Garden Grove Unified

Public school district · Orange County · California · NCES district ID 0614880

Garden Grove Unified spent $20,023 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 82% of the other California districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $16,855). Its 64 schools enrolled 36,994 students in 2024-25; 59.7% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $21,521 per student, up 7.5% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 93% (California: 86.2%).

Spending per student among California districts of similar size

Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Garden Grove Unified in enrollment (34,900 to 41,855 students) and Garden Grove Unified itself.

Current spending per student, California districts closest in size to Garden Grove Unified, FY23Santa Ana Unified $22,289; Garden Grove Unified $20,023; Stockton Unified $18,093; Sacramento City Unified $17,785; Riverside Unified $16,986; San Juan Unified $16,227; Capistrano Unified $15,820; Sweetwater Union High $15,327; Poway Unified $15,127; Irvine Unified $14,373; State median, 1,000+ students $16,855.10k15k20k25kSanta Ana Unified$22,289Garden Grove Unified$20,023Stockton Unified$18,093Sacramento City Unified$17,785Riverside Unified$16,986San Juan Unified$16,227Capistrano Unified$15,820Sweetwater Union High$15,327Poway Unified$15,127Irvine Unified$14,373State median, 1,000+ students $16,855
Current spending per student, California districts closest in size to Garden Grove Unified, FY23Santa Ana Unified $22,289; Garden Grove Unified $20,023; Stockton Unified $18,093; Sacramento City Unified $17,785; Riverside Unified $16,986; San Juan Unified $16,227; Capistrano Unified $15,820; Sweetwater Union High $15,327; Poway Unified $15,127; Irvine Unified $14,373; State median, 1,000+ students $16,855.10k15k20k25kSanta Ana Unified$22,289Garden Grove Unified$20,023Stockton Unified$18,093Sacramento City Unified$17,785Riverside Unified$16,986San Juan Unified$16,227Capistrano Unified$15,820Sweetwater Union High$15,327Poway Unified$15,127Irvine Unified$14,373State median, 1,000+ students $16,855
Current spending per student, California districts closest in size to Garden Grove Unified, FY23Santa Ana Unified $22,289; Garden Grove Unified $20,023; Stockton Unified $18,093; Sacramento City Unified $17,785; Riverside Unified $16,986; San Juan Unified $16,227; Capistrano Unified $15,820; Sweetwater Union High $15,327; Poway Unified $15,127; Irvine Unified $14,373; State median, 1,000+ students $16,855.10k15k20k25kSanta Ana Unified$22,289Garden Grove Unified$20,023Stockton Unified$18,093Sacramento City Unified$17,785Riverside Unified$16,986San Juan Unified$16,227Capistrano Unified$15,820Sweetwater Union High$15,327Poway Unified$15,127Irvine Unified$14,373State median, 1,000+ students $16,855
Current spending per student, California districts closest in size to Garden Grove Unified, FY23Santa Ana Unified $22,289; Garden Grove Unified $20,023; Stockton Unified $18,093; Sacramento City Unified $17,785; Riverside Unified $16,986; San Juan Unified $16,227; Capistrano Unified $15,820; Sweetwater Union High $15,327; Poway Unified $15,127; Irvine Unified $14,373; State median, 1,000+ students $16,855.10k15k20k25kSanta Ana Unified$22,289Garden Grove Unified$20,023Stockton Unified$18,093Sacramento City Unified$17,785Riverside Unified$16,986San Juan Unified$16,227Capistrano Unified$15,820Sweetwater Union High$15,327Poway Unified$15,127Irvine Unified$14,373State median, 1,000+ students $16,855

Where the money came from

$989,963,000 in revenue: 59.7% state, 26.7% local and 13.6% federal. Total spending including $94,615,000 of capital outlay was $897,223,000, or $23,510 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.

Garden Grove Unified revenue by source, fiscal year 2022-23State $590,688,000; Local $264,339,000; Federal $134,936,000; total $989,963,000.
  • State$590,688,000 60%
  • Local$264,339,000 27%
  • Federal$134,936,000 14%

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

38,157 students in 2022-23, 37,762 students in 2023-24, 36,994 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.

