Coast Unified

Public school district · San Luis Obispo County · California · NCES district ID 0600049

Coast Unified spent $30,611 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 94% of the other California districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $17,666). Its 4 schools enrolled 478 students in 2024-25; 16.8% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $33,358 per student, up 9.0% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 90% or more (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 Coast Unified in enrollment (485 to 491 students) and Coast Unified itself.

Current spending per student, California districts closest in size to Coast Unified, FY23Coast Unified $30,611; University Preparatory Value High District $18,948; Animo Jefferson Charter Middle District $17,927; Gateway High School $17,384; San Pasqual Union Elementary $14,842; Happy Valley Elementary Union $14,631; Arcohe School $13,546; Discovery Charter II District $13,148; Franklin Elementary $11,847; University High School $11,342; State median, under 1,000 students $17,666.10k20k30k40kCoast Unified$30,611University Preparatory Value H…$18,948Animo Jefferson Charter Middle…$17,927Gateway High School$17,384San Pasqual Union Elementary$14,842Happy Valley Elementary Union$14,631Arcohe School$13,546Discovery Charter II District$13,148Franklin Elementary$11,847University High School$11,342State median, under 1,000 students $17,666
Current spending per student, California districts closest in size to Coast Unified, FY23Coast Unified $30,611; University Preparatory Value High District $18,948; Animo Jefferson Charter Middle District $17,927; Gateway High School $17,384; San Pasqual Union Elementary $14,842; Happy Valley Elementary Union $14,631; Arcohe School $13,546; Discovery Charter II District $13,148; Franklin Elementary $11,847; University High School $11,342; State median, under 1,000 students $17,666.10k20k30k40kCoast Unified$30,611University Preparatory Value High D…$18,948Animo Jefferson Charter Middle Dist…$17,927Gateway High School$17,384San Pasqual Union Elementary$14,842Happy Valley Elementary Union$14,631Arcohe School$13,546Discovery Charter II District$13,148Franklin Elementary$11,847University High School$11,342State median, under 1,000 students $17,666
Current spending per student, California districts closest in size to Coast Unified, FY23Coast Unified $30,611; University Preparatory Value High District $18,948; Animo Jefferson Charter Middle District $17,927; Gateway High School $17,384; San Pasqual Union Elementary $14,842; Happy Valley Elementary Union $14,631; Arcohe School $13,546; Discovery Charter II District $13,148; Franklin Elementary $11,847; University High School $11,342; State median, under 1,000 students $17,666.10k20k30k40kCoast Unified$30,611University Preparatory Value High District$18,948Animo Jefferson Charter Middle District$17,927Gateway High School$17,384San Pasqual Union Elementary$14,842Happy Valley Elementary Union$14,631Arcohe School$13,546Discovery Charter II District$13,148Franklin Elementary$11,847University High School$11,342State median, under 1,000 students $17,666
Current spending per student, California districts closest in size to Coast Unified, FY23Coast Unified $30,611; University Preparatory Value High District $18,948; Animo Jefferson Charter Middle District $17,927; Gateway High School $17,384; San Pasqual Union Elementary $14,842; Happy Valley Elementary Union $14,631; Arcohe School $13,546; Discovery Charter II District $13,148; Franklin Elementary $11,847; University High School $11,342; State median, under 1,000 students $17,666.10k20k30k40kCoast Unified$30,611University Preparatory Value High Distr…$18,948Animo Jefferson Charter Middle District$17,927Gateway High School$17,384San Pasqual Union Elementary$14,842Happy Valley Elementary Union$14,631Arcohe School$13,546Discovery Charter II District$13,148Franklin Elementary$11,847University High School$11,342State median, under 1,000 students $17,666

Where the money came from

$20,486,000 in revenue: 16.8% state, 75.1% local and 8.2% federal. Total spending including $1,084,000 of capital outlay was $17,687,000, or $36,244 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.

Coast Unified revenue by source, fiscal year 2022-23State $3,433,000; Local $15,375,000; Federal $1,678,000; total $20,486,000.
  • State$3,433,000 17%
  • Local$15,375,000 75%
  • Federal$1,678,000 8%

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 1,238 districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).

Enrollment fell from 2022-23 to 2024-25

488 students in 2022-23, 489 students in 2023-24, 478 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.

