South Pasadena Unified operates 5 public schools serving 4,651 students, placing it among the smaller districts in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 3 elementary, 1 high, 1 middle schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 4,652 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Los Angeles County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $17,570 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 40.9% local, 51.3% state, and 7.8% 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 $73,219 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 34/100, ranked #1198 of 1547 in California against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 5 schools offering Advanced Placement (18 AP courses district-wide), a 942.5:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 7.3% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 35.9% Asian, 23.1% Hispanic or Latino, 22.1% White across the district's schools.
South Pasadena Senior High accounts for 33.0% of all South Pasadena Unified student enrollment
That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means South Pasadena Unified-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.
South Pasadena Unified school enrollment varies 2.7× across entities
South Pasadena Unified school enrollment ranges from 570 students (lowest) to 1,536 students (highest), a spread of 966 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.
South Pasadena Unified student-counselor ratio is 943:1 — 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.
South Pasadena Unified chronic absenteeism rate is 7.3% — low (typically associated with lower-than-average attendance disruption; districts in this range often have attendance interventions, robust transportation, or smaller catchments that reduce barriers)
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 Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.
South Pasadena Unified has 5 schools, including 1 high, 1 middle, 3 elementary. Total enrollment is 4,651 students.
How much does South Pasadena Unified spend per student?
South Pasadena Unified spends $17,570 per student. The district has an equity score of 34/100, ranking #1198 in California.
What is the average teacher salary in South Pasadena Unified?
The average teacher salary in South Pasadena Unified is $73,219 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near South Pasadena Unified?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Los Angeles County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of South Pasadena Unified?
South Pasadena Unified students are 35.9% Asian, 23.1% Hispanic or Latino, 22.1% White, 1.0% African American, averaged across 5 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for South Pasadena Unified?
South Pasadena Unified has an equity score of 34/100, ranking #1198 out of 1547 districts in California. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.