Pasadena Unified
Public school district · Los Angeles County · California · NCES district ID 0629940
Pasadena Unified spent $21,332 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 90% of the other California districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $16,855). Its 23 schools enrolled 13,639 students in 2024-25; 41.1% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $24,911 per student, up 16.8% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 85% (California: 86.2%).
NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method
Spending per student among California districts of similar size
Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Pasadena Unified in enrollment (13,876 to 14,432 students) and Pasadena Unified itself.
Where the money came from
$407,937,000 in revenue: 41.1% state, 45.3% local and 13.7% federal. Total spending including $21,942,000 of capital outlay was $337,078,000, or $23,818 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$167,467,000 41%
- Local$184,676,000 45%
- Federal$55,794,000 14%
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 646 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).
Enrollment fell from 2022-23 to 2024-25
13,999 students in 2022-23, 13,854 students in 2023-24, 13,639 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.
Teachers and students per teacher
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 13,999 | 632.3 | 22.1 |
| 2023-24 | 13,854 | 643.4 | 21.5 |
| 2024-25 | 13,639 | 646.6 | 21.1 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$72,154,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $5,099 per student
Pasadena Unified booked $72,154,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 639 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $112,876 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 72 in 100 California districts with a figure (state median $99,744, 1,149 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average California teacher salary at $87,275 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
| Program | Teacher salaries | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Regular programs | $58,070,000 | 80.5% |
| Special education | $10,551,000 | 14.6% |
| Vocational | $1,468,000 | 2.0% |
| Other programs | $2,065,000 | 2.9% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $3,608 in 2018-19, $3,888 in 2019-20, $3,952 in 2020-21, $4,424 in 2021-22, $5,099 in 2022-23.
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).
State test results, 2021-22
In 2021-22, the students tested in Pasadena Unified scored proficient or above: 44% in reading and 34% in math, against 45% in reading and 34% in math across California. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within California, not across states. Where a state published results by grade only, the grades tested are combined, weighted by the students tested in each.
| Subject | This district | California | Students tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and language arts | 44% | 45% | 6,358 |
| Math | 34% | 34% | 6,349 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.
Graduation rate, class of 2023
85% of the 1,208 students in Pasadena Unified's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 86.2% across California. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.
| This district | California | |
|---|---|---|
| Four-year graduation rate | 85% | 86.2% |
| Students in the class | 1,208 | 495,492 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.
14 elementary schools, 6,556 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson Elementary | 658 | 24.7 | 45.6% | Not reported |
| Sierra Madre Elementary | 652 | 24.3 | 19.0% | Not reported |
| Longfellow (Henry W.) Elementary | 546 | 24.3 | 66.7% | Not reported |
| McKinley | 538 | 18.2 | 68.8% | Not reported |
| Altadena Elementary | 527 | 23.4 | 47.8% | Not reported |
| Hamilton Elementary | 510 | 24.9 | 39.8% | Not reported |
| Field (Eugene) Elementary | 449 | 25.5 | 19.2% | Not reported |
| Washington Elementary | 428 | 21.7 | 78.0% | Not reported |
| San Rafael Elementary | 412 | 25.8 | 27.7% | Not reported |
| Madison Elementary | 411 | 24.9 | 78.3% | Not reported |
| Willard Elementary | 394 | 21.9 | 57.6% | Not reported |
| Don Benito Fundamental | 384 | 22.6 | 38.5% | Not reported |
The other 2 elementary schools
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norma Coombs Elementary | 370 | 21.8 | 58.6% | Not reported |
| Webster Elementary | 277 | 19.8 | 66.4% | Not reported |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
3 middle schools, 1,485 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sierra Madre Middle | 597 | 23.6 | 27.5% | Not reported |
| Octavia E. Butler Magnet | 481 | 18.4 | 63.0% | Not reported |
| Charles W. Eliot Middle | 407 | 16.9 | 63.6% | Not reported |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
5 high schools, 5,364 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marshall Fundamental | 1,689 | 21.4 | 62.4% | Not reported |
| Pasadena High | 1,303 | 18.2 | 57.2% | Not reported |
| John Muir High | 1,206 | 22.0 | 64.8% | Not reported |
| Blair High | 1,053 | 18.3 | 49.0% | Not reported |
| Rose City High (Continuation) | 113 | 10.4 | 81.4% | Not reported |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
1 other school, 234 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CIS Academy | 234 | 17.7 | 65.0% | Not reported |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
Contact Pasadena Unified
- Website: pusd.us
- Phone: (626) 396-3600
- Office: 351 South Hudson Ave., Pasadena, CA 91101
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.
What to look at next about Pasadena Unified
- California districts by spending per studentPasadena Unified ranks 64 of 646 California districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($21,332).#64 of 646
- Every school district in CaliforniaPasadena Unified is the number 102 by size of 1,991 California districts, with 14,152 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#102 of 1,991
- Oxnard School DistrictThe next larger California district: 14,171 students in fall 2022, $19,370 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$19,370
- Modesto City ElementaryThe next smaller California district: 14,049 students in fall 2022.
- Compare Pasadena Unified with Oxnard School DistrictEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Marshall Fundamental, its largest high school1,689 students in 2024-25, 21.4 per teacher.1,689
- Teacher salary spending across CaliforniaPasadena Unified spent $112,876 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $99,744); spending, not a salary.$112,876
- Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).
Questions about Pasadena Unified
How many schools and students are in Pasadena Unified?
23 schools were open in 2024-25 (14 elementary, 3 middle, 5 high, 1 other), enrolling 13,639 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Pasadena Unified spend per student?
$21,332 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the California median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $16,855 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $24,911 per student, up 16.8% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Pasadena Unified's money come from?
$407,937,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 41.1% state, 45.3% local and 13.7% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Pasadena Unified live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 2,569 of the 24,040 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 10.7%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.How much does Pasadena Unified spend on teacher salaries?
$72,154,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $5,099 per student. Divided by the 639 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $112,876 per teacher, more than 72 in 100 California districts (state median $99,744). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average California teacher salary at $87,275 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).How do students in Pasadena Unified do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Pasadena Unified scored proficient or above: 44% in reading and 34% in math, against 45% in reading and 34% in math across California. California's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.What is the graduation rate in Pasadena Unified?
85% of the 1,208 students in Pasadena Unified's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 86.2% across California. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.What is Pasadena Unified's NCES district ID?
0629940. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.
Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.
Sources
Every federal file behind this record
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
- Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
- EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
- EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
- NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25