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Santa Ynez, California - 2 schools
An equity score of 56/100 ranks Santa Ynez Valley Union High #616 of 1517 districts in California (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $17,911 per pupil, Santa Ynez Valley Union High ranks #401 of 1862 California districts by per-pupil spending (California districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
853
Total Enrollment
2
Schools
$17,911
Per-Pupil Spending
High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Santa Ynez Valley Union High operates 2 public schools serving 853 students, placing it among the smallest districts in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 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 Santa Barbara County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $17,911 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 55.7% local, 41.3% state, and 3.1% 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 #616 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 1 of 2 schools offering Advanced Placement (13 AP courses district-wide), a 267:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 28.2% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 65.9% Hispanic or Latino, 22.4% White, 0.2% African American across the district's schools.
Its largest campus is Santa Ynez Valley Union High, enrolling 801 students (99% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Refugio High, at 11 students, a 73x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Santa Ynez Valley Union High accounts for 93.9% of all Santa Ynez Valley Union High student enrollment
That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Santa Ynez Valley Union High a distant remainder — means Santa Ynez Valley Union 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.
Santa Ynez Valley Union High student-counselor ratio is 267:1 — 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 Ynez Valley Union High is typically wider than the Santa Ynez Valley Union High-aggregate figure suggests.
Santa Ynez Valley Union High chronic absenteeism rate is 28.2% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism
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 Variation between sub-units within Santa Ynez Valley Union High is typically wider than the Santa Ynez Valley Union High-aggregate figure suggests.
How many schools are in Santa Ynez Valley Union High?
Santa Ynez Valley Union High has 2 schools, including 2 high. Total enrollment is 853 students.
How much does Santa Ynez Valley Union High spend per student?
Santa Ynez Valley Union High spends $17,911 per student. The district has an equity score of 56/100, ranking #616 in California.
What is the demographic composition of Santa Ynez Valley Union High?
Santa Ynez Valley Union High students are 65.9% Hispanic or Latino, 22.4% White, 0.2% African American, 0.2% Asian, averaged across 2 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Santa Ynez Valley Union High?
Santa Ynez Valley Union High has an equity score of 56/100, ranking #616 out of 1517 districts in California.