What Arcadia Unified School District does

Arcadia Unified School District is a public K-12 school district headquartered in Arcadia, California, serving approximately 9,500 students across 11 schools: six elementary schools, three middle schools, one high school, and one alternative learning center (Rancho Learning Center). The district has been consistently ranked in the top 1% of best school districts in America by Niche for multiple consecutive years (2022-2025) and operates under the jurisdiction of the California Department of Education and Los Angeles County Office of Education. Education services are provided free of charge to students residing within the district's geographic catchment area, with no tuition charged for K-12 instruction.

The district's core educational framework is the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), a district-wide approach providing differentiated support to students academically, socially-emotionally, behaviorally, and for attendance, implemented through site-based MTSS teams at each school. Arcadia Unified also operates standard educational infrastructure including a PowerSchool parent portal, district website (ausd.net), and communication platforms for families and staff. The district does not develop or sell commercial technology products; its operational technology stack supports educational delivery rather than commercial offerings.

Arcadia Unified's funding model is entirely public, drawing from three sources: California's Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) for per-pupil base funding plus supplemental grants, voter-approved parcel taxes (Measure A, extended in 2017 for 18 years and generating approximately $77 million), and voter-approved bond measures used exclusively for capital expenditure (Measure I at $218 million in 2006 and Measure AS at $358 million passed in November 2024 for safety upgrades, modernization, and infrastructure repairs). The district is governed by an elected Board of Education with day-to-day leadership provided by Superintendent Dr. David Vannasdall, and operates as a government entity rather than a commercial enterprise.

Name

Arcadia Unified School District

Legal name

Arcadia Unified School District

Website

https://ausd.net

Company type

Public

Founded year

1952

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Arcadia Unified School District is a public K-12 school district serving approximately 9,500 students across 11 schools in Arcadia, California. Funded by state formula funding, voter-approved parcel taxes, and bond measures, it ranks in the top 1% of U.S. school districts nationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Public Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public School Districts (K–12) (EDADABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Elementary Schools (EDAJAAAB), Public High Schools (EDAJAAAD), Public K–12 Combined Schools (EDAJAAAE)

Keywords

• K-12 public education
• Elementary secondary schools
• Career technical education
• Special education services
• Student support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Arcadia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Bond Measures: Major infrastructure and modernization projects funded through voter-approved bond measures. Measure I (2006) provided $218 million for refurbishment and modernization. Measure AS (2024) provides $358 million for school safety, repairs, and modernization.
2. Parcel Tax (Measure A): Voter-approved parcel tax renewed in 2017 for 18 years, generating approximately $77 million during its lifetime to support teachers and instructional programs.
3. State Funding (LCFF): California's Local Control Funding Formula provides base funding based on average daily attendance with additional funding for disadvantaged students.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Arcadia Unified School District delivers tuition-free K-12 public education to approximately 9,500 students across 11 schools (6 elementary, 3 middle, 1 high school, and 1 alternative/outreach program) in Arcadia, California. Core offerings include standard elementary and secondary instruction, Career Technical Education pathways, Special Education, college preparation with extensive AP programming, social-emotional and mental health support, arts and athletics, and a district-wide Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) framework. The district is funded by voter-approved bond measures, parcel taxes, and California state funding, and does not charge tuition.

Product overview

Arcadia Unified School District is a public K-12 educational institution serving approximately 9,500 students across 11 schools in Arcadia, California. The district does not offer technology products or SaaS offerings; it provides traditional educational services including elementary, middle, and high school education, special education, career technical education, arts programs, and various student support services. The district operates standard educational infrastructure including a parent portal (PowerSchool), district website, and communication platforms for families.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• K-12 Public Education Programs Tuition-free K-12 public education delivered across 11 schools (6 elementary, 3 middle, 1 high school, and 1 alternative/outreach program), serving approximately 9,500 students in Arcadia, California. Includes standard core instruction with college preparation focus.
• Career Technical Education (CTE) Pathways Career Technical Education pathways offered across district schools, preparing students for college and career with applied technical skills. Recognized through College Board's AP District Honor Roll for increasing AP access and success.
• Special Education Services Special education programs supporting students with disabilities, including dedicated special education teachers such as Holly Avenue Elementary's Courtney Franz, selected as 2024 Los Angeles County Teacher of the Year.
• Social-Emotional Learning and Counseling Services Whole-child support services including full-time counselors at every school site and mental health resources, embedded within the district-wide Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) framework addressing academic, social-emotional, behavioral, and attendance needs.
• Arcadia Innovation Summit Annual educational conference hosted by Arcadia Unified, free of charge, recognized as one of the premiere educational conferences in the country. Began in 2015.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% graduation rate achieved by Arcadia High Class of 2023
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Palo Alto Unified School District: California K-12 public district of similar size (~10K-12K students) with elite academic outcomes, strong National Merit pipeline, and high reliance on parcel taxes and community-approved bond measures. Comparable footprint and academic reputation profile to Arcadia USD.
• Poway Unified School District: San Diego County K-12 public district of comparable size (~35K students) consistently ranked among California's top districts. Strong AP pipeline, similar reliance on parcel taxes and voter bonds, and a similar differentiated-support model for the whole child.
• Walnut Valley Unified School District: Adjacent San Gabriel Valley K-12 public district with similar API demographics and college-preparatory focus, organized around multiple K-5 elementary campuses and a single flagship high school (Diamond Bar) with comparable state and national recognition.
• Glendale Unified School District: Nearby Los Angeles County K-12 public district of similar regional positioning to Arcadia USD in the greater LA/San Gabriel area, serving a comparable ethnically diverse student body with college-prep emphasis and California Distinguished School recognition.
• Pasadena Unified School District: Adjacent LA County public school district operating with a similar mix of elementary, middle, and high schools plus alternative education programs under oversight of the same Los Angeles County Office of Education. Comparable governance and operational structure.
• San Marino Unified School District: Adjacent San Gabriel Valley K-12 public district consistently ranked among California's top districts, sharing similar demographics, high-API student outcomes, and a small enrollment base supported by local parcel taxes and bonds. Closely comparable in academic brand and funding model.
• Irvine Unified School District: Larger Southern California K-12 public district frequently cited among California's best, with strong AP/college-prep outcomes, similar high-API student demographics, and reliance on developer fees and voter-approved local funding to support rapid facility expansion.
• San Jose Unified School District: California K-12 public district of comparable urban-suburban profile and size, combining strong academic outcomes with a diverse student body, and reliant on parcel tax renewals and bond measures to fund modernization—sharing Arcadia's funding-model and governance characteristics.
• La Cañada Unified School District: Small, high-achieving Los Angeles County public K-8 (and feeding into La Cañada High) district with a comparable Top-1% Niche reputation, high property values in the San Gabriel/foothills area, and similar reliance on voter-approved parcel taxes and bonds. Closest demographic and performance analog to Arcadia USD.

Broad incumbents

• Los Angeles County Office of Education: The intermediate agency that provides oversight, compliance, and program support to Arcadia USD and the other 80+ K-12 districts in LA County. Not a direct competitor but the structural governance counterpart shaping funding and policy for Arcadia's operations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/arcadiaunified
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/arcadiaunified
• Facebookfacebook.com/ArcadiaUnified
• Instagraminstagram.com/arcadiaunified
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arcadia-unified-school-dist

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Arcadia Unified School District