County-District-School Administration

County-District-School (CDS) Codes

The California Department of Education (CDE) is required to report Directory information annually to the U.S. Department of Education (ED) through the EDFacts Submission System (ESS). To meet this federal requirement, the CDE uses the County-District-School (CDS) code system. Additionally, the administration of CDS codes provides the CDE, as well as other state agencies and postsecondary institutions, with a basis for tracking schools and districts in California.

The 14-digit CDS code is the official, unique identification of a school within California. The first two digits identify the county, the next five digits identify the school district, and the last seven digits identify the school.

CDS codes are not assigned to programs. Evidence that the entity is a school rather than a program is provided by the governing board action approving formation of the school and board action establishing the school. Governing boards can act only by a majority vote at a public meeting (Education Code sections 1011, 1013, 1040, 35163, 35164; Government Code section 54950 and following [the Brown Act]).

CDS Guidelines and General Information

• OPUS-CDS Frequently Asked Questions
  This web page contains answers to common questions related to the CDS administration and using the Online Public Update for Schools (OPUS)-CDS Web application to submit changes.
• Definition of a School
  This web page cites the CDE's definition of a school for data management purposes.
• Guidance for Issuing School Codes
  This web page lists the guidance used by CDE staff to determine if and when a school code shall be issued to a new or changing public school.
• CDS Information for Charter Schools
  This web page contains information regarding making changes to, or starting new, charter schools.
• Closing a School Best Practices Guide
  This web page contains guidelines regarding making the decision to close a school.

Obtaining a CDS Code

• Application for a CDS Code
  Used to notify CDS staff of the establishment of a California public school and to apply for a CDS code for the newly established school.
• Application for a CDS Code Instructions
  Instructions for completing the application for a CDS code. Includes information about the application process and how to send supporting documentation or make corrections to your application.

School and District Updates

Updates to school and district information may be requested by authorized local educational agency (LEA) personnel using the OPUS-CDS application, or by contacting CDS Administration staff. Changes initiated by the public must be routed through the LEA CDS coordinator.

Online Public Update for Schools (OPUS - CDS)

The Online Public Update for Schools - County-District-School (OPUS-CDS) Web application is used by authorized LEA CDS coordinators to submit changes regarding a school or district including contact information, agency name, school type, grade span, status. etc.

• OPUS-CDS Web Application
  This Web application is used by authorized LEA CDS coordinators to notify the CDE of updates to the California School Directory. A user name and password are required to access this application.
• OPUS-CDS Application and Resources
  This web page provides access the OPUS-CDS Web application, as well as useful information for using this application.

For a list of school information that can and should be changed through the OPUS-CDS Web application, please refer to the Instructions for Submitting CDS Changes. FOR ALL OTHER CHANGES: Please request aChange Request for a County-District-School (CDS) Codeform by contacting the CDS Administration via email at cdsadmin@cde.ca.gov or by phone at 916-327-4014.

District Reorganizations

District Reorganizations
This web page contains a list of district reorganizations, name changes, and new or retired districts.

Resources for Obtaining Information About Schools and Districts