Reef-Sunset Unified
Public school district · Kings County · California · NCES district ID 0632270
Reef-Sunset Unified spent $17,468 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 57% of the other California districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $16,855). Its 8 schools enrolled 2,667 students in 2024-25; 79.6% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $19,370 per student, up 10.8% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 90-94% (California: 86.2%).
NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method
Spending per student among California districts of similar size
Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Reef-Sunset Unified in enrollment (2,678 to 2,762 students) and Reef-Sunset Unified itself.
Where the money came from
$76,426,000 in revenue: 79.6% state, 8.7% local and 11.7% federal. Total spending including $3,845,000 of capital outlay was $53,862,000, or $19,788 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$60,812,000 80%
- Local$6,683,000 9%
- Federal$8,931,000 12%
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 646 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).
Enrollment fell from 2022-23 to 2024-25
2,722 students in 2022-23, 2,687 students in 2023-24, 2,663 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.
Teachers and students per teacher
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 2,722 | 121.9 | 22.3 |
| 2023-24 | 2,687 | 121.9 | 22.0 |
| 2024-25 | 2,663 | 123.1 | 21.6 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$11,564,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $4,248 per student
Reef-Sunset Unified booked $11,564,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 122 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $94,880 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 41 in 100 California districts with a figure (state median $99,744, 1,149 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average California teacher salary at $87,275 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
| Program | Teacher salaries | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Regular programs | $10,540,000 | 91.1% |
| Special education | $726,000 | 6.3% |
| Vocational | $10,000 | 0.1% |
| Other programs | $288,000 | 2.5% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $3,539 in 2018-19, $3,592 in 2019-20, $3,617 in 2020-21, $3,953 in 2021-22, $4,248 in 2022-23.
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).
State test results, 2021-22
In 2021-22, the students tested in Reef-Sunset Unified scored proficient or above: 18-22% in reading and 9-12% in math, against 45% in reading and 34% in math across California. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within California, not across states. Where a state published results by grade only, the grades tested are combined, weighted by the students tested in each.
| Subject | This district | California | Students tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and language arts | 18-22% | 45% | 1,303 |
| Math | 9-12% | 34% | 1,299 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.
Graduation rate, class of 2023
90-94% of the 184 students in Reef-Sunset Unified's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 86.2% across California. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.
| This district | California | |
|---|---|---|
| Four-year graduation rate | 90‑94% | 86.2% |
| Students in the class | 184 | 495,492 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.
3 elementary schools, 1,326 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avenal Elementary | 654 | 21.4 | 91.3% | Not reported |
| Tamarack Elementary | 433 | 21.1 | 92.6% | Not reported |
| Kettleman City Elementary | 239 | 20.4 | 89.5% | Not reported |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
1 middle school, 554 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reef Sunset Middle | 554 | 20.8 | 92.4% | Not reported |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
4 high schools, 787 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avenal High | 762 | 25.6 | 91.6% | Not reported |
| Sunrise High (Continuation) | 14 | 4.7 | 92.9% | Not reported |
| Reef-Sunset Secondary Community Day | 7 | 7.3 | All free (CEP) | Not reported |
| Adelante High | 4 | 4.0 | All free (CEP) | Not reported |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
One more school on file: small, closed or in an earlier directory
These records carry fewer federal fields than a full school page needs, so each is summarized here with what NCES reports.
Adelante High
High school in Kettleman City; open in 2024-25; 4 students; 4.0 students per teacher.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 and earlier directories: the last year each school was listed, its students and its teachers.
Contact Reef-Sunset Unified
- Website: rsusd.org
- Phone: (559) 386-9083
- Office: 1225 S. 7th Ave., Avenal, CA 93204
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.
What to look at next about Reef-Sunset Unified
- California districts by spending per studentReef-Sunset Unified ranks 280 of 646 California districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($17,468).#280 of 646
- Every school district in CaliforniaReef-Sunset Unified is the number 410 by size of 1,991 California districts, with 2,722 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#410 of 1,991
- Solana Beach School DistrictThe next larger California district: 2,725 students in fall 2022, $22,324 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$22,324
- Menlo Park City School DistrictThe next smaller California district: 2,705 students in fall 2022, $26,425 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$26,425
- Compare Reef-Sunset Unified with Solana Beach School DistrictEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Avenal High, its largest high school762 students in 2024-25, 25.6 per teacher.762
- Teacher salary spending across CaliforniaReef-Sunset Unified spent $94,880 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $99,744); spending, not a salary.$94,880
- Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).
Questions about Reef-Sunset Unified
How many schools and students are in Reef-Sunset Unified?
8 schools were open in 2024-25 (3 elementary, 1 middle, 4 high), enrolling 2,667 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Reef-Sunset Unified spend per student?
$17,468 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the California median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $16,855 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $19,370 per student, up 10.8% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Reef-Sunset Unified's money come from?
$76,426,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 79.6% state, 8.7% local and 11.7% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Reef-Sunset Unified live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 667 of the 2,651 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 25.2%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.How much does Reef-Sunset Unified spend on teacher salaries?
$11,564,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $4,248 per student. Divided by the 122 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $94,880 per teacher, more than 41 in 100 California districts (state median $99,744). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average California teacher salary at $87,275 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).How do students in Reef-Sunset Unified do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Reef-Sunset Unified scored proficient or above: 18-22% in reading and 9-12% in math, against 45% in reading and 34% in math across California. California's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.What is the graduation rate in Reef-Sunset Unified?
90-94% of the 184 students in Reef-Sunset Unified's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 86.2% across California. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.What is Reef-Sunset Unified's NCES district ID?
0632270. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.
Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.
Sources
Every federal file behind this record
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
- Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
- EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
- EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
- NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25