Public schools in Pacifica, CA
Pacifica has 9 public schools with a 2024-25 address in the city: 2 high, 1 middle, 6 elementary, enrolling 3,851 students. They are run by 2 districts and agencies; Pacifica School District runs 7 of them.
NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: schools open that year with enrollment · method
The 2 districts and agencies that run Pacifica's public schools
Each district decides who can enroll where; its page holds its schools, spending and teachers.
| District | Schools in Pacifica | District students, fall 2022 | Spending per student, FY23 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pacifica School District | 7 | 2,759 | $15,380 |
| Jefferson Union High School District | 2 | 3,884 | $21,712 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: school location city and operating agency; NCES F-33 fiscal year 2022-23: district fall membership and current spending per student. Schools on a city's edge can serve students from outside it.
2 high schools in Pacifica, 1,211 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terra Nova High | 740 | 20.0 | 14.6% | Jefferson Union High |
| Oceana High | 471 | 17.0 | 18.0% | Jefferson Union High |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
One middle school in Pacifica, 484 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ingrid B. Lacy Middle | 484 | 19.8 | 16.9% | Pacifica |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
6 elementary schools in Pacifica, 2,156 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabrillo Elementary | 524 | 22.5 | 13.2% | Pacifica |
| Vallemar Elementary | 500 | 24.0 | 13.0% | Pacifica |
| Ortega Elementary | 404 | 21.3 | 11.4% | Pacifica |
| Ocean Shore Elementary | 368 | 21.9 | 14.9% | Pacifica |
| Sunset Ridge Elementary | 348 | 19.3 | 36.5% | Pacifica |
| Pacifica Independent Home Study | 12 | 12.5 | 58.3% | Pacifica |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
How Pacifica's public schools compare with California's
The median Pacifica school has 20.0 students per full-time teacher, fewer than the California median of 21.6. Its median school enrolls 471 students (state 471).
| Pacifica | California | |
|---|---|---|
| Median students per teacher | 20.0 | 21.6 |
| Median school size (students) | 471 | 471 |
| Schools with a schoolwide Title I program (2021-22) | not reported | not reported |
| Schools where every student eats free (CEP) | 0% | 74% |
| Charter schools | 0% | 13% |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch program, charter status; the 9 Pacifica schools and the 9,918 California schools open that year with students); Title I status CCD 2021-22. Students per teacher counts 2024-25 teachers and ratios from 3 to 99.
What to look at next in Pacifica
- Pacifica School DistrictRuns 7 of Pacifica's 9 public schools and spent $15,380 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$15,380
- Terra Nova High, the largest high school in Pacifica740 students in 2024-25, 20.0 per teacher.740
- Compare Pacifica School District with Jefferson Union High School DistrictPacifica's two largest operators side by side: enrollment, spending and schools.
- The largest public schools in CaliforniaCalifornia's 50 largest schools open in 2024-25, by enrollment.
- Find the school district for a Pacifica addressA home's district, not its city, decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools and their operating agencies); NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student).
Choosing among them: how to choose a school district with the federal data, and what a Title I school is.
Other cities in California
- Los Angeles564 schools
- San Diego283 schools
- San Jose232 schools
- Sacramento197 schools
- Fresno179 schools
- Bakersfield146 schools
- San Francisco123 schools
- Stockton122 schools
Questions about schools in Pacifica
How many public schools are in Pacifica, CA?
9 public schools with an address in Pacifica were open in 2024-25: 2 high, 1 middle, 6 elementary, enrolling 3,851 students.What is the largest high school in Pacifica?
Terra Nova High, with 740 students in 2024-25 (Jefferson Union High School District).Which districts run Pacifica's schools?
Pacifica School District (7 schools), Jefferson Union High School District (2 schools). A school's district, not its city, decides who can enroll.
These figures are for information and are not a substitute for the district's enrollment office, which confirms the school a home is assigned to.
Sources
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25
Source: NCES Common Core of Data Public school search (the official record of each school) · 2024-25