Santa Maria-Bonita operates 21 public schools serving 16,703 students, placing it in the mid-size range in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 17 elementary, 4 middle schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 17,408 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Santa Barbara County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $15,149 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 19.7% local, 68.7% state, and 11.6% 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 $78,919 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 53/100, ranked #687 of 1547 in California against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
a 344.4:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 37.5% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 95.5% Hispanic or Latino, 2.0% White, 1.2% Asian across the district's schools.
Santa Maria-Bonita school enrollment varies 3.9× across entities
Santa Maria-Bonita school enrollment ranges from 298 students (lowest) to 1,177 students (highest), a spread of 879 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio — most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Santa Maria-Bonita has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 78.1% 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). Areas above 75% eligibility — including this one — receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. 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.
Santa Maria-Bonita student-counselor ratio is 344:1 — 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 Santa Maria-Bonita is typically wider than the Santa Maria-Bonita-aggregate figure suggests.
Santa Maria-Bonita chronic absenteeism rate is 37.5% — 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.
Santa Maria-Bonita has 21 schools, including 17 elementary, 4 middle. Total enrollment is 16,703 students.
How much does Santa Maria-Bonita spend per student?
Santa Maria-Bonita spends $15,149 per student. The district has an equity score of 53/100, ranking #687 in California.
What is the average teacher salary in Santa Maria-Bonita?
The average teacher salary in Santa Maria-Bonita is $78,919 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near Santa Maria-Bonita?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Santa Barbara County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of Santa Maria-Bonita?
Santa Maria-Bonita students are 95.5% Hispanic or Latino, 2.0% White, 1.2% Asian, 0.2% African American, averaged across 21 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Santa Maria-Bonita?
Santa Maria-Bonita has an equity score of 53/100, ranking #687 out of 1547 districts in California. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.