District overview
At a glance
Source years shown below
Reported students
12,250
NCES CCD 2024–25, where reported
Open schools
21
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Student–teacher ratio
18.9:1
Calculated from NCES 2024–25 enrollment and teacher FTE
Spending per pupil
$18,088
Current expenditure · FY 2023 F-33
Instruction per pupil
$10,132
Calculated from FY 2023 F-33
Grades served
KG–12
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
District interpretation
What the numbers say about Santa Barbara Unified
Santa Barbara Unified operates 21 current public-school records serving grades KG–12 in Santa Barbara, California. NCES reports 12,250 students and 649.53 classroom teacher FTE for 2024–25.
By reported enrollment, the district ranks 122 of 2014 California districts with data. That position describes scale only—it does not say whether individual schools are a good fit for a particular student.
FY 2023 finance records show $18,088 in current expenditure per pupil and $10,132 per pupil assigned to instruction. This places reported current spending 821 of 1893 districts in California. Local wages, transportation, special education, facilities, and district responsibilities all affect this comparison.
Student context
Needs schools plan for
- English learners
- 15%
- Students with disabilities (IDEA)
- 13.2%
- Classroom teachers (FTE)
- 649.53
- Current expenditure (FY 2023)
- $227,602,000
Context measures describe who a district serves and its resources. They are not negative rating inputs.
Santa Barbara Unified location
Santa Barbara, California · 34.4214, -119.6962. This is the NCES EDGE district-office point, not an attendance boundary.
Open exact point in OpenStreetMap →Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White30.4%
- Hispanic59.4%
- Black0.6%
- Asian2.8%
- American Indian / Alaska Native0.2%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.1%
- Multiracial6.3%
Race/ethnicity: NCES CCD 2024–25 where reported, otherwise CRDC 2021–22. English learner and disability context: CRDC 2021–22. Totals can differ due to rounding or source privacy rules.
Interactive campus directory
Explore schools in Santa Barbara Unified
21 current directory entries
Filter by school level or name, then sort by enrollment or reported student–teacher ratio.
Showing 21 of 21 schools
| School | Level | Grades | Students | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams Elementary | Elementary | KG–06 | 469 | 16.6:1 |
| Alta Vista | Middle | 07–08 | 2 | 2.7:1 |
| Alta Vista Alternative High | High | 09–12 | 119 | 12.6:1 |
| Cleveland Elementary | Elementary | KG–06 | 254 | 14.1:1 |
| Dos Pueblos Senior High | High | 09–12 | 2,149 | 22.6:1 |
| Franklin Elementary | Elementary | KG–06 | 424 | 17:1 |
| Goleta Valley Junior High | Middle | 07–08 | 731 | 19.3:1 |
| Harding University Partnership | