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Santa Maria, California - 21 schools
An equity score of 53/100 ranks Santa Maria-Bonita #684 of 1517 districts in California (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $14,410 per pupil, Santa Maria-Bonita ranks #1109 of 1862 California districts by per-pupil spending (California districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
16,703
Total Enrollment
21
Schools
$14,410
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Middle
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
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. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Santa Barbara County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $14,410 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 19.7% local, 68.7% state, and 11.6% 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 53/100, ranked #684 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.
a 344.4:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, 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. Its most demographically mixed campus is Bill Libbon Elementary, with a diversity index of 22.0/100.
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 $14,410 per student. The district has an equity score of 53/100, ranking #684 in California.
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 #684 out of 1517 districts in California.