San Diego Unified

San Diego Unified is the second-largest school district in California, serving 93,893 students across 177 schools in San Diego County. The district experienced a 1.4% enrollment decline from the prior year, reflecting broader demographic trends in the region. With 4,290 teachers, the district maintains a student-teacher ratio of 21.9:1, slightly above typical benchmarks for large urban districts.

Academic performance shows San Diego Unified graduating 90.3% of students, marginally above California's 89.9% state average. However, chronic absenteeism at 19.0% represents a significant challenge affecting instructional continuity. The student population is economically and linguistically diverse: 56.2% are economically disadvantaged, 19.4% are English learners, and 21.7% have identified disabilities. Racial composition is 47.2% Hispanic, 22.8% White, 12.9% Asian, and 7.5% Black.

Financially, San Diego Unified operates with per-pupil spending of $21,952, exceeding California's $19,711 average by approximately $2,200 per student. The district's $2.247 billion total budget relies heavily on local funding sources (65.2%), with 24.2% from state sources and 10.6% from federal funding. This local revenue dependency is notable; districts relying more heavily on state and federal funding face greater budget volatility. The combination of above-average per-pupil spending and significant populations requiring specialized services reflects the district's resource allocation priorities.