Vista Unified
Public school district · San Diego County · California · NCES district ID 0641190
Vista Unified spent $17,624 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 58% of the other California districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $16,855). Its 26 schools enrolled 18,096 students in 2024-25; 56.1% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $19,399 per student, up 10.0% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 86% (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 Vista Unified in enrollment (17,993 to 19,773 students) and Vista Unified itself.
Where the money came from
$449,771,000 in revenue: 56.1% state, 34.0% local and 9.9% federal. Total spending including $49,742,000 of capital outlay was $403,490,000, or $21,442 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$252,197,000 56%
- Local$152,827,000 34%
- Federal$44,747,000 10%
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 fell from 2022-23 to 2024-25
18,794 students in 2022-23, 18,445 students in 2023-24, 18,096 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 | 18,794 | 885.1 | 21.2 |
| 2023-24 | 18,445 | 867.7 | 21.3 |
| 2024-25 | 18,096 | 876.0 | 20.7 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$106,512,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $5,660 per student
Vista Unified booked $106,512,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 885 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 $120,342 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 82 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 | $80,785,000 | 75.8% |
| Special education | $19,890,000 | 18.7% |
| Vocational | $1,405,000 | 1.3% |
| Other programs | $4,432,000 | 4.2% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $4,600 in 2018-19, $4,573 in 2019-20, $4,675 in 2020-21, $5,161 in 2021-22, $5,660 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 Vista Unified scored proficient or above: 41% in reading and 30% 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 | 41% | 45% | 8,210 |
| Math | 30% | 34% | 8,222 |
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
86% of the 1,470 students in Vista 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 | 86% | 86.2% |
| Students in the class | 1,470 | 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.
15 elementary schools, 8,626 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Casita Center for Science/Math/Technology | 744 | 26.6 | 28.0% | Not reported |
| Breeze Hill Elementary | 742 | 25.2 | 55.8% | Not reported |
| Vista Academy of Visual and Performing Arts | 740 | 24.7 | 68.6% | Not reported |
| Grapevine Elementary | 730 | 23.8 | 67.3% | Not reported |
| Empresa Elementary | 705 | 24.7 | 29.6% | Not reported |
| Lake Elementary | 696 | 24.0 | 25.4% | Not reported |
| T.H.E Leadership Academy | 584 | 23.4 | 58.9% | Not reported |
| Bobier Elementary | 563 | 23.0 | 81.5% | Not reported |
| Monte Vista Elementary | 556 | 24.2 | 45.0% | Not reported |
| Foothill Oak Elementary | 556 | 25.3 | 80.6% | Not reported |
| Alamosa Park Elementary | 549 | 23.2 | 36.1% | Not reported |
| Hannalei Elementary | 480 | 21.8 | 63.5% | Not reported |
The other 3 elementary schools
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mission Meadows Elementary | 473 | 22.0 | 48.2% | Not reported |
| Maryland Elementary | 466 | 23.3 | 86.3% | Not reported |
| California Avenue Elementary | 42 | 11.7 | 64.3% | 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.
4 middle schools, 3,694 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison Middle | 1,158 | 19.1 | 56.8% | Not reported |
| Roosevelt Middle | 866 | 18.0 | 63.4% | Not reported |
| Vista Magnet Middle School of Technology Science and Math | 836 | 19.8 | 56.8% | Not reported |
| Vista Innovation and Design Academy | 834 | 19.1 | 41.7% | 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.
6 high schools, 5,708 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rancho Buena Vista High | 1,949 | 19.0 | 54.6% | Not reported |
| Vista High | 1,746 | 16.6 | 72.7% | Not reported |
| Mission Vista High | 1,670 | 21.9 | 29.7% | Not reported |
| Major General Raymond Murray High | 146 | 10.4 | 82.2% | Not reported |
| Vista Adult Transition Center | 107 | 12.6 | 53.3% | Not reported |
| Alta Vista High (Continuation) | 90 | 9.7 | 90.0% | 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 other school, 68 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vista Visions Academy | 68 | 15.6 | 60.3% | 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 more schools on file: small, closed or in an earlier directory
These records carry fewer federal fields than a full school page needs, so each is summarized here with what NCES reports.
Rancho Minerva Middle
Middle school in Vista; last listed in the 2024-25 NCES directory (closed); 532 students; 16.4 students per teacher.
Beaumont Elementary
Elementary school in Vista; last listed in the 2024-25 NCES directory (closed); 460 students; 20.0 students per teacher.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 and earlier directories: the last year each school was listed, its students and its teachers.
Contact Vista Unified
- Website: vistausd.org
- Phone: (760) 726-2170
- Office: 1234 Arcadia Ave., Vista, CA 92084
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 Vista Unified
- California districts by spending per studentVista Unified ranks 269 of 646 California districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($17,624).#269 of 646
- Every school district in CaliforniaVista Unified is the number 67 by size of 1,991 California districts, with 18,818 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#67 of 1,991
- Panama-Buena Vista Union School DistrictThe next larger California district: 19,107 students in fall 2022, $15,641 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$15,641
- Ontario-Montclair School DistrictThe next smaller California district: 18,471 students in fall 2022, $21,832 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$21,832
- Compare Vista Unified with Panama-Buena Vista Union School DistrictEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Rancho Buena Vista High, its largest high school1,949 students in 2024-25, 19.0 per teacher.1,949
- Teacher salary spending across CaliforniaVista Unified spent $120,342 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $99,744); spending, not a salary.$120,342
- 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 Vista Unified
How many schools and students are in Vista Unified?
26 schools were open in 2024-25 (15 elementary, 4 middle, 6 high, 1 other), enrolling 18,096 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Vista Unified spend per student?
$17,624 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 $19,399 per student, up 10.0% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Vista Unified's money come from?
$449,771,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 56.1% state, 34.0% local and 9.9% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Vista Unified live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 2,561 of the 23,671 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 10.8%, 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 Vista Unified spend on teacher salaries?
$106,512,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $5,660 per student. Divided by the 885 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $120,342 per teacher, more than 82 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 Vista Unified do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Vista Unified scored proficient or above: 41% in reading and 30% 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 Vista Unified?
86% of the 1,470 students in Vista 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 Vista Unified's NCES district ID?
0641190. 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