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Mission Viejo, California - 33 schools
An equity score of 30/100 ranks Saddleback Valley Unified #1233 of 1517 districts in California (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $13,733 per pupil, Saddleback Valley Unified ranks #1270 of 1862 California districts by per-pupil spending (California districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
23,711
Total Enrollment
33
Schools
$13,733
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Saddleback Valley Unified operates 33 public schools serving 23,711 students, placing it in the mid-size range in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 22 elementary, 5 high, 4 middle, 2 combined schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage 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 Orange County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,733 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 1862 California districts by per-pupil spending. See how California compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 62.6% local, 29.5% state, and 7.9% federal, a local-revenue-heavy mix that leaves the district more exposed to property-tax swings and local ballot measures than state-funded peers. The district's equity score is 30/100, ranked #1233 of 1517 in California against a state average of 50, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 5 of 33 schools offering Advanced Placement (78 AP courses district-wide), a 389.9:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 22.0% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 42.3% Hispanic or Latino, 35.1% White, 11.8% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Foothill Ranch Elementary, with a diversity index of 73.5/100.
Its largest campus is Trabuco Hills High, enrolling 2,475 students (11% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Esperanza Education Center, at 80 students, a 31x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Saddleback Valley Unified school enrollment varies 31× across entities
Saddleback Valley Unified school enrollment ranges from 80 students (lowest) to 2,475 students (highest), a spread of 2,395 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.
Saddleback Valley Unified student-counselor ratio is 390:1 — 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.
Saddleback Valley Unified chronic absenteeism rate is 22.0% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism
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 Variation between sub-units within Saddleback Valley Unified is typically wider than the Saddleback Valley Unified-aggregate figure suggests.
How many schools are in Saddleback Valley Unified?
Saddleback Valley Unified has 33 schools, including 5 high, 4 middle, 22 elementary, 2 combined. Total enrollment is 23,711 students.
How much does Saddleback Valley Unified spend per student?
Saddleback Valley Unified spends $13,733 per student. The district has an equity score of 30/100, ranking #1233 in California.
What is the demographic composition of Saddleback Valley Unified?
Saddleback Valley Unified students are 42.3% Hispanic or Latino, 35.1% White, 11.8% Asian, 1.0% African American, averaged across 33 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Saddleback Valley Unified?
Saddleback Valley Unified has an equity score of 30/100, ranking #1233 out of 1517 districts in California.