South Monterey County Joint Union 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.

King City, California - 4 schools

An equity score of 53/100 ranks South Monterey County Joint Union High #690 of 1517 districts in California (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $15,052 per pupil, South Monterey County Joint Union High ranks #961 of 1862 California districts by per-pupil spending (California districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

2,762
Total Enrollment
4
Schools
$15,052
Per-Pupil Spending
High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

South Monterey County Joint Union High operates 4 public schools serving 2,762 students, placing it among the smallest districts in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 4 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 Monterey County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $15,052 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 22.6% local, 65.9% state, and 11.5% 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 #690 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 4 schools offering Advanced Placement (24 AP courses district-wide), a 412.2:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 28.4% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 95.5% Hispanic or Latino, 3.4% White, 0.6% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is King City High, with a diversity index of 17.2/100.

Its largest campus is Greenfield High, enrolling 1,274 students (48% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Pinnacle Coastal Valley High, at 77 students, a 17x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Greenfield High accounts for 46.1% of all South Monterey County Joint Union High student enrollment

That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of South Monterey County Joint Union High a distant remainder — means South Monterey County Joint 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.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

South Monterey County Joint Union High school enrollment varies 17× across entities

South Monterey County Joint Union High school enrollment ranges from 77 students (lowest) to 1,274 students (highest), a spread of 1,197 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

South Monterey County Joint Union High has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 84.8% 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.

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

South Monterey County Joint Union High student-counselor ratio is 412:1 — 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

South Monterey County Joint Union High chronic absenteeism rate is 28.4% — 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 South Monterey County Joint Union High is typically wider than the South Monterey County Joint Union High-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

11.5%
Federal
65.9%
State
22.6%
Local

Funding Equity

53
Equity Score
690 / 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 4 schools in South Monterey County Joint Union High.

White 3.4%
Hispanic or Latino 95.5%
Asian 0.6%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 8.6/100

Average Simpson diversity index across South Monterey County Joint Union High's schools, below the California average of 46.0.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 King City High 17.2
  2. 2 Pinnacle Coastal Valley High 7.5
  3. 3 Portola-Butler Continuation High 6.8
  4. 4 Greenfield High 3.0

Programs & Resources

2 / 4
Schools with AP
24 AP courses total
412.2:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
28.4%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in South Monterey County Joint Union High

School Enrollment
Greenfield High
1,274
King City High
1,199
Portola-Butler Continuation High
115
Pinnacle Coastal Valley High
77

How South Monterey County Joint Union High Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The California districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Pacifica Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
San Marino Unified Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Cabrillo Unified Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Cottonwood District Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Coronado Unified Similar size Higher spending More locally funded

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

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in South Monterey County Joint Union High?

South Monterey County Joint Union High has 4 schools, including 4 high. Total enrollment is 2,762 students.

How much does South Monterey County Joint Union High spend per student?

South Monterey County Joint Union High spends $15,052 per student. The district has an equity score of 53/100, ranking #690 in California.

What is the demographic composition of South Monterey County Joint Union High?

South Monterey County Joint Union High students are 95.5% Hispanic or Latino, 3.4% White, 0.6% Asian, averaged across 4 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for South Monterey County Joint Union High?

South Monterey County Joint Union High has an equity score of 53/100, ranking #690 out of 1517 districts in California.