School History

Altus Schools Charter School of San Diego is proud to be one of the oldest charter schools in the nation. The journey to create CSSD began in 1993, when charter law was implemented in California. After a year of planning, charter revisions, and collaboration with San Diego Unified School District staff and members of the community, the SDUSD Board of Education unanimously approved The Charter School of San Diego’s petition.

CSSD opened for student enrollment in 1994 as a visionary model for educational reform. Designed for students who have not found success in traditional school settings, CSSD offers a unique educational environment that addresses both academic and social needs through personalized support and innovative learning approaches.

In the decades since, CSSD began serving students through a radically different model that provides students with a free, public individualized learning option in their neighborhood.  Altus Schools have replicated to include Altus Schools Audeo (est. 2001), Altus Schools Mirus (est. 2007), Audeo Charter School II (est. 2016), Altus Schools East County (est. 2017), Altus Schools South Bay (est. 2017), Altus Schools North County (est. 2018), and Audeo Valley Charter School (est. 2021). Together, these schools have transformed the lives of more than 78,000 students, their families, and the communities in which they live.

CSSD marks nearly 30 years of serving the San Diego County community.