Garden Grove Unified enrollment by school year2022-23: 38,157, 2023-24: 37,762, 2024-25: 36,994010k20k30k40k2022-2338,1572023-2437,7622024-2536,994
Garden Grove Unified enrollment by school year2022-23: 38,157, 2023-24: 37,762, 2024-25: 36,994010k20k30k40k2022-2338,1572023-2437,7622024-2536,994
Garden Grove Unified enrollment by school year2022-23: 38,157, 2023-24: 37,762, 2024-25: 36,994010k20k30k40k2022-2338,1572023-2437,7622024-2536,994
Garden Grove Unified enrollment by school year2022-23: 38,157, 2023-24: 37,762, 2024-25: 36,994010k20k30k40k2022-2338,1572023-2437,7622024-2536,994

Teachers and students per teacher

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Per teacher
2022-2338,1571640.523.3
2023-2437,7621655.422.8
2024-2536,9941618.322.9

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

$233,922,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $6,129 per student

Garden Grove Unified booked $233,922,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 1,641 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 $142,592 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 97 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$183,128,00078.3%
Special education$42,404,00018.1%
Vocational$3,956,0001.7%
Other programs$4,434,0001.9%

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

The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $4,764 in 2018-19, $4,946 in 2019-20, $5,010 in 2020-21, $5,442 in 2021-22, $6,129 in 2022-23.

Garden Grove Unified teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $4,764, 2019-20: $4,946, 2020-21: $5,010, 2021-22: $5,442, 2022-23: $6,12902k4k6k8k2018-19$4,7642019-20$4,9462020-21$5,0102021-22$5,4422022-23$6,129
Garden Grove Unified teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $4,764, 2019-20: $4,946, 2020-21: $5,010, 2021-22: $5,442, 2022-23: $6,12902k4k6k8k2018-19$4,7642019-20$4,9462020-21$5,0102021-22$5,4422022-23$6,129
Garden Grove Unified teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $4,764, 2019-20: $4,946, 2020-21: $5,010, 2021-22: $5,442, 2022-23: $6,12902k4k6k8k2018-19$4,7642019-20$4,9462020-21$5,0102021-22$5,4422022-23$6,129
Garden Grove Unified teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $4,764, 2019-20: $4,946, 2020-21: $5,010, 2021-22: $5,442, 2022-23: $6,12902k4k6k8k2018-19$4,7642019-20$4,9462020-21$5,0102021-22$5,4422022-23$6,129

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 Garden Grove Unified scored proficient or above: 57% in reading and 47% 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 arts57%45%16,882
Math47%34%16,909

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

93% of the 3,371 students in Garden Grove 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 rate93%86.2%
Students in the class3,371495,492

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.

44 elementary schools, 19,021 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Patton Elementary90426.122.9%Not reported
Ocia A. Peters Elementary89326.972.1%Not reported
John Murdy Elementary68923.458.2%Not reported
Ethan B. Allen Elementary63724.539.6%Not reported
Bryant Elementary57124.278.1%Not reported
James Monroe Elementary55524.754.6%Not reported
Gilbert Elementary51522.365.6%Not reported
Leo Carrillo Elementary50825.782.1%Not reported
Riverdale Elementary50126.474.3%Not reported
Sunnyside Elementary50026.068.8%Not reported
Stanford Elementary48826.260.5%Not reported
Dwight D. Eisenhower Elementary48024.080.0%Not reported
The other 32 elementary schools
SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Earl Warren Elementary47423.669.6%Not reported
Edward Russell Elementary47332.184.1%Not reported
Faylane Elementary46623.365.7%Not reported
Ernest O. Lawrence Elementary44722.471.4%Not reported
Loyal Barker Elementary44424.020.3%Not reported
Parkview Elementary43321.763.5%Not reported
Thomas Paine Elementary42822.552.8%Not reported
Brookhurst Elementary42723.770.5%Not reported
Excelsior Elementary42623.071.1%Not reported
Morningside Elementary41624.564.9%Not reported
Clinton Elementary41324.375.8%Not reported
Ethel M. Evans Elementary41024.166.6%Not reported
Enders Elementary40023.526.3%Not reported
Mamie L. Northcutt Elementary40024.965.5%Not reported
Mitchell Elementary39025.276.9%Not reported
R. F. Hazard Elementary38323.979.1%Not reported
Heritage Elementary37623.588.0%Not reported
Agnes Ware Stanley Elementary35427.061.9%Not reported
A. G. Cook Elementary34522.246.1%Not reported
Post Elementary33825.863.9%Not reported
Woodbury Elementary33721.084.6%Not reported
Newhope Elementary33419.681.4%Not reported
Susan B. Anthony Elementary33223.661.4%Not reported
Genevieve M. Crosby Elementary32523.261.8%Not reported
John Marshall Elementary32321.570.9%Not reported
Wakeham Elementary30725.570.4%Not reported
Rosita Elementary30525.279.7%Not reported
Merton E. Hill Elementary27820.673.4%Not reported
C. C. Violette Elementary27127.079.3%Not reported
Garden Park Elementary24824.828.2%Not reported
Linton T. Simmons Elementary24724.779.4%Not reported
Louis G. Zeyen Elementary23024.267.0%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.

