Benicia Unified

Public school district · Solano County · California · NCES district ID 0604620

Benicia Unified spent $14,271 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, below the middle: 87% of the other California districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 spent more (median $16,855). Its 7 schools enrolled 4,341 students in 2024-25; 52.2% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $15,781 per student, up 10.6% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 95% (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 Benicia Unified in enrollment (4,279 to 4,448 students) and Benicia Unified itself.

Current spending per student, California districts closest in size to Benicia Unified, FY23Mountain View Los Altos High $29,928; Garvey $23,518; National $20,866; San Rafael City Elementary $20,143; La Habra City $18,883; Banning Unified $18,612; Charter Oak Unified $17,587; Atascadero Unified $14,952; Benicia Unified $14,271; Cabrillo Point Academy $12,879; State median, 1,000+ students $16,855.10k15k20k25k30k35kMountain View Los Altos High$29,928Garvey$23,518National$20,866San Rafael City Elementary$20,143La Habra City$18,883Banning Unified$18,612Charter Oak Unified$17,587Atascadero Unified$14,952Benicia Unified$14,271Cabrillo Point Academy$12,879State median, 1,000+ students $16,855
Current spending per student, California districts closest in size to Benicia Unified, FY23Mountain View Los Altos High $29,928; Garvey $23,518; National $20,866; San Rafael City Elementary $20,143; La Habra City $18,883; Banning Unified $18,612; Charter Oak Unified $17,587; Atascadero Unified $14,952; Benicia Unified $14,271; Cabrillo Point Academy $12,879; State median, 1,000+ students $16,855.10k15k20k25k30k35kMountain View Los Altos High$29,928Garvey$23,518National$20,866San Rafael City Elementary$20,143La Habra City$18,883Banning Unified$18,612Charter Oak Unified$17,587Atascadero Unified$14,952Benicia Unified$14,271Cabrillo Point Academy$12,879State median, 1,000+ students $16,855
Current spending per student, California districts closest in size to Benicia Unified, FY23Mountain View Los Altos High $29,928; Garvey $23,518; National $20,866; San Rafael City Elementary $20,143; La Habra City $18,883; Banning Unified $18,612; Charter Oak Unified $17,587; Atascadero Unified $14,952; Benicia Unified $14,271; Cabrillo Point Academy $12,879; State median, 1,000+ students $16,855.10k20k30k35kMountain View Los Altos High$29,928Garvey$23,518National$20,866San Rafael City Elementary$20,143La Habra City$18,883Banning Unified$18,612Charter Oak Unified$17,587Atascadero Unified$14,952Benicia Unified$14,271Cabrillo Point Academy$12,879State median, 1,000+ students $16,855
Current spending per student, California districts closest in size to Benicia Unified, FY23Mountain View Los Altos High $29,928; Garvey $23,518; National $20,866; San Rafael City Elementary $20,143; La Habra City $18,883; Banning Unified $18,612; Charter Oak Unified $17,587; Atascadero Unified $14,952; Benicia Unified $14,271; Cabrillo Point Academy $12,879; State median, 1,000+ students $16,855.10k20k30k35kMountain View Los Altos High$29,928Garvey$23,518National$20,866San Rafael City Elementary$20,143La Habra City$18,883Banning Unified$18,612Charter Oak Unified$17,587Atascadero Unified$14,952Benicia Unified$14,271Cabrillo Point Academy$12,879State median, 1,000+ students $16,855

Where the money came from

$81,250,000 in revenue: 52.2% state, 42.8% local and 5.0% federal. Total spending including $9,074,000 of capital outlay was $78,556,000, or $17,968 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.

Benicia Unified revenue by source, fiscal year 2022-23State $42,415,000; Local $34,799,000; Federal $4,036,000; total $81,250,000.
  • State$42,415,000 52%
  • Local$34,799,000 43%
  • Federal$4,036,000 5%

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 held steady from 2022-23 to 2024-25

4,367 students in 2022-23, 4,368 students in 2023-24, 4,341 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.

Benicia Unified enrollment by school year2022-23: 4,367, 2023-24: 4,368, 2024-25: 4,34102k4k6k2022-234,3672023-244,3682024-254,341
Benicia Unified enrollment by school year2022-23: 4,367, 2023-24: 4,368, 2024-25: 4,34102k4k6k2022-234,3672023-244,3682024-254,341
Benicia Unified enrollment by school year2022-23: 4,367, 2023-24: 4,368, 2024-25: 4,34102k4k6k2022-234,3672023-244,3682024-254,341
Benicia Unified enrollment by school year2022-23: 4,367, 2023-24: 4,368, 2024-25: 4,34102k4k6k2022-234,3672023-244,3682024-254,341

Teachers and students per teacher

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Per teacher
2022-234,367202.321.6
2023-244,368200.621.8
2024-254,341191.922.6

Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.

