Santa Rita Union Elementary

Salinas, California — 6 schools

3,231
Total Enrollment
6
Schools
$16,665
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Middle
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Santa Rita Union Elementary operates 6 public schools serving 3,231 students, placing it among the smaller districts in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 4 elementary, 2 middle schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 3,088 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Monterey County County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $16,665 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 22.0% local, 65.6% state, and 12.5% 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 $72,264 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 59/100, ranked #529 of 1547 in California against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.

a 514.7:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 34.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 91.5% Hispanic or Latino, 3.9% White, 2.7% Asian across the district's schools.

John Gutierrez Middle accounts for 18.4% of all Santa Rita Union Elementary student enrollment

That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Santa Rita Union Elementary-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: middle. 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

Santa Rita Union Elementary has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 67.9% 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 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.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

Santa Rita Union Elementary student-counselor ratio is 515:1 — 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

Santa Rita Union Elementary chronic absenteeism rate is 34.8% — 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?

12.5%
Federal
65.6%
State
22.0%
Local

Funding Equity

59
Equity Score
529 / 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 Monterey County county, where this district is located.

$2,173
Studio/mo
$2,232
1 BR/mo
$2,684
2 BR/mo
$3,623
3 BR/mo
$3,945
4 BR/mo

Average Teacher Salary

$72,264
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 6 schools in Santa Rita Union Elementary.

White 3.9%
Hispanic or Latino 91.5%
Asian 2.7%
Multiracial 1.3%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

514.7:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
34.8%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Santa Rita Union Elementary

School Enrollment
John Gutierrez Middle
568
Gavilan View Middle
556
Santa Rita Elementary
545
La Joya Elementary
498
New Republic Elementary
482
Mckinnon
439

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 Santa Rita Union Elementary

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Santa Rita Union Elementary?

Santa Rita Union Elementary has 6 schools, including 2 middle, 4 elementary. Total enrollment is 3,231 students.

How much does Santa Rita Union Elementary spend per student?

Santa Rita Union Elementary spends $16,665 per student. The district has an equity score of 59/100, ranking #529 in California.

What is the average teacher salary in Santa Rita Union Elementary?

The average teacher salary in Santa Rita Union Elementary is $72,264 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

What is the average rent near Santa Rita Union Elementary?

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

What is the demographic composition of Santa Rita Union Elementary?

Santa Rita Union Elementary students are 91.5% Hispanic or Latino, 3.9% White, 2.7% Asian, 0.5% African American, averaged across 6 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Santa Rita Union Elementary?

Santa Rita Union Elementary has an equity score of 59/100, ranking #529 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

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Full national footprint

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Refreshed within 30 days of upstream release

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Federal

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Composite score weighing source authority, update freshness, and methodological transparency. 1.0 = full federal-source coverage with documented methodology and recent update.