The Lucia Mar Unified School District (LMUSD) is the largest school district in San Luis Obispo County, with about 10,700 students. It covers 550 square miles (1,400 km²) at the southern end of the county, from Shell Beach (at the north end of Pismo Beach) to the county line at the Santa Maria River. This territory encompasses the communities of Shell Beach, Pismo Beach, Grover Beach, Arroyo Grande, Oceano, Halcyon, Huasna, and Nipomo.

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Central Coast New Tech High School opened in 2012 with a freshman class. The school added a freshman class each year, reaching all four classes in the 2015–2016 school year. Two new schools have been built in Nipomo: Nipomo High School in 2002, and Dorothea Lange Elementary in 2006. A few years earlier, Lopez High School moved to a new campus on the Nipomo Mesa. And Arroyo Grande High School underwent a major renovation with new Career Technical Education buildings and facilities, including a new pool, tennis courts and multi-purpose room. The 'Clark Center For The Performing Arts' opened on the Arroyo Grande High School campus in 2002. It is used by all the schools in the district and the community. A new gym was built for Mesa Middle School and a multi-purpose room with covered eating area was constructed at Paulding Middle School.