Manhattan Beach Unified operates 7 public schools serving 5,895 students, placing it among the smaller districts in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 5 elementary, 1 high, 1 middle schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 5,887 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Los Angeles County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $23,672 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 74.7% local, 19.8% state, and 5.6% 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 $96,314 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 44/100, ranked #928 of 1547 in California against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 7 schools offering Advanced Placement (23 AP courses district-wide), a 273.1:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 9.4% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 56.7% White, 14.0% Hispanic or Latino, 13.2% Asian across the district's schools.
Mira Costa High accounts for 42.0% of all Manhattan Beach Unified student enrollment
That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Manhattan Beach 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.
Manhattan Beach Unified school enrollment varies 8.2× across entities
Manhattan Beach Unified school enrollment ranges from 303 students (lowest) to 2,473 students (highest), a spread of 2,170 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.
Manhattan Beach Unified student-counselor ratio is 273:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts
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 Variation between sub-units within Manhattan Beach Unified is typically wider than the Manhattan Beach Unified-aggregate figure suggests.
Manhattan Beach Unified chronic absenteeism rate is 9.4% — low (typically associated with lower-than-average attendance disruption; districts in this range often have attendance interventions, robust transportation, or smaller catchments that reduce barriers)
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 Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.
Manhattan Beach Unified has 7 schools, including 1 high, 1 middle, 5 elementary. Total enrollment is 5,895 students.
How much does Manhattan Beach Unified spend per student?
Manhattan Beach Unified spends $23,672 per student. The district has an equity score of 44/100, ranking #928 in California.
What is the average teacher salary in Manhattan Beach Unified?
The average teacher salary in Manhattan Beach Unified is $96,314 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near Manhattan Beach Unified?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Los Angeles County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of Manhattan Beach Unified?
Manhattan Beach Unified students are 56.7% White, 14.0% Hispanic or Latino, 13.2% Asian, 0.8% African American, averaged across 7 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Manhattan Beach Unified?
Manhattan Beach Unified has an equity score of 44/100, ranking #928 out of 1547 districts in California. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.