$21,358,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $4,885 per student

Benicia Unified booked $21,358,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 202 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 $105,602 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 61 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).

ProgramTeacher salariesShare
Regular programs$18,333,00085.8%
Special education$2,129,00010.0%
Vocational$429,0002.0%
Other programs$467,0002.2%

Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23

The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $3,918 in 2018-19, $3,886 in 2019-20, $3,901 in 2020-21, $4,581 in 2021-22, $4,885 in 2022-23.

Benicia Unified teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,918, 2019-20: $3,886, 2020-21: $3,901, 2021-22: $4,581, 2022-23: $4,88502k4k6k2018-19$3,9182019-20$3,8862020-21$3,9012021-22$4,5812022-23$4,885
Benicia Unified teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,918, 2019-20: $3,886, 2020-21: $3,901, 2021-22: $4,581, 2022-23: $4,88502k4k6k2018-19$3,9182019-20$3,8862020-21$3,9012021-22$4,5812022-23$4,885
Benicia Unified teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,918, 2019-20: $3,886, 2020-21: $3,901, 2021-22: $4,581, 2022-23: $4,88502k4k6k2018-19$3,9182019-20$3,8862020-21$3,9012021-22$4,5812022-23$4,885
Benicia Unified teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,918, 2019-20: $3,886, 2020-21: $3,901, 2021-22: $4,581, 2022-23: $4,88502k4k6k2018-19$3,9182019-20$3,8862020-21$3,9012021-22$4,5812022-23$4,885

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 Benicia Unified scored proficient or above: 50-52% in reading and 47-49% 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.

Students proficient or above, 2021-22
SubjectThis districtCaliforniaStudents tested
Reading and language arts50-52%45%1,827
Math47-49%34%1,838

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

95% of the 400 students in Benicia 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.

Four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rate, class of 2023
This districtCalifornia
Four-year graduation rate95%86.2%
Students in the class400495,492

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.

4 elementary schools, 2,016 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Joe Henderson Elementary53026.520.6%Not reported
Matthew Turner Elementary52925.29.8%Not reported
Robert Semple Elementary48020.932.3%Not reported
Mary Farmar Elementary47723.922.0%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, 947 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Benicia Middle94722.019.1%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.

2 high schools, 1,378 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Benicia High1,33522.221.4%Not reported
Liberty High439.339.5%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.

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.

Community Day

School in Benicia; last listed in the 2024-25 NCES directory (closed); 1 student; 1.0 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 Benicia Unified

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 Benicia Unified

  1. California districts by spending per studentBenicia Unified ranks 560 of 646 California districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($14,271).#560 of 646
  2. Every school district in CaliforniaBenicia Unified is the number 302 by size of 1,991 California districts, with 4,372 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#302 of 1,991
  3. Banning UnifiedThe next larger California district: 4,376 students in fall 2022, $18,612 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$18,612
  4. La Habra City School DistrictThe next smaller California district: 4,352 students in fall 2022, $18,883 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$18,883
  5. Compare Benicia Unified with Banning UnifiedEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
  6. Benicia High, its largest high school1,335 students in 2024-25, 22.2 per teacher.1,335
  7. Teacher salary spending across CaliforniaBenicia Unified spent $105,602 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $99,744); spending, not a salary.$105,602
  8. 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 Benicia Unified

  1. How many schools and students are in Benicia Unified?
    7 schools were open in 2024-25 (4 elementary, 1 middle, 2 high), enrolling 4,341 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.
  2. How much does Benicia Unified spend per student?
    $14,271 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 $15,781 per student, up 10.6% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).
  3. Where does Benicia Unified's money come from?
    $81,250,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 52.2% state, 42.8% local and 5.0% federal (NCES F-33).
  4. How many children in Benicia Unified live in poverty?
    The Census Bureau estimates that 190 of the 4,287 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 4.4%, 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.
  5. How much does Benicia Unified spend on teacher salaries?
    $21,358,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $4,885 per student. Divided by the 202 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $105,602 per teacher, more than 61 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).
  6. How do students in Benicia Unified do on state tests?
    In 2021-22, the students tested in Benicia Unified scored proficient or above: 50-52% in reading and 47-49% 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.
  7. What is the graduation rate in Benicia Unified?
    95% of the 400 students in Benicia 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.
  8. What is Benicia Unified's NCES district ID?
    0604620. 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

Compiled from official source data by .