The desire of the local residents to have a free public education for their children led to the formation of the Los Altos School District in February 1909. One year later 4.5 acres of land along San Antonio Road and Hillview Avenue was purchased and construction of the first school was begun. This school, San Antonio School, served students in grades kindergarten through eighth grade and was the only school in the district until after World War II.

The period from 1948 to 1961 was one of great expansion and a time when the school community embraced the concept of smaller neighborhood schools. Faced with an increasing student population and state mandates against having single schools with greater than 800 students, the district trustees recognized the need to add additional school sites to serve the growing population. In 1948 the district annexed lands and purchased the old Purissima School site (in Los Altos Hills) from the neighboring Palo Alto School District. One year later additional lands were purchased and construction of three new schools - Hillview, Loyola, and Portola - was started. For the start of school in September 1949, four schools were serving primary (K - 3) students - Hillview, Loyola, Portola, and Purissima - while San Antonio School served the students in grades 4 through 8.

Over the next eleven years (1950-61) the district grew to include sixteen schools. Covington School, which became the first true junior high school (7 - 8), was constructed in 1950. Following Covington were Springer (1955); Almond, Carmel, Santa Rita, Blach, and Egan (all in 1957); Oak (1958); and Bullis, Eastbrook, and the new Purissima (1960). These schools were needed to serve the ever-increasing student population and to preserve the small neighborhood school concept. In 1956 the original school of the district, San Antonio, was closed as an active school site and became the home of the district’s administrative operations. Partly due to structural inadequacies, San Antonio School was vacated in the early 1970’s, demolished, and its land was subsequently sold.

As enrollment declined in the 1970’s and early 1980’s, the district sold off some of its sites. Since 1986 enrollment has continued to grow again. The district currently consists of nine open schools (seven elementary and two intermediates), and one closed school (Eastbrook). Eastbrook has been leased to a private school which has an option to buy the site for $1 at the end of its 30 year lease.