An equity score of 64/100 ranks Salinas Union High #401 of 1526 districts in California (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $18,321 per pupil, Salinas Union High ranks #766 of 1880 California districts by per-pupil spending (California districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
16,337
Total Enrollment
12
Schools
$18,321
Per-Pupil Spending
High, Middle
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Salinas Union High operates 12 public schools serving 16,337 students, placing it among the smaller districts in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 6 high, 4 middle, 2 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 $18,321 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 1880 California districts by per-pupil spending. See how California compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 23.3% local, 65.8% state, and 11.0% 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 64/100, ranked #401 of 1526 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 5 of 12 schools offering Advanced Placement (66 AP courses district-wide), a 208.1:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 31.0% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 92.6% Hispanic or Latino, 3.8% White, 2.1% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Salinas High, with a diversity index of 39.1/100.
Its largest campus is Alisal High, enrolling 2,742 students (17% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Carr Lake Community Day, at 18 students, a 152x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Alisal High accounts for 16.8% of all Salinas Union High student enrollment
That concentration means Salinas Union High-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: high. The share measures enrollment concentration only; it does not establish how the district allocates programs, capital, or staff. Enrollment-weighted aggregates give this entity more weight than any smaller peer, while an unweighted entity average treats every record equally.
Salinas Union High school enrollment varies 152× across entities
Salinas Union High school enrollment ranges from 18 students (lowest) to 2,742 students (highest), a spread of 2,724 students. That ratio is an extreme outlier spread — among the widest gaps observed anywhere in this dataset. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Salinas Union High reports 72.1% free-lunch eligibility
The reported share sits between 62.5% and 75%, above a simple majority but below the highest descriptive band used here. Title I operates under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015), but its statutory allocation uses additional LEA-level counts and rules not represented by this average. This percentage is an economic-need context measure; it does not establish a Title I award, show dollars received, or describe how funds are distributed among campuses.
Salinas Union High student-counselor ratio is 208:1 — low (typically associated with meeting or exceeding the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommended 250:1 benchmark, which correlates with stronger college and career counseling capacity)
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 Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.
Salinas Union High chronic absenteeism rate is 31.0% — 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.
Salinas Union High has 12 schools, including 6 high, 4 middle, 2 combined. Total enrollment is 16,337 students.
How much does Salinas Union High spend per student?
Salinas Union High spends $18,321 per student. The district has an equity score of 64/100, ranking #401 in California.
What is the demographic composition of Salinas Union High?
Salinas Union High students are 92.6% Hispanic or Latino, 3.8% White, 2.1% Asian, 0.4% African American, averaged across 12 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Salinas Union High?
Salinas Union High has an equity score of 64/100, ranking #401 out of 1526 districts in California.