Daily Attendance (ADA).

WHAT IS BASIC AID?

Basic Aid, also known as “local funding,” is an alternate funding model that kicks in when the local property tax revenue in a district exceeds the total general purpose funding that the state would have provided. In other words, there’s no need to factor in any unrestricted state aid beWhat We Do the property taxes surpass the minimum funding level established by the state.

WHY DOES IUSD QUALIFY AS A BASIC AID DISTRICT?

IUSD has moved into the Basic Aid formula as a result of the state’s budget crisis. The Governor and the Legislature have slashed per-student spending to such an extent that levels have fallen below the income currently generated by our district’s own property taxes. Essentially, we are now funded by our own property taxes, though a “Fair Share” agreement with the state prevents IUSD from collecting more than it would have received as a Revenue Limit district.

HOW HAS THE STATE BUDGET CRISIS IMPACTED IUSD?

Since April 2009, budget reductions in the Irvine Unified School District have totaled approximately $38 million, including onetime offsets and ongoing cuts that have resulted in larger class sizes and program reductions. For up-to-date IUSD budget information, please go to the IUSD Budget Watch page at http://iusd.org/budget_watch/index.html

OUR DISTRICT AT A GLANCE

Student Enrollment and Demographics

  • Elementary ................... 14,021
  • Middle .......................... 4,205
  • High ............................ 8,641
  • Special Education ............. 2,676
Total .................................... 26,867

Languages

Approximately 10,700 students, or nearly 40 percent, have a primary language other than English. More than 3,600 students, or about 13 percent, are limited in their English proficiency.

Number of Schools

  • Elementary ........................ 22
  • Middle ............................... 5
  • High ................................. 4
  • Alternative Education ............. 2
  • Title I Schools .................... 15

Budget

IUSD receives approximately $215 million in annual General Fund revenue. Of that total, 32 percent is restricted by categorical and legislative requirements.

ABOUT IRVINE UNIFIED

Formed in 1972, the Irvine Unified School District has evolved in response to an engaged public’s search for a vigorous, positive and forward-looking educational system. Our schools offer superior instruction at all levels with the widest possible choices for parents and students. The City and the school district have grown rapidly, as have the legislative requirements imposed by Sacramento and Washington , D.C.
  • IUSD schools have earned the label of California Distinguished School 48 times since 1986, and all four comprehensive high schools have been recognized at least once.
  • IUSD has produced 13 national Blue Ribbon schools since 1983.
  • Irvine high schools consistently rank in the top 10 in Orange County for producing the highest SAT scores.
  • Based on the state’s latest Academic Performance Index, which measures achievement on a scale of 200 to 1,000, eight of the top 20 highest-scoring schools in the county – and 27 of the top 100 – are in the Irvine Unified School District. All traditional campuses, including IUSD’s four comprehensive high schools, had API scores above 800, considered the long-term goal for California 's public schools.
  • All four of IUSD’s comprehensive high schools regularly rank among the nation’s best by Newsweek and U.S. News & World Report magazines.
  • Our newcomer program continues to make great gains with students who have recently arrived from other countries with little or no English skills. Many quickly move on to mainstream classrooms.
  • Irvine boasts approximately 20 percent of the County Science Fair Awards. Either University High School or Woodbridge High School has been selected as Outstanding Secondary School at the Orange County Science and Engineering Fair for 19 of the past 20 years.
  • IUSD sends more participants to the All-Southern California Honor Orchestra than any other district from the Mexican border to San Luis Obispo.
  • Irvine is the county’s largest provider of work chosen for competitive art shows in the region.
  • The Grammy Foundation has awarded six Grammy Signature Awards over the past nine years to Irvine Unified high schools, more than any other district in the state.
  • In the fall of 2008, IUSD was named “Outstanding Arts Education Entity” by Arts Orange County during its ninth annual awards program.