Riverside Unified School District

Riverside Unified School District, 14th largest school district in California, enrolls approximately 42,000 students in kindergarten through grade 12. It serves a 92-square mile area including a major portion of the city of Riverside, as well as the Highgrove and Woodcrest areas outside the city. Riverside schools have been racially integrated since 1965, and more than 51 different languages are spoken by students. The District operates 45 schools -- 29 elementary, 1 special education pre-school, 6 middle schools (grades 7-8), 5 comprehensive high schools (grades 9-12), 2 continuation high schools, and 2 alternative schools. The Riverside Unified School District employs 3,373 persons of whom 2,119 are certificated (as of October 2002). Forty-two percent of the teaching staff hold master's degrees and several hold doctorates.

Riverside Unified students generally match or exceed national and statewide performance on achievement tests. Over 75 percent of Riverside Unified's High School graduates enroll in post-secondary training after high school graduation.The Board of Education requires all students to complete 215 high school credits in order to graduate. Additionally, the Class of 2006 and beyond must also pass the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) in order to earn a diploma. All comprehensive secondary schools are accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.