South San Francisco Unified

South San Francisco, California — 15 schools

7,868
Total Enrollment
15
Schools
$19,295
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

South San Francisco Unified operates 15 public schools serving 7,868 students, placing it among the smaller districts in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 9 elementary, 3 high, 3 middle schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 7,644 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in San Mateo County County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $19,295 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 76.0% local, 16.7% state, and 7.3% 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 $90,580 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 51/100, ranked #727 of 1547 in California against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.

Academic infrastructure includes 2 of 15 schools offering Advanced Placement (29 AP courses district-wide), a 208.7:1 student-counselor ratio that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 30.5% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 49.5% Hispanic or Latino, 33.4% Asian, 6.4% White across the district's schools.

South San Francisco High accounts for 16.2% of all South San Francisco Unified student enrollment

That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means South San Francisco 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.

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

South San Francisco Unified school enrollment varies 9.5× across entities

South San Francisco Unified school enrollment ranges from 130 students (lowest) to 1,239 students (highest), a spread of 1,109 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 San Francisco Unified student-counselor ratio is 209:1 — low (typically associated with meeting or exceeding the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommended 250:1 benchmark, which correlates with stronger college and career counseling capacity)

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 Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

South San Francisco Unified chronic absenteeism rate is 30.5% — 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.

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

Where does the funding come from?

7.3%
Federal
16.7%
State
76.0%
Local

Funding Equity

51
Equity Score
727 / 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 San Mateo County county, where this district is located.

$2,485
Studio/mo
$2,977
1 BR/mo
$3,604
2 BR/mo
$4,604
3 BR/mo
$4,772
4 BR/mo

Average Teacher Salary

$90,580
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 15 schools in South San Francisco Unified.

White 6.4%
Hispanic or Latino 49.5%
African American 1.0%
Asian 33.4%
Multiracial 7.4%
Other 2.2%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

2 / 15
Schools with AP
29 AP courses total
208.7:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
30.5%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in South San Francisco Unified

School Enrollment
South San Francisco High
1,239
El Camino High
1,053
Alta Loma Middle
652
Buri Buri Elementary
584
Parkway Heights Middle
573
Monte Verde Elementary
517
Westborough Middle
498
Spruce Elementary
384
Martin Elementary
370
Skyline Elementary
366
Ponderosa Elementary
359
Sunshine Gardens Elementary
329
Los Cerritos Elementary
304
Junipero Serra Elementary
286
Baden High (Continuation)
130

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
Compare vs South San Francisco Unified →
San Diego Unified
93,893 students · 175 schools · $26,901/pupil
Compare vs South San Francisco Unified →
Fresno Unified
69,668 students · 101 schools · $20,737/pupil
Compare vs South San Francisco Unified →
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
Compare vs South San Francisco Unified →

Compare South San Francisco Unified

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

Compare vs Los Angeles Unified →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in South San Francisco Unified?

South San Francisco Unified has 15 schools, including 3 high, 3 middle, 9 elementary. Total enrollment is 7,868 students.

How much does South San Francisco Unified spend per student?

South San Francisco Unified spends $19,295 per student. The district has an equity score of 51/100, ranking #727 in California.

What is the average teacher salary in South San Francisco Unified?

The average teacher salary in South San Francisco Unified is $90,580 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

What is the average rent near South San Francisco Unified?

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

What is the demographic composition of South San Francisco Unified?

South San Francisco Unified students are 49.5% Hispanic or Latino, 33.4% Asian, 6.4% White, 1.0% African American, averaged across 15 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for South San Francisco Unified?

South San Francisco Unified has an equity score of 51/100, ranking #727 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

Coverage

50 states + DC

Full national footprint

Update cadence

Quarterly

Refreshed within 30 days of upstream release

Source agency

Federal

Authoritative data, no third-party aggregation

Page reliability score 94.0%
Industry baseline

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