On January 12, 2011, the board of education unanimously approved a resolution to reorganize the Santa Barbara Elementary and Secondary School Districts into a single unified school district.

[5] Because the state provides a fiscal incentive for school district that unify, unification will result in $6 million of ongoing revenue the 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.

The schools were no longer administered by the County Superintendent, but in complete control of the electorate of the city.

The teachers’ salaries varied from $30 to $50 per month, with the Santa Barbara district paying a total of $1,165.25.