Sweetwater Secondary District

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.

Chula Vista, California - 1 schools

An equity score of 45/100 ranks Sweetwater Secondary District #897 of 1517 districts in California (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $13,952 per pupil, Sweetwater Secondary District ranks #1219 of 1862 California districts by per-pupil spending (California districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

369
Total Enrollment
1
Schools
$13,952
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Sweetwater Secondary District operates 1 public schools serving 369 students, placing it among the smallest districts in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 combined 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 San Diego County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,952 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 7.1% local, 84.8% state, and 8.1% 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 45/100, ranked #897 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 1 schools offering Advanced Placement (6 AP courses district-wide), a 372:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 29.3% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 79.2% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% African American, 5.7% White across the district's schools.

Its largest campus is Sweetwater Secondary, enrolling 372 students (100% of the district's total enrollment).

Sweetwater Secondary accounts for 100.0% of all Sweetwater Secondary District student enrollment

That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Sweetwater Secondary District a distant remainder — means Sweetwater Secondary District-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: combined. 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

Sweetwater Secondary District has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 64.8% 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). Eligibility here is approaching the 75% concentration-grant threshold; it does not yet unlock the extra funding tier but sits meaningfully above the baseline 50% majority mark. 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

Sweetwater Secondary District student-counselor ratio is 372:1 — 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

Sweetwater Secondary District chronic absenteeism rate is 29.3% — 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 Sweetwater Secondary District is typically wider than the Sweetwater Secondary District-aggregate figure suggests.

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

Where does the funding come from?

8.1%
Federal
84.8%
State
7.1%
Local

Funding Equity

45
Equity Score
897 / 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 1 schools in Sweetwater Secondary District.

White 5.7%
Hispanic or Latino 79.2%
African American 7.8%
Asian 3.2%
Multiracial 2.7%
Other 1.3%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

1 / 1
Schools with AP
6 AP courses total
372:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
29.3%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Sweetwater Secondary District

School Enrollment
Sweetwater Secondary
Charter
372

How Sweetwater Secondary District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The California districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Kepler Neighborhood District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Aspire Summit Charter Academy District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Rocketship Los Suenos Academy District Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
River Charter Schools Lighthouse Charter District Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
Ballico-Cressey Elementary Similar size Similar spending More locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Sweetwater Secondary District'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
Compare vs Sweetwater Secondary District →
San Diego Unified
93,893 students · 175 schools · $18,665/pupil
Compare vs Sweetwater Secondary District →
Fresno Unified
69,668 students · 101 schools · $18,783/pupil
Compare vs Sweetwater Secondary District →
Long Beach Unified
65,554 students · 84 schools · $16,028/pupil
Compare vs Sweetwater Secondary District →
Elk Grove Unified
62,061 students · 67 schools · $14,134/pupil
Compare vs Sweetwater Secondary District →

Compare Sweetwater Secondary District

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 Sweetwater Secondary District?

Sweetwater Secondary District has 1 school, including 1 combined. Total enrollment is 369 students.

How much does Sweetwater Secondary District spend per student?

Sweetwater Secondary District spends $13,952 per student. The district has an equity score of 45/100, ranking #897 in California.

What is the demographic composition of Sweetwater Secondary District?

Sweetwater Secondary District students are 79.2% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% African American, 5.7% White, 3.2% Asian, averaged across 1 school. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Sweetwater Secondary District?

Sweetwater Secondary District has an equity score of 45/100, ranking #897 out of 1517 districts in California.