Willits Unified
Public school district · Mendocino County · California · NCES district ID 0642560
Willits Unified spent $17,364 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 56% of the other California districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $16,855). Its 6 schools enrolled 1,529 students in 2024-25; 62.0% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $19,926 per student, up 14.8% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 80-84% (California: 86.2%).
NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method
Spending per student among California districts of similar size
Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Willits Unified in enrollment (1,508 to 1,569 students) and Willits Unified itself.
Where the money came from
$32,293,000 in revenue: 62.0% state, 27.2% local and 10.8% federal. Total spending including $988,000 of capital outlay was $29,149,000, or $19,002 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$20,019,000 62%
- Local$8,773,000 27%
- Federal$3,501,000 11%
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 646 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).
Enrollment held steady from 2022-23 to 2024-25
1,534 students in 2022-23, 1,546 students in 2023-24, 1,529 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.
Teachers and students per teacher
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 1,534 | 78.6 | 19.5 |
| 2023-24 | 1,546 | 84.5 | 18.3 |
| 2024-25 | 1,529 | 85.5 | 17.9 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$7,213,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $4,702 per student
Willits Unified booked $7,213,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 79 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $91,815 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 37 in 100 California districts with a figure (state median $99,744, 1,149 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average California teacher salary at $87,275 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
| Program | Teacher salaries | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Regular programs | $5,363,000 | 74.4% |
| Special education | $1,070,000 | 14.8% |
| Vocational | $507,000 | 7.0% |
| Other programs | $273,000 | 3.8% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $3,833 in 2018-19, $3,788 in 2019-20, $3,882 in 2020-21, $4,333 in 2021-22, $4,702 in 2022-23.
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).
State test results, 2021-22
In 2021-22, the students tested in Willits Unified scored proficient or above: 21-25% in reading and 13-17% in math, against 45% in reading and 34% in math across California. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within California, not across states. Where a state published results by grade only, the grades tested are combined, weighted by the students tested in each.
| Subject | This district | California | Students tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and language arts | 21-25% | 45% | 583 |
| Math | 13-17% | 34% | 581 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.
Graduation rate, class of 2023
80-84% of the 158 students in Willits Unified's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 86.2% across California. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.
| This district | California | |
|---|---|---|
| Four-year graduation rate | 80‑84% | 86.2% |
| Students in the class | 158 | 495,492 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.
3 elementary schools, 744 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brookside Elementary | 350 | 20.0 | 66.0% | Not reported |
| Blosser Lane Elementary | 335 | 23.9 | 58.2% | Not reported |
| Sherwood | 59 | 15.9 | 62.7% | Not reported |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
1 middle school, 331 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baechtel Grove Middle | 331 | 19.3 | 59.8% | Not reported |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
2 high schools, 454 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Willits High | 397 | 13.4 | 49.9% | Not reported |
| Sanhedrin Alternative | 57 | 16.4 | 75.4% | Not reported |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
Contact Willits Unified
- Website: willitsunified.com
- Phone: (707) 459-5134
- Office: 1277 Blosser Ln., Willits, CA 95490
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.
What to look at next about Willits Unified
- California districts by spending per studentWillits Unified ranks 286 of 646 California districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($17,364).#286 of 646
- Every school district in CaliforniaWillits Unified is the number 555 by size of 1,991 California districts, with 1,534 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#555 of 1,991
- Auburn Union School DistrictThe next larger California district: 1,548 students in fall 2022, $16,435 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$16,435
- Colusa UnifiedThe next smaller California district: 1,533 students in fall 2022, $14,597 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$14,597
- Compare Willits Unified with Auburn Union School DistrictEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Willits High, its largest high school397 students in 2024-25, 13.4 per teacher.397
- Teacher salary spending across CaliforniaWillits Unified spent $91,815 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $99,744); spending, not a salary.$91,815
- Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).
Questions about Willits Unified
How many schools and students are in Willits Unified?
6 schools were open in 2024-25 (3 elementary, 1 middle, 2 high), enrolling 1,529 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Willits Unified spend per student?
$17,364 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the California median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $16,855 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $19,926 per student, up 14.8% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Willits Unified's money come from?
$32,293,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 62.0% state, 27.2% local and 10.8% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Willits Unified live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 339 of the 2,266 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 15.0%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.How much does Willits Unified spend on teacher salaries?
$7,213,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $4,702 per student. Divided by the 79 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $91,815 per teacher, more than 37 in 100 California districts (state median $99,744). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average California teacher salary at $87,275 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).How do students in Willits Unified do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Willits Unified scored proficient or above: 21-25% in reading and 13-17% in math, against 45% in reading and 34% in math across California. California's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.What is the graduation rate in Willits Unified?
80-84% of the 158 students in Willits Unified's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 86.2% across California. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.What is Willits Unified's NCES district ID?
0642560. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.
Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.
Sources
Every federal file behind this record
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
- Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
- EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
- EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
- NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25