Lucia Mar Unified

Arroyo Grande, California — 19 schools

9,591
Total Enrollment
19
Schools
$17,412
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Lucia Mar Unified operates 19 public schools serving 9,591 students, placing it among the smaller districts in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 11 elementary, 4 high, 3 middle, 1 other schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 9,590 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in San Luis Obispo County County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $17,412 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 58.3% local, 30.7% state, and 10.9% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $81,226 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 49/100, ranked #783 of 1547 in California against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.

Academic infrastructure includes 3 of 19 schools offering Advanced Placement (35 AP courses district-wide), a 661.5:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 33.5% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 51.5% Hispanic or Latino, 39.2% White, 1.8% Asian across the district's schools.

Arroyo Grande High accounts for 21.0% of all Lucia Mar Unified student enrollment

That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Lucia Mar Unified-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Lucia Mar Unified school enrollment varies 21× across entities

Lucia Mar Unified school enrollment ranges from 96 students (lowest) to 2,012 students (highest), a spread of 1,916 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.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Lucia Mar Unified student-counselor ratio is 662:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)

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 Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Lucia Mar Unified chronic absenteeism rate is 33.5% — 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.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

10.9%
Federal
30.7%
State
58.3%
Local

Funding Equity

49
Equity Score
783 / 1547
State Rank
50
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Local Rent Costs

Fair Market Rents in San Luis Obispo County county, where this district is located.

$1,732
Studio/mo
$1,914
1 BR/mo
$2,512
2 BR/mo
$3,370
3 BR/mo
$3,861
4 BR/mo

Average Teacher Salary

$81,226
Average annual teacher salary

Source: NCES CCD F-33 (Finance Survey).

Teacher salary data from NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 19 schools in Lucia Mar Unified.

White 39.2%
Hispanic or Latino 51.5%
Asian 1.8%
Multiracial 6.7%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

3 / 19
Schools with AP
35 AP courses total
661.5:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
33.5%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Lucia Mar Unified

School Enrollment
Arroyo Grande High
2,012
Nipomo High
819
Harloe Elementary
619
Dana Elementary
612
Lange (Dorothea) Elementary
577
Ocean View Elementary
547
Paulding Middle
544
Mesa Middle
474
Nipomo Elementary
436
Judkins Middle
431
Oceano Elementary
377
Grover Beach Elementary
368
Fairgrove Elementary
365
Shell Beach Elementary
330
Central Coast New Tech High
318
Grover Heights Elementary
290
Branch Elementary
261
Pacific View Academy
114
Lopez Continuation High
96

Nearby Districts in California

Top districts in the same state — compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Los Angeles Unified
427,795 students · 785 schools · $25,877/pupil
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San Diego Unified
93,893 students · 175 schools · $26,901/pupil
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Fresno Unified
69,668 students · 101 schools · $20,737/pupil
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Long Beach Unified
65,554 students · 84 schools · $19,558/pupil
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Elk Grove Unified
62,061 students · 67 schools · $16,975/pupil
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Compare Lucia Mar Unified

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Lucia Mar Unified?

Lucia Mar Unified has 19 schools, including 4 high, 11 elementary, 3 middle, 1 other. Total enrollment is 9,591 students.

How much does Lucia Mar Unified spend per student?

Lucia Mar Unified spends $17,412 per student. The district has an equity score of 49/100, ranking #783 in California.

What is the average teacher salary in Lucia Mar Unified?

The average teacher salary in Lucia Mar Unified is $81,226 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

What is the average rent near Lucia Mar Unified?

The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in San Luis Obispo County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.

What is the demographic composition of Lucia Mar Unified?

Lucia Mar Unified students are 51.5% Hispanic or Latino, 39.2% White, 1.8% Asian, 0.3% African American, averaged across 19 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Lucia Mar Unified?

Lucia Mar Unified has an equity score of 49/100, ranking #783 out of 1547 districts in California. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.

Federal data Last updated 2026 Free public data

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Full national footprint

Update cadence

Quarterly

Refreshed within 30 days of upstream release

Source agency

Federal

Authoritative data, no third-party aggregation

Page reliability score 94.0%
Industry baseline

Composite score weighing source authority, update freshness, and methodological transparency. 1.0 = full federal-source coverage with documented methodology and recent update.