Novato Unified
Public school district · Marin County · California · NCES district ID 0627720
Novato Unified spent $15,969 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, below the middle: 65% of the other California districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 spent more (median $16,855). Its 14 schools enrolled 7,199 students in 2024-25; 41.5% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $17,908 per student, up 12.1% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 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 Novato Unified in enrollment (7,045 to 7,509 students) and Novato Unified itself.
Where the money came from
$153,538,000 in revenue: 41.5% state, 52.6% local and 5.9% federal. Total spending including $31,816,000 of capital outlay was $157,907,000, or $21,907 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$63,737,000 42%
- Local$80,735,000 53%
- Federal$9,066,000 6%
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
7,157 students in 2022-23, 7,159 students in 2023-24, 7,199 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 | 7,157 | 319.9 | 22.4 |
| 2023-24 | 7,159 | 337.6 | 21.2 |
| 2024-25 | 7,199 | 343.1 | 21.0 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$38,649,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $5,362 per student
Novato Unified booked $38,649,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 320 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 $120,831 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 83 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 | $33,166,000 | 85.8% |
| Special education | $3,812,000 | 9.9% |
| Vocational | $548,000 | 1.4% |
| Other programs | $1,123,000 | 2.9% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $4,414 in 2018-19, $4,400 in 2019-20, $4,465 in 2020-21, $4,979 in 2021-22, $5,362 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 Novato Unified scored proficient or above: 53% in reading and 40% 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 | 53% | 45% | 2,812 |
| Math | 40% | 34% | 2,807 |
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
94% of the 673 students in Novato 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 | 94% | 86.2% |
| Students in the class | 673 | 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.
8 elementary schools, 3,268 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton Meadow Park | 544 | 21.2 | 72.2% | Not reported |
| Pleasant Valley Elementary | 464 | 23.2 | 11.0% | Not reported |
| San Ramon Elementary | 456 | 22.1 | 21.7% | Not reported |
| Loma Verde Elementary | 426 | 22.4 | 47.2% | Not reported |
| Rancho Elementary | 387 | 22.8 | 40.1% | Not reported |
| Lu Sutton Elementary | 367 | 21.6 | 51.9% | Not reported |
| Olive Elementary | 364 | 21.4 | 34.3% | Not reported |
| Lynwood Elementary | 260 | 21.7 | 48.1% | 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 middle schools, 1,252 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sinaloa Middle | 693 | 20.4 | 32.9% | Not reported |
| San Jose Intermediate | 559 | 21.2 | 46.9% | 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.
3 high schools, 2,606 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Novato High | 1,287 | 19.7 | 39.2% | Not reported |
| San Marin High | 1,250 | 22.0 | 25.8% | Not reported |
| Marin Oaks High | 69 | 9.3 | 66.7% | 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, 73 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nova Education Center | 73 | 14.7 | 26.0% | 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.
Contact Novato Unified
- Website: nusd.org
- Phone: (415) 897-4201
- Office: 1015 Seventh St., Novato, CA 94945
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 Novato Unified
- California districts by spending per studentNovato Unified ranks 418 of 646 California districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($15,969).#418 of 646
- Every school district in CaliforniaNovato Unified is the number 208 by size of 1,991 California districts, with 7,208 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#208 of 1,991
- El Rancho UnifiedThe next larger California district: 7,255 students in fall 2022, $18,168 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$18,168
- Hueneme Elementary School DistrictThe next smaller California district: 7,140 students in fall 2022, $20,454 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$20,454
- Compare Novato Unified with El Rancho UnifiedEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Novato High, its largest high school1,287 students in 2024-25, 19.7 per teacher.1,287
- Teacher salary spending across CaliforniaNovato Unified spent $120,831 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $99,744); spending, not a salary.$120,831
- 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 Novato Unified
How many schools and students are in Novato Unified?
14 schools were open in 2024-25 (8 elementary, 2 middle, 3 high, 1 other), enrolling 7,199 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Novato Unified spend per student?
$15,969 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 $17,908 per student, up 12.1% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Novato Unified's money come from?
$153,538,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 41.5% state, 52.6% local and 5.9% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Novato Unified live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 895 of the 8,521 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 10.5%, 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 Novato Unified spend on teacher salaries?
$38,649,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $5,362 per student. Divided by the 320 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $120,831 per teacher, more than 83 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 Novato Unified do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Novato Unified scored proficient or above: 53% in reading and 40% 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 Novato Unified?
94% of the 673 students in Novato 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 Novato Unified's NCES district ID?
0627720. 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