Total enrollment was 19,773 in 2024. The district has 16 elementary schools that serve kindergarten through fifth grade, four middle schools serving sixth through eighth grades. The district has three four-year high schools, one alternative high school and one charter high school.
1935 monument erected at the original 1877 Lugonia School site, Church Street / Lugonia Avenue.
Early history of public education in Redlands was established by the local Estancia outpost of the San Gabriel Mission by Spanish missionaries in 1820. The Mission School taught local native tribes about agriculture, religion and Eurocentrism. The Van Leuven school, a private school was established in 1854 nearby. The Mission School District was established in 1857 and opened Mission Elementary using the Van Leuven School House. Lugonia Elementary was founded in October 1877 by Frank E. Brown and George W. Beattie on the northwest corner of Lugonia Avenue and Church Street, establishing The Lugonia School District. Crafton Elementary was established in 1888 and created the Crafton School District.[4][5] The Barton School House was built in 1901 in what is now western Redlands today, by Dr. Ben Barton the land owner. Redlands was incorporated as a city in 1888.
The Redlands Unified School District was organized and founded in 1905, created from the already established Lugonia, Mission and Crafton School Districts in the towns of Redlands, Lugonia and Crafton.[6] One high school was established by the districts prior to consolidation, the "Union High School", now Redlands High School in 1891. Union High School was originally on the northwest corner of Orange Street and Colton Avenue in a temporary building called, the "Wilson-Berry Building". Redlands High School's current campus on Citrus Avenue was completed in 1892, it has remained in the same location since opening day, the only high school in California still operating on its original site. It is considered the oldest high school in California. The districts consolidated into the Redlands Unified School District (RUSD) in 1905.[7] The Barton School House closed in 1937.
Lugonia Elementary was named after the Lugo family of California, early settlers of Redlands before incorporation. Kingsbury Elementary opened in 1888 and in 1892, teacher Mrs. Mary Fackler started the tradition of reciting the American Pledge of Allegiance at the start of each school day. The custom faded and she helped re-start the spread of the recital nationwide.[8] McKinley Elementary was built in 1903, it is named after the 25th President of the United States, William McKinley, the first sitting U.S. president to visit Redlands in 1901. Franklin Elementary in 1903 for Benjamin Franklin. Kimberly Elementary was founded in 1957, and named after resident Mary Kimberly Shirk, owner of the Kimberly Crest mansion, daughter of the founder of Kleenex. Smiley Elementary was named after Redlands founders, the Smiley brothers Albert K. and Alfred Smiley, opened in 1953. Judson & Brown Elementary was also named after Redlands founders Edward G. Judson and Frank E. Brown, opened in 2006.[9]
The first official Redlands "Junior High" school building was opened in 1921 adjacent Redlands High School. E. M. Cope Middle School, founded in 1957, is named after Edward Mitchell Cope, local business owner and founder of the Redlands chapter of the Red Cross, who also donated land to build the local Community Hospital. The Redlands Junior High School site closed in 1966.[10][11][12] Clement Middle School opened in the fall of 1962. It's named after former Redlands educator and early Redlands Superintendent Henry G. Clement. Moore Middle School opened as Moore Junior high school in the fall of 1966, named after the Moore family, owners of the local Daily Facts newspaper from 1895 to 1981.[13] Beattie Middle School opened in 2004, named after the first teacher at Lugonia Elementary school, U of R alumni, founding faculty at the University of the Philippines in Manila, Superintendent of San Bernardino County schools and local historian, George W. Beattie.[14]
Bryn Mawr Elementary school was designated as "the Mexican school" in 1911 for Spanish speaking children of citrus workers. Located on the southeast corner of Mayberry Street and Whittier Avenue. With efforts by PTA member and parent Rafaela Landeros Rey. She challenged the unequal education at Bryn Mawr and changed the segregation policy. Redlands Unified School district self de-segregated in 1942 due to pressure from Mrs. Landeros Rey and the community, years before state law banned the practice in passing California Assembly Bill 1375 (The Anderson Bill) and the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issuing a ruling in Mendez v. Westminster in 1947.[15][16] When the school was integrated, all children went to Mission Elementary School and Bryn Mawr Elementary closed in 1947. A new Bryn Mawr school would later reopen three blocks south on Whittier Avenue in Loma Linda, California in 1993.
Redlands had a Lincoln Elementary School, opened July 1, 1980. Closed in 1989 and became Orangewood High School that was located at the district offices since 1966. Orangewood is the districts current and only Continuation high school. [17]. The Redlands eAcademy is a RUSD on-line school.[18] The school features a blended learning environment and serves grades K-12. The school opened in August 2013.[19][20][21]
The three comprehensive high schools, commonly known by their acronyms are: RHS, REV and CVHS. Each play in the California Division II Interscholastic sports league, Citrus Belt League.
The district has achieved multiple awards, including the National PTA Parent Involvement School's of Excellence award, a Model Continuation High School Award for Orangewood High School, a Title 1 Academic Achievement Award, California Achieving School's Award Program, a Golden Bell Award, a National Blue Ribbon Schools award, a California Pivotal Practice District Award and thruout the years, multiple school have achieved California Distinguished Schools awards. For example, in 2025, eleven schools and the district received Educational Results Partnership California Distinguished Schools Honor Roll, a statewide achievement.[22][23]
The district has had a large number of child molestation criminal and civil abuse cases. Twenty five teachers and staff have been accused by over fifty students since 1999. Following an investigation in the early 2020's, the district entered into a stipulated judgment in 2024 with the California Department of Justice, placing RUSD under five years of monitoring. To date, the district has paid out over $50 million in damages to affected students and families.[24][25][26] RUSD abuse cases gained nationwide attention, including a high-profile CBS news report named "Pledge of Silence" that aired nationally.[27]
Board member Candy Olsen was accused of being antisemitic and racist in 2025 by local parent organizations. 1,500 complaints were received at a school board meeting about Olsens post and likes on social media. Olsen stated her social media was taken out of context. Since elected, Olsen has followed the second Trump administrations "MAGA agenda" of banning school library books, certain flags and curriculum she deemed as "Critical Race Theory".[28] The project 2025 debate garnered nationwide attention.[29][30]
