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La Mesa, California - 22 schools
An equity score of 41/100 ranks La Mesa-Spring Valley #985 of 1517 districts in California (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $15,084 per pupil, La Mesa-Spring Valley ranks #953 of 1862 California districts by per-pupil spending (California districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
10,745
Total Enrollment
22
Schools
$15,084
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Middle
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
La Mesa-Spring Valley operates 22 public schools serving 10,745 students, placing it in the mid-size range in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 20 elementary, 2 middle schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in San Diego County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $15,084 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 1862 California districts by per-pupil spending. See how California compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 30.8% local, 50.7% state, and 18.5% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 41/100, ranked #985 of 1517 in California against a state average of 50, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
a 697.8:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 39.4% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 54.0% Hispanic or Latino, 22.8% White, 7.9% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Maryland Avenue Elementary, with a diversity index of 72.0/100.
Its largest campus is La Mesa Arts Academy, enrolling 1,059 students (10% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Trust Blended Learning, at 121 students, a 9x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
La Mesa-Spring Valley school enrollment varies 8.8× across entities
La Mesa-Spring Valley school enrollment ranges from 121 students (lowest) to 1,059 students (highest), a spread of 938 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
La Mesa-Spring Valley has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 52.8% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch
free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.
La Mesa-Spring Valley student-counselor ratio is 698:1 — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Values this far above typical often signal acute resource constraints or a structurally different scale than most peers — worth reading alongside the underlying counts, not the ratio alone.
La Mesa-Spring Valley chronic absenteeism rate is 39.4% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
La Mesa-Spring Valley has 22 schools, including 20 elementary, 2 middle. Total enrollment is 10,745 students.
How much does La Mesa-Spring Valley spend per student?
La Mesa-Spring Valley spends $15,084 per student. The district has an equity score of 41/100, ranking #985 in California.
What is the demographic composition of La Mesa-Spring Valley?
La Mesa-Spring Valley students are 54.0% Hispanic or Latino, 22.8% White, 7.9% African American, 5.3% Asian, averaged across 22 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for La Mesa-Spring Valley?
La Mesa-Spring Valley has an equity score of 41/100, ranking #985 out of 1517 districts in California.