Montebello Unified

Montebello, California — 29 schools

20,446
Total Enrollment
29
Schools
$22,933
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Middle
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Montebello Unified operates 29 public schools serving 20,446 students, placing it in the mid-size range in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 17 elementary, 6 middle, 5 high, 1 other schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 19,149 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 $22,933 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 17.8% local, 57.9% state, and 24.4% 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 $95,268 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 84/100, ranked #38 of 1547 in California against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.

Academic infrastructure includes 3 of 29 schools offering Advanced Placement (52 AP courses district-wide), a 440.2:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 41.0% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 95.1% Hispanic or Latino, 3.0% Asian, 1.1% White across the district's schools.

Montebello Unified school enrollment varies 96× across entities

Montebello Unified school enrollment ranges from 22 students (lowest) to 2,121 students (highest), a spread of 2,099 students. That ratio is among the widest observed and reflects extreme enrollment heterogeneity — the district operates both small specialty programs and large comprehensive campuses inside a single budgeting unit. 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

Montebello Unified has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 68.2% 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.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

Montebello Unified student-counselor ratio is 440:1 — 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

Montebello Unified chronic absenteeism rate is 41.0% — 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?

24.4%
Federal
57.9%
State
17.8%
Local

Funding Equity

84
Equity Score
38 / 1547
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores well on funding equity, with balanced funding sources and good resource allocation.

Local Rent Costs

Fair Market Rents in Los Angeles County county, where this district is located.

$1,863
Studio/mo
$2,085
1 BR/mo
$2,601
2 BR/mo
$3,298
3 BR/mo
$3,672
4 BR/mo

Average Teacher Salary

$95,268
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 29 schools in Montebello Unified.

White 1.1%
Hispanic or Latino 95.1%
Asian 3.0%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

3 / 29
Schools with AP
52 AP courses total
440.2:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
41.0%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Montebello Unified

School Enrollment
Schurr High
2,121
Bell Gardens High
2,046
Montebello High
1,907
Bell Gardens Intermediate
790
Greenwood Elementary
746
Montebello Intermediate
733
Cesar E. Chavez Elementary
702
Washington Elementary
685
La Merced Intermediate
682
La Merced Academy
665
Suva Intermediate
650
Bell Gardens Elementary
624
Rosewood Park
585
Macy Intermediate
576
Eastmont Intermediate
562
Suva Elementary
562
Bella Vista Elementary
530
Joseph a. Gascon Elementary
513
Wilcox Elementary
479
Garfield Elementary
455
Winter Gardens Elementary
399
Potrero Heights Elementary
380
Fremont Elementary
366
Montebello Park Elementary
365
Applied Technology Center
295
Bandini Elementary
260
Montebello Gardens Elementary
230
Vail High (Continuation)
219
Montebello Community Day
22

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 Montebello 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 Montebello Unified?

Montebello Unified has 29 schools, including 5 high, 6 middle, 17 elementary, 1 other. Total enrollment is 20,446 students.

How much does Montebello Unified spend per student?

Montebello Unified spends $22,933 per student. The district has an equity score of 84/100, ranking #38 in California.

What is the average teacher salary in Montebello Unified?

The average teacher salary in Montebello Unified is $95,268 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

What is the average rent near Montebello 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 Montebello Unified?

Montebello Unified students are 95.1% Hispanic or Latino, 3.0% Asian, 1.1% White, 0.4% African American, averaged across 29 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Montebello Unified?

Montebello Unified has an equity score of 84/100, ranking #38 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

Coverage

50 states + DC

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.