Directory Frequently Asked Questions

The Directory is a web-based application that allows users to search through the California Department of Education’s (CDE’s) directory of schools and districts to obtain general information about schools and districts, or to obtain a list of certain schools and districts that meet specified search criteria. The Directory contains information about California public schools, private schools, certified nonpublic schools, school districts, and county offices of education.

For more information about the Directory, please visit the About the Directory web page, or contact the CDS Administrator for assistance by email at cdsadmin@cde.ca.gov.

Most of the data contained in the Directory are sourced from the CDS database. Updates to CDS database information may be made by designated CDE staff, or designated district staff. The CDS asks each Superintendent or his/her designee to appoint a district CDS Coordinator. The district CDS coordinator is responsible for ensuring that the CDS information for their district office and schools within the district are accurate. The district CDS Coordinator also has access to the Online Public Update for Schools (OPUS)-CDS application, which is a web-based application used by districts to notify the CDE of necessary changes to their CDS data.

Directory information is also obtained from various other sources. For more information on how the data from other sources are updated, please refer to the Directory Data Sources web page.

July 1,1980 is a system default date set by the California Department of Education (CDE) upon the establishment of their electronic tracking system for schools. Since the CDE did not have a record of every school's start date, July 1, 1980 was used to populate the open date. Districts may update this to reflect the school's actual start date if they choose to or if they have the actual start dates available.

Instructions for submitting corrections to Directory information are located at the bottom of the school and district detail pages within the Directory. Corrections to public school information should be sent to the district CDS Coordinator, who is responsible for updating and maintaining Directory information. Contact information for the district CDS Coordinator may be obtained from the school and district detail pages within the Directory.

Schools are not required to be listed in the Directory in order to serve students. Only schools that have applied for and have been issued a CDS code are in the Directory.

A CDS code must be issued to a school in order for it to appear in the Directory. To request a CDS code for a new public school, complete the online Application for a County-District-School (CDS) Code. Upon submission of your application you will receive instructions for completing the application process which includes, but is not limited to, providing board minutes showing approval of the formation and establishment of the school. Please review the CDE’s Definition of a School to ensure that the proposed new school meets the requirements for receiving a CDS code. To obtain a CDS code for a private school or non-public school, please complete a Private School Affidavit.

School records in the Directory are used for public informational purposes and are generally not removed, unless the record was created in error. For private schools, however, a school record may be removed from the Directory if the school's enrollment, as reported on the annual Private School Affidavit, falls below six. Annual California budget limits the California Department of Education’s (CDE's) compiling and sorting of private school data to schools with six or more students.

Your application for a CDS code may still be being processed. Delays in processing may be due to incomplete applications, the requirement of additional information, or the requirement of additional approval. To inquire about the status of your CDS code application, please contact the CDS Administrator by email at cdsadmin@cde.ca.gov.

Most of the data contained in the Directory are sourced from the CDS database. Data sourced from the CDS database reflect real-time updates, which may be made year-round on a daily basis. District CDS coordinators are responsible for ensuring that the CDS information for their district and schools are up-to-date, and are encouraged to submit Directory updates as soon as they know of any changes.

Directory information is also obtained from various other sources. For more information on how often the data from other sources are updated, please refer to the Directory Data Sources web page.

Yes, you can download the Directory information using two different methods. You can either export your search results by using the export button located on your search results page, or you can download a complete file of all data contained in the Directory as it relates to public schools from the CDE Public Schools and Districts Data Files web page.

Yes, you can sort the Directory search results by selecting any of the column headings on the search results page.

Enrollment data is not part of the Directory. These data are made available to the public via the CDE DataQuest web site, or through the CDE Student and School Data Files (Downloadable) web page.

CDE CDS Administration staff are available to assist with any questions, issues, or problems you may have regarding the Directory. CDS Administration staff can be reached by email at CDSadmin@cde.ca.gov.