About Us

The Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District is located in northeast Orange County, California. The district serves the cities of Placentia and Yorba Linda as well as portions of Anaheim, Fullerton, and Brea.

The district's 34 school sites include 20 elementary schools, five middle schools, a K-8 school, four comprehensive high schools, a special education school, a continuation high school, a TK-12 home school, and a K-12 online school. Preschools (state and fee-based) and before and after-school child care are also available.

The district prides itself on serving a diverse population with student enrollment for the 2023-2024 school year at approximately 22,500. The district maintains its reputation for academic excellence, remains fiscally solvent, and completed an extensive $600 million facilities modernization and new school construction program in the early 2000s.

Academically, district students continue to excel on standardized tests, outpacing both state and county averages. Students have won high honors in the county, state, and national competitions, including Academic Decathlon and Science Olympiad tournaments, Mock Trial, and both visual and performing arts competitions. Graduating classes traditionally earn millions of dollars in academic and athletic scholarships. As such, the district consists of numerous award-winning school sites and programs. Some recognitions include:

• National Blue Ribbon Schools
• California Distinguished Schools
• California Gold Ribbon Schools
• College Board’s AP District Honor Roll
• California Schools to Watch
• National and Commended Merit Scholars
• Highly Acclaimed Music and Arts Programs
• California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) and League Athletic Titles
• Most International Baccalaureate Diplomas Awarded in Orange County
• California Exemplary Independent Study High School
• California Model Continuation High School
• California PBIS Coalition Implementation Award
• California Pivotal Practice Award
• America’s Best High School Awards - U.S. News & World Report
• Orange County Academic Decathlon Champions
• Orange County Mock Trial Champions
• Orange County Register Top Workplace
• City of Placentia Top Workplace
  

Staff members have also been honored for their expertise and contributions to education. Numerous county, state, and national awards have been presented to PYLUSD staff, including Orange County Teachers of the Year, California's Continuation High School Teacher of the Year, National Health Educator of the Year finalist, the nation's Outstanding Director of Activities, California's New Drama Teacher of the Year, the nation's finalist for Technology Director of the Year and more.

The community clearly values its schools. Working and non-working parents and guardians participate in school activities, volunteering nearly 200,000 hours a year.

The school district dates back to 1874 and has always maintained a rich, historical tradition. A portion of the 1912 Bradford schoolhouse still stands at one of the district’s current high school sites, which opened in 1933. The remainder of the district's existing schools were built primarily in the 1960s and 1970s. Thanks to two community bond measures, four new schools opened between 2004 and 2009. The bonds also provided for the renovation of every school in the district and resulted in modernized classrooms equipped with the latest teaching technology tools, new libraries, new school offices, new science labs, expanded parking lots, new gyms, new playgrounds, new training and locker rooms, and much more.

The Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District obtained its name after the 1989 merger between the school districts serving the established community of Placentia and the growing area of Yorba Linda. It is the mission of PYLUSD to inspire all students through rigorous and relevant educational experiences that empower them to become responsible, ethical, and contributing citizens.