10 middle schools, 5,500 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Sarah McGarvin Intermediate71726.458.6%Not reported
Hilton D. Bell Intermediate63223.429.6%Not reported
Alamitos Intermediate58123.671.3%Not reported
Leroy L. Doig Intermediate55721.980.4%Not reported
Donald S. Jordan Intermediate55123.968.4%Not reported
Stephen R. Fitz Intermediate53422.176.6%Not reported
James Irvine Intermediate53222.575.0%Not reported
Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate48522.667.0%Not reported
Izaak Walton Intermediate45821.776.9%Not reported
Louis Lake Intermediate45326.868.0%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.

9 high schools, 12,372 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Garden Grove High2,14822.764.1%Not reported
La Quinta High2,04123.360.1%Not reported
Bolsa Grande High1,70120.870.9%Not reported
Santiago High1,66419.980.7%Not reported
Pacifica High1,63422.235.7%Not reported
Rancho Alamitos High1,43919.571.9%Not reported
Los Amigos High1,43020.081.3%Not reported
Marie L. Hare High21813.982.6%Not reported
Jordan Secondary Learning Center9712.163.9%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 other school, 101 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Mark Twain Special Center10111.254.5%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.

Contact Garden Grove 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 Garden Grove Unified

  1. California districts by spending per studentGarden Grove Unified ranks 115 of 646 California districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($20,023).#115 of 646
  2. Every school district in CaliforniaGarden Grove Unified is the number 15 by size of 1,991 California districts, with 38,164 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#15 of 1,991
  3. Sacramento City UnifiedThe next larger California district: 38,821 students in fall 2022, $17,785 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$17,785
  4. San Juan UnifiedThe next smaller California district: 38,119 students in fall 2022, $16,227 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$16,227
  5. Compare Garden Grove Unified with Sacramento City UnifiedEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
  6. Garden Grove High, its largest high school2,148 students in 2024-25, 22.7 per teacher.2,148
  7. Teacher salary spending across CaliforniaGarden Grove Unified spent $142,592 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $99,744); spending, not a salary.$142,592
  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 Garden Grove Unified

  1. How many schools and students are in Garden Grove Unified?
    64 schools were open in 2024-25 (44 elementary, 10 middle, 9 high, 1 other), enrolling 36,994 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.
  2. How much does Garden Grove Unified spend per student?
    $20,023 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 $21,521 per student, up 7.5% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).
  3. Where does Garden Grove Unified's money come from?
    $989,963,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 59.7% state, 26.7% local and 13.6% federal (NCES F-33).
  4. How many children in Garden Grove Unified live in poverty?
    The Census Bureau estimates that 7,091 of the 41,329 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 17.2%, 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.
  5. How much does Garden Grove Unified spend on teacher salaries?
    $233,922,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $6,129 per student. Divided by the 1,641 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $142,592 per teacher, more than 97 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 Garden Grove Unified do on state tests?
    In 2021-22, the students tested in Garden Grove Unified scored proficient or above: 57% in reading and 47% 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 Garden Grove Unified?
    93% of the 3,371 students in Garden Grove 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 Garden Grove Unified's NCES district ID?
    0614880. 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