An area population increase of more than 400 percent since 1950 has raised the district population from 35,000 to more than 245,000 in 1965.  This increase-caused by high defense employment at McClellan and Mather Air Force bases, the establishment of Aerojet-General Corporation, and a large expansion in state and county employment-raised elementary and high school enrollment from 7,800 in 1950 to 48,800 in March 1965.  According to recent projections of population, the district will ultimately serve 167,000 school-age children.  The current average increase in school enrollment per year lies between 3,000 and 4,000 students.

The unified district was established July 1, 1960.  It was created by joining the San Juan Union High School District with five elementary school districts:  Arcade, Arden-Carmichael, Fair Oaks, Orangevale, and Sylvan.  These districts have historical ties dating back to the 1800's.

Sylvan School District was the first to be established, taking form sometime before 1866 on sites that were part of the original Spanish land grant known as Rancho San Juan.  It was followed by the old San Juan Elementary District, which was formed in 1880 but disbanded in 1911, to be re-established later as the San Juan High School District.  Residents of that newly formed district soon voted a tax for the purpose of erecting their first high school on Greenback Lane near Mariposa Avenue (the same location as the present San Juan High School).  This was the only high school in the district until 1950 when El Camino High School was constructed at El Camino and Eastern Avenues.

The next elementary district formed was Arcade in 1885 on part of the old Rancho Del Paso grant.  Orangevale and Roberts districts followed about 1890; the Fair Oaks district was established in 1896.  The Arden School District, formed from part of the Arcade district, emerged in 1914, and the Carmichael district was formed in 1916.

By 1928 the San Juan High School District included the same area as the Orangevale, Roberts, Fair Oaks, Sylvan, and Carmichael Elementary School Districts.  Arcade and Arden joined a few years later to make a total of seven school districts in the San Juan area prior to World War II.

Most of the districts started with a handful of students and one small school house.  They progressed through the years, increasing slowly in enrollment until after World War II when Sacramento received its portion of the population explosion experienced by most California communities.  In this immediate post-war period, four of the elementary districts unionized:  Roberts with Orangevale and Arden with Carmichael.  During the same period, five more elementary schools were built, bringing the total number in the San Juan area by 1950 to 12 elementary schools and one high school.  By 1968, the district had expanded to 66 elementary and intermediate schools and 11 high schools, one adult center and one technical-vocational center serving the ever-increasing school-age population.

The San Juan Unified School District, in its initial stages of operation, was the seventh largest school district in California, with an enrollment of 34,100.  It employed approximately 2,200 people and expended a budget of slightly more than $17 million for the 1960-61 school year.  During the 1968-69 school year, it was still the seventh largest district in California with 52,725 children enrolled, 3,503 people employed and a $37.3 million budget allocated.

history.p65,  Fall 1999