San Luis Coastal Unified

San Luis Obispo, California — 16 schools

7,555
Total Enrollment
16
Schools
$21,630
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

San Luis Coastal Unified operates 16 public schools serving 7,555 students, placing it among the smaller districts in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 10 elementary, 3 high, 2 middle, 1 other schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 7,653 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in San Luis Obispo County County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $21,630 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 77.4% local, 16.0% state, and 6.7% 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 $88,261 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 54/100, ranked #656 of 1547 in California against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.

Academic infrastructure includes 2 of 16 schools offering Advanced Placement (26 AP courses district-wide), a 547.7:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 31.6% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 54.2% White, 31.6% Hispanic or Latino, 5.0% Asian across the district's schools.

San Luis Obispo High accounts for 21.9% of all San Luis Coastal Unified student enrollment

That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means San Luis Coastal 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

San Luis Coastal Unified school enrollment varies 67× across entities

San Luis Coastal Unified school enrollment ranges from 25 students (lowest) to 1,678 students (highest), a spread of 1,653 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

San Luis Coastal Unified student-counselor ratio is 548:1 — 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

San Luis Coastal Unified chronic absenteeism rate is 31.6% — 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?

6.7%
Federal
16.0%
State
77.4%
Local

Funding Equity

54
Equity Score
656 / 1547
State Rank
50
State Average

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

Local Rent Costs

Fair Market Rents in San Luis Obispo County county, where this district is located.

$1,732
Studio/mo
$1,914
1 BR/mo
$2,512
2 BR/mo
$3,370
3 BR/mo
$3,861
4 BR/mo

Average Teacher Salary

$88,261
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 16 schools in San Luis Coastal Unified.

White 54.2%
Hispanic or Latino 31.6%
African American 0.7%
Asian 5.0%
Multiracial 7.8%
Other 0.7%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

2 / 16
Schools with AP
26 AP courses total
547.7:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
31.6%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in San Luis Coastal Unified

School Enrollment
San Luis Obispo High
1,678
Laguna Middle
780
Morro Bay High
751
C L Smith Elementary
528
Los Ranchos Elementary
521
Los Osos Middle
494
Pacheco Elementary
488
Hawthorne Elementary
437
Sinsheimer Elementary
401
Bishop'S Peak Elementary
358
Baywood Elementary
342
Monarch Grove Elementary
324
Del Mar Elementary
271
Teach Elementary
193
Pacific Beach High
62
Peep - Prepare
25

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 San Luis Coastal 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 San Luis Coastal Unified?

San Luis Coastal Unified has 16 schools, including 3 high, 2 middle, 10 elementary, 1 other. Total enrollment is 7,555 students.

How much does San Luis Coastal Unified spend per student?

San Luis Coastal Unified spends $21,630 per student. The district has an equity score of 54/100, ranking #656 in California.

What is the average teacher salary in San Luis Coastal Unified?

The average teacher salary in San Luis Coastal Unified is $88,261 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

What is the average rent near San Luis Coastal Unified?

The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in San Luis Obispo County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.

What is the demographic composition of San Luis Coastal Unified?

San Luis Coastal Unified students are 54.2% White, 31.6% Hispanic or Latino, 5.0% Asian, 0.7% African American, averaged across 16 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for San Luis Coastal Unified?

San Luis Coastal Unified has an equity score of 54/100, ranking #656 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.