In 1938 local voters approved to build Acalanes High School District.  Built in 1940 by the Works Progress Administration, Acalanes was the first of four comprehensive high schools in the Acalanes Union High school District (AUHSD). Heralded for its unique architecture design for its time, the Museum of Modern Art selected Acalanes for its "Built in the USA" exhibit in 1945 as "an important early showcase of Modern buildings in the United States".