# The biggest spenders in California

Some California districts spend a fortune per student. See who spends the most and what students are getting in return.

## Methodology

This page includes California districts with comparable spending, enrollment, reading, and math data. Districts are ranked by average spending per student. The comparable high-spending threshold is $30,000 per student.

## Large Districts

| Rank | District | County | Per Student Spending | Reading | Math | Students |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Westside Elementary | Fresno | $42,724 | 37.9% | 15.8% | 4,460 |
| 2 | Ravenswood City Elementary | San Mateo | $40,730 | 12.1% | 7.1% | 2,528 |
| 3 | Carmel Unified | Monterey | $38,424 | 73.2% | 65.8% | 2,152 |
| 4 | Roseland | Sonoma | $37,873 | 33.3% | 28.6% | 2,836 |
| 5 | Spencer Valley Elementary | San Diego | $35,536 | 52.0% | 44.0% | 4,196 |
| 6 | Laguna Beach Unified | Orange | $34,914 | 77.5% | 72.1% | 2,279 |
| 7 | Mountain View-Los Altos Union High | Santa Clara | $34,233 | 78.5% | 67.5% | 4,435 |
| 8 | Banta Unified | San Joaquin | $32,739 | 24.5% | 12.2% | 3,563 |
| 9 | Beverly Hills Unified | Los Angeles | $31,720 | 71.1% | 62.8% | 3,661 |
| 10 | Palo Alto Unified | Santa Clara | $31,608 | 82.3% | 79.6% | 10,187 |
| 11 | Warner Unified | San Diego | $30,401 | 28.4% | 25.7% | 3,258 |
| 12 | Winship-Robbins | Sutter | $30,159 | 45.7% | 41.4% | 2,843 |

## Medium Districts

| Rank | District | County | Per Student Spending | Reading | Math | Students |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Saint Helena Unified | Napa | $37,530 | 58.6% | 42.6% | 1,104 |
| 2 | Las Lomitas Elementary | San Mateo | $32,506 | 83.6% | 83.2% | 1,134 |
| 3 | Hillsborough City Elementary | San Mateo | $30,843 | 84.7% | 85.8% | 1,239 |