Coast Unified enrollment by school year2022-23: 488, 2023-24: 489, 2024-25: 47802004006002022-234882023-244892024-25478
Coast Unified enrollment by school year2022-23: 488, 2023-24: 489, 2024-25: 47802004006002022-234882023-244892024-25478
Coast Unified enrollment by school year2022-23: 488, 2023-24: 489, 2024-25: 47802004006002022-234882023-244892024-25478
Coast Unified enrollment by school year2022-23: 488, 2023-24: 489, 2024-25: 47802004006002022-234882023-244892024-25478

Teachers and students per teacher

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Per teacher
2022-2348839.912.2
2023-2448938.612.7
2024-2547839.112.2

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

$4,074,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $8,348 per student

Coast Unified booked $4,074,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 40 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 $102,208 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 54 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$3,439,00084.4%
Special education$363,0008.9%
Vocational$96,0002.4%
Other programs$176,0004.3%

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

The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $5,977 in 2018-19, $6,100 in 2019-20, $6,722 in 2020-21, $7,907 in 2021-22, $8,348 in 2022-23.

Coast Unified teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $5,977, 2019-20: $6,100, 2020-21: $6,722, 2021-22: $7,907, 2022-23: $8,34802.5k5k7.5k10k2018-19$5,9772019-20$6,1002020-21$6,7222021-22$7,9072022-23$8,348
Coast Unified teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $5,977, 2019-20: $6,100, 2020-21: $6,722, 2021-22: $7,907, 2022-23: $8,34802.5k5k7.5k10k2018-19$5,9772019-20$6,1002020-21$6,7222021-22$7,9072022-23$8,348
Coast Unified teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $5,977, 2019-20: $6,100, 2020-21: $6,722, 2021-22: $7,907, 2022-23: $8,34802.5k5k7.5k10k2018-19$5,9772019-20$6,1002020-21$6,7222021-22$7,9072022-23$8,348
Coast Unified teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $5,977, 2019-20: $6,100, 2020-21: $6,722, 2021-22: $7,907, 2022-23: $8,34802.5k5k7.5k10k2018-19$5,9772019-20$6,1002020-21$6,7222021-22$7,9072022-23$8,348

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 Coast Unified scored proficient or above: 26-36% in reading and 25-35% 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 arts26-36%45%216
Math25-35%34%216

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% or more of the 42 students in Coast 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 rate90% or more86.2%
Students in the class42495,492

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.

1 elementary school, 202 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Cambria Grammar20215.582.2%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, 112 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Santa Lucia Middle11211.684.8%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, 164 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Coast Union High15910.279.2%Not reported
Leffingwell High (Continuation)56.672.7%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.

Contact Coast 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 Coast Unified

  1. California districts by spending per studentCoast Unified ranks 81 of 1,238 California districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($30,611).#81 of 1,238
  2. Every school district in CaliforniaCoast Unified is the number 1,004 by size of 1,991 California districts, with 488 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#1,004 of 1,991
  3. Gateway High SchoolThe next larger California district: 489 students in fall 2022, $17,384 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$17,384
  4. San Pasqual Union Elementary School DistrictThe next smaller California district: 486 students in fall 2022, $14,842 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$14,842
  5. Compare Coast Unified with Gateway High SchoolEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
  6. Coast Union High, its largest high school159 students in 2024-25, 10.2 per teacher.159
  7. Teacher salary spending across CaliforniaCoast Unified spent $102,208 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $99,744); spending, not a salary.$102,208
  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 Coast Unified

  1. How many schools and students are in Coast Unified?
    4 schools were open in 2024-25 (1 elementary, 1 middle, 2 high), enrolling 478 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.
  2. How much does Coast Unified spend per student?
    $30,611 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 fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $17,666 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $33,358 per student, up 9.0% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).
  3. Where does Coast Unified's money come from?
    $20,486,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 16.8% state, 75.1% local and 8.2% federal (NCES F-33).
  4. How many children in Coast Unified live in poverty?
    The Census Bureau estimates that 95 of the 678 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 14.0%, 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 Coast Unified spend on teacher salaries?
    $4,074,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $8,348 per student. Divided by the 40 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $102,208 per teacher, more than 54 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 Coast Unified do on state tests?
    In 2021-22, the students tested in Coast Unified scored proficient or above: 26-36% in reading and 25-35% 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 Coast Unified?
    90% or more of the 42 students in Coast 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 Coast Unified's NCES district ID?
    0600049. 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 .