San Dieguito High School Academy

The school was founded in 1936 as the first public high school within the new San Dieguito Union High School District, educating students in grades 8 through 12. Since the campus had not yet been built when school started September 14, 1936, students attended classes in tents. In 1996, San Dieguito High School was re-designed as a "school of choice" and renamed San Dieguito High School Academy to offer a student centered environment for a maximum of 1,450 students. All students living within the district may enroll at either La Costa Canyon High School or Torrey Pines High School within their attendance areas, but they are also eligible to attend San Dieguito Academy and Canyon Crest Academy, both of which are designed to be "schools of choice." Typically, more students apply than there are available spaces, so a lottery of applicants is conducted to determine who may attend. New students with siblings that already attend SDA are automatically enrolled to the school. Many years this lottery is challenged due to students and parents desire to go to San Dieguito Academy. In 2022 a lottery was reimplemented for the first time since 2015 because 491 students chose the school as their top choice and only 428 spots were available. This would raise the capacity to 137 more students than there were in the 2021–2022 school year. In 1998, the school had roughly 1000 students, and by 2002, had 1500 (population limits of district high schools and academies are required to grow relative to the district). Fall 2003 enrollment was 1462. In the fall of 2015, construction began on the new Math and Science building in the place of old Senior Court. Construction funded by SDUHSD voter-approved Proposition AA bond measure. In March 2020, SDUHSD began its Distance Learning Plan by closing schools district wide. Many students were able to return to campus on January 4, 2021, in a hybrid setting, allowing students to choose to learn from home or return to campus. Students were welcomed back to campus full time at the start of the 2021–2022 school year. File:San dieguito academy sign.jpg|Historic Mustangs signboard before being removed in 2013 and restored in 2017 File:San dieguito gymnasium.jpg|San Dieguito gymnasium File:San dieguito theatre.jpg|The school's senior court prior to its demolition in 2015 as part of constructing a new math and science building ==Athletics==