Santa Barbara Unified School District

First attempts at creating public schools began in Santa Barbara after the founding of the Presidio in the 1790s, with mixed success. But as Robert Christian wrote in his thesis on the history of the district, "...on June 6, 1866, the Santa Barbara School District was formed. The schools were no longer administered by the County Superintendent, but in complete control of the electorate of the city. In 1866, Alpheus B. Thompson, County Superintendent reported that there were three school districts in the County: San Buenaventura, Montecito, and Santa Barbara. The census showed that there were 1,243 children between the ages of five and fifteen residing in the County, with only 325 pupils enrolled in schools, plus forty-one enrolled in private schools. Each district had two schools, with the length of the school year varying from three to five months. The teachers’ salaries varied from $30 to $50 per month, with the Santa Barbara district paying a total of $1,165.25."^[6]

In 2018, SBUSD became the first school district in the United States to ban processed meats from its school meal program. Officials attributed the decision to evidence linking processed meats to cancer.^[7] In March 2018, SBUSD food service director Nancy Weiss stated that 50% of meals served by the district were vegan.^[8]