Our District
Located in Central California’s beautiful San Joaquin Valley, the Tulare Joint Union High School District boasts three comprehensive high schools—Tulare Union, Tulare Western, and Mission Oak; one continuation high school—Tech Prep; one community day school—Countryside; two charter high schools—Sierra Vista Independent Study High School and Accelerated Charter High School; Tulare Adult School; and a working school farm and nursery. Our staff of 550 employees proudly serves a clientele of more than 5,400 students.
Demographics
Tulare Joint Union High School is one of three comprehensive high schools serving the Central San Joaquin Valley community of Tulare, population 62,315 (2015). Two public elementary school districts, Tulare City Schools and Palo Verde, and two parochial schools, St. Aloysius and Tulare Christian, feed into Tulare Union. Tulare County is the second most productive agricultural county in the nation, just behind its neighbors to the north, Fresno County. Tulare is a growing community; the population has seen an increase as the city has one of the most affordable housing supplies in the state of California.
The economy of the community is based on agriculture and light industry. Like many other central valley communities, many residents lag far behind other parts of California and the nation, both educationally and economically. Almost 22% of the residents in Tulare live below the poverty line, compared to a county percentage of 16.7%, a state percentage of 15.3%, and a national percentage of 13.5%. Approximately 30% of all Tulare residents have less than a high school education, which is 10% higher than the state of California and 15% higher than the nationwide rate. Based on 2012 data, the population of Tulare County was: 61.8% Hispanic, 31.4% White, 4.0% Asian, 2.2% African American, 2.8% American Indian, 2.4% Multiracial, and 0.2% Pacific Islander. The local Hispanic population is 40% higher than the state average and almost four times higher than the national average.
Our Feeder Schools
The district encompasses 365.2 square miles and serves the following feeder schools:
- Buena Vista
- Cherry
- Live Oak
- Los Tules
- Mulcahy
- Alpine Vista
- Sundale
- Oak Valley
- Palo Verde
- Pixley
- Tipton
- Waukena
- St. Aloysius Catholic School
- Tulare Christian School
Our History
“In 1872, when bustles were still in their prime, high hats were common, and elections were serious matters, the Southern Pacific Railroad Company selected the present site of Tulare as an ideal spot on which to build a town.” (Quoted from the Tulare Union High School and City of Tulare Building Dedication program, 1937.)
We’ve come a long way from the original high school teaching staff of six, student enrollment of approximately 40, and the first graduating class of 11 members. Please read more about our history.