San Rafael City High

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.

San Rafael, California - 3 schools

An equity score of 56/100 ranks San Rafael City High #608 of 1517 districts in California (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $16,652 per pupil, San Rafael City High ranks #599 of 1862 California districts by per-pupil spending (California districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

2,668
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$16,652
Per-Pupil Spending
High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

San Rafael City High operates 3 public schools serving 2,668 students, placing it among the smallest districts in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 3 high schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Marin County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $16,652 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 83.9% local, 11.4% state, and 4.7% 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 56/100, ranked #608 of 1517 in California against a state average of 50, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 2 of 3 schools offering Advanced Placement (30 AP courses district-wide), a 292:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 37.9% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 72.8% Hispanic or Latino, 19.1% White, 2.9% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Terra Linda High, with a diversity index of 61.4/100.

Its largest campus is San Rafael High, enrolling 1,332 students (50% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Madrone High Continuation, at 96 students, a 14x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

San Rafael High accounts for 49.8% of all San Rafael City High student enrollment

That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of San Rafael City High a distant remainder — means San Rafael City High-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 Rafael City High school enrollment varies 14× across entities

San Rafael City High school enrollment ranges from 96 students (lowest) to 1,332 students (highest), a spread of 1,236 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. 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 Rafael City High has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 63.6% 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

San Rafael City High student-counselor ratio is 292:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts

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 Variation between sub-units within San Rafael City High is typically wider than the San Rafael City High-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

San Rafael City High chronic absenteeism rate is 37.9% — 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?

4.7%
Federal
11.4%
State
83.9%
Local

Funding Equity

56
Equity Score
608 / 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 3 schools in San Rafael City High.

White 19.1%
Hispanic or Latino 72.8%
African American 2.3%
Asian 2.9%
Multiracial 2.3%
Other 0.8%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 37.9/100

Average Simpson diversity index across San Rafael City High's schools, below the California average of 46.0.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Terra Linda High 61.4
  2. 2 San Rafael High 40.5
  3. 3 Madrone High Continuation 11.8

Programs & Resources

2 / 3
Schools with AP
30 AP courses total
292:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
37.9%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in San Rafael City High

School Enrollment
San Rafael High
1,332
Terra Linda High
1,248
Madrone High Continuation
96

How San Rafael City High Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The California districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Escalon Unified Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Exeter Unified Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Fairfax Elementary Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Lamont Elementary Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
San Carlos Elementary Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to San Rafael City High'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 San Rafael City High →
San Diego Unified
93,893 students · 175 schools · $18,665/pupil
Compare vs San Rafael City High →
Fresno Unified
69,668 students · 101 schools · $18,783/pupil
Compare vs San Rafael City High →
Long Beach Unified
65,554 students · 84 schools · $16,028/pupil
Compare vs San Rafael City High →
Elk Grove Unified
62,061 students · 67 schools · $14,134/pupil
Compare vs San Rafael City High →

Compare San Rafael City High

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 San Rafael City High?

San Rafael City High has 3 schools, including 3 high. Total enrollment is 2,668 students.

How much does San Rafael City High spend per student?

San Rafael City High spends $16,652 per student. The district has an equity score of 56/100, ranking #608 in California.

What is the demographic composition of San Rafael City High?

San Rafael City High students are 72.8% Hispanic or Latino, 19.1% White, 2.9% Asian, 2.3% African American, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for San Rafael City High?

San Rafael City High has an equity score of 56/100, ranking #608 out of 1517 districts in California.