## Small Districts

| Rank | District | County | Per Student Spending | Reading | Math | Students |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Death Valley Unified | Inyo | $95,928 | 35.0% | 25.0% | 21 |
| 2 | Fort Ross Elementary | Sonoma | $80,550 | 38.5% | 15.4% | 20 |
| 3 | Alpine County Unified | Alpine | $59,611 | 42.9% | 31.3% | 57 |
| 4 | Bolinas-Stinson Union | Marin | $57,631 | 63.2% | 50.0% | 109 |
| 5 | Mountain House Elementary | Alameda | $56,446 | 69.2% | 38.5% | 14 |
| 6 | Montgomery Elementary | Sonoma | $52,930 | 46.1% | 38.5% | 23 |
| 7 | Stony Creek Joint Unified | Glenn | $50,061 | 32.1% | 28.6% | 83 |
| 8 | Manchester Union Elementary | Mendocino | $48,005 | 23.8% | 4.8% | 34 |
| 9 | Pine Ridge Elementary | Fresno | $44,860 | 53.2% | 35.6% | 67 |
| 10 | Pioneer Union Elementary | Butte | $44,461 | 29.2% | 20.8% | 41 |
| 11 | Montecito Union Elementary | Santa Barbara | $44,190 | 90.8% | 91.6% | 353 |
| 12 | Sausalito Marin City | Marin | $43,830 | 48.5% | 40.1% | 262 |
| 13 | Dunsmuir Joint Union High | Siskiyou | $41,700 | 20.0% | 13.3% | 61 |
| 14 | Southern Trinity Joint Unified | Trinity | $41,513 | 52.5% | 37.5% | 72 |
| 15 | Horicon Elementary | Sonoma | $41,326 | 24.4% | 13.3% | 69 |
| 16 | Mattole Unified | Humboldt | $40,128 | 35.3% | 52.9% | 42 |
| 17 | Shoreline Unified | Marin | $39,567 | 35.2% | 31.8% | 469 |
| 18 | Portola Valley Elementary | San Mateo | $39,108 | 85.6% | 84.3% | 495 |
| 19 | Woodside Elementary | San Mateo | $38,453 | 87.4% | 83.0% | 385 |
| 20 | Big Pine Unified | Inyo | $38,154 | 24.1% | 29.9% | 151 |
| 21 | Dunsmuir Elementary | Siskiyou | $37,764 | 23.1% | 7.7% | 65 |
| 22 | Fort Sage Unified | Lassen | $37,457 | 12.7% | 4.6% | 519 |
| 23 | Linns Valley-Poso Flat Union | Kern | $36,962 | 54.5% | 18.2% | 22 |
| 24 | Julian Union High | San Diego | $36,910 | 47.2% | 22.2% | 112 |
| 25 | Golden Feather Union Elementary | Butte | $36,704 | 36.6% | 34.1% | 67 |
| 26 | Trona Joint Unified | San Bernardino | $36,071 | 19.7% | 18.7% | 258 |
| 27 | Castle Rock Union Elementary | Shasta | $35,799 | 28.6% | 14.3% | 42 |
| 28 | San Pasqual Valley Unified | Imperial | $35,654 | 23.7% | 7.1% | 575 |
| 29 | Eastern Sierra Unified | Mono | $35,491 | 52.8% | 28.5% | 348 |
| 30 | Hornbrook Elementary | Siskiyou | $35,359 | 26.1% | 13.0% | 33 |
| 31 | Igo, Ono, Platina Union Elementary | Shasta | $35,270 | 31.3% | 31.3% | 36 |
| 32 | Coast Unified | San Luis Obispo | $35,158 | 34.2% | 25.5% | 478 |
| 33 | Pope Valley Union Elementary | Napa | $35,073 | 25.9% | 14.3% | 46 |
| 34 | Nicasio | Marin | $34,836 | 35.0% | 14.3% | 34 |
| 35 | Monte Rio Union Elementary | Sonoma | $34,812 | 65.1% | 23.3% | 68 |
| 36 | French Gulch-Whiskeytown Elementary | Shasta | $34,574 | 15.4% | 23.1% | 18 |
| 37 | Leggett Valley Unified | Mendocino | $34,453 | 54.4% | 33.8% | 111 |
| 38 | Junction Elementary | Siskiyou | $33,761 | 28.6% | 38.5% | 34 |
| 39 | Lakeside Joint | Santa Clara | $33,715 | 73.3% | 70.0% | 64 |
| 40 | Big Oak Flat-Groveland Unified | Tuolumne | $33,682 | 24.8% | 10.2% | 268 |
| 41 | Guerneville Elementary | Sonoma | $33,641 | 36.0% | 18.9% | 396 |
| 42 | Loleta Union Elementary | Humboldt | $33,072 | 7.3% | 7.5% | 82 |
| 43 | Ballico-Cressey Elementary | Merced | $33,049 | 46.1% | 36.6% | 336 |
| 44 | Baker Valley Unified | San Bernardino | $32,939 | 13.0% | 9.1% | 125 |
| 45 | Bradley Union Elementary | Monterey | $32,574 | 39.5% | 21.1% | 54 |
| 46 | Kenwood | Sonoma | $32,546 | 70.3% | 62.2% | 124 |
| 47 | Calistoga Joint Unified | Napa | $32,476 | 43.5% | 30.4% | 767 |
| 48 | Harmony Union Elementary | Sonoma | $32,239 | 62.9% | 38.5% | 581 |
| 49 | La Honda-Pescadero Unified | San Mateo | $32,236 | 58.6% | 36.7% | 272 |
| 50 | Owens Valley Unified | Inyo | $32,188 | 29.5% | 11.5% | 99 |
| 51 | Semitropic Elementary | Kern | $32,141 | 30.1% | 10.8% | 140 |
| 52 | College Elementary | Santa Barbara | $31,459 | 61.1% | 40.2% | 364 |
| 53 | McKittrick Elementary | Kern | $31,376 | 54.8% | 57.1% | 61 |
| 54 | Ross Elementary | Marin | $31,129 | 88.8% | 90.1% | 339 |
| 55 | Lagunitas Elementary | Marin | $30,249 | 65.3% | 53.9% | 161 |
| 56 | Bonny Doon Union Elementary | Santa Cruz | $30,091 | 56.5% | 52.2% | 92 |

## Canonical URL

https://caschooltrends.com/research/biggest-spenders-in-california