North Monterey County Unified

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Moss Landing, California - 8 schools

An equity score of 66/100 ranks North Monterey County Unified #361 of 1517 districts in California (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $18,705 per pupil, North Monterey County Unified ranks #316 of 1862 California districts by per-pupil spending (California districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

4,483
Total Enrollment
8
Schools
$18,705
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

North Monterey County Unified operates 8 public schools serving 4,483 students, placing it among the smaller districts in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 4 elementary, 2 high, 1 middle, 1 combined schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly 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 Monterey County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $18,705 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 1862 California districts by per-pupil spending. See how California compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 31.2% local, 55.2% state, and 13.6% 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 66/100, ranked #361 of 1517 in California against a state average of 50, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 8 schools offering Advanced Placement (9 AP courses district-wide), a 364.4:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 51.9% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 90.8% Hispanic or Latino, 7.6% White, 0.8% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is North Monterey County Center for Independent Study, with a diversity index of 32.7/100.

Its largest campus is North Monterey County High, enrolling 1,250 students (29% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Central Bay High (Continuation), at 23 students, a 54x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

North Monterey County High accounts for 27.9% of all North Monterey County Unified student enrollment

That dominant concentration means North Monterey County 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

North Monterey County Unified school enrollment varies 54× across entities

North Monterey County Unified school enrollment ranges from 23 students (lowest) to 1,250 students (highest), a spread of 1,227 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

North Monterey County Unified has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 74.1% 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). Eligibility here is approaching the 75% concentration-grant threshold; it does not yet unlock the extra funding tier but sits meaningfully above the baseline 50% majority mark. 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

North Monterey County Unified student-counselor ratio is 364:1 — 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

North Monterey County Unified chronic absenteeism rate is 51.9% — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)

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 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.

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

Where does the funding come from?

13.6%
Federal
55.2%
State
31.2%
Local

Funding Equity

66
Equity Score
361 / 1517
State Rank
50
State Average

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

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 8 schools in North Monterey County Unified.

White 7.6%
Hispanic or Latino 90.8%
Asian 0.8%
Multiracial 0.6%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 16.5/100

Average Simpson diversity index across North Monterey County Unified's schools, below the California average of 46.0.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 North Monterey County Center for Independent Study 32.7
  2. 2 Elkhorn Elementary 18.8
  3. 3 Prunedale Elementary 18.4
  4. 4 North Monterey County High 17.3
  5. 5 Central Bay High (Continuation) 15.9

Programs & Resources

1 / 8
Schools with AP
9 AP courses total
364.4:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
51.9%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in North Monterey County Unified

School Enrollment
North Monterey County High
1,250
Prunedale Elementary
644
North Monterey County Middle
624
Castroville Elementary
600
Elkhorn Elementary
550
Echo Valley Elementary
502
North Monterey County Center for Independent Study
96
Central Bay High (Continuation)
23

How North Monterey County Unified Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The California districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Coalinga-Huron Unified Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Mountain View-Los Altos Union High Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Mountain View Whisman Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Lakeside Union Elementary Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Imperial Unified Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to North Monterey County Unified's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

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 · $21,940/pupil
Compare vs North Monterey County Unified →
San Diego Unified
93,893 students · 175 schools · $18,665/pupil
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Fresno Unified
69,668 students · 101 schools · $18,783/pupil
Compare vs North Monterey County Unified →
Long Beach Unified
65,554 students · 84 schools · $16,028/pupil
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Elk Grove Unified
62,061 students · 67 schools · $14,134/pupil
Compare vs North Monterey County Unified →

Compare North Monterey County Unified

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

Compare vs Los Angeles Unified →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in North Monterey County Unified?

North Monterey County Unified has 8 schools, including 2 high, 4 elementary, 1 middle, 1 combined. Total enrollment is 4,483 students.

How much does North Monterey County Unified spend per student?

North Monterey County Unified spends $18,705 per student. The district has an equity score of 66/100, ranking #361 in California.

What is the demographic composition of North Monterey County Unified?

North Monterey County Unified students are 90.8% Hispanic or Latino, 7.6% White, 0.8% Asian, 0.1% African American, averaged across 8 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for North Monterey County Unified?

North Monterey County Unified has an equity score of 66/100, ranking #361 out of 1517 districts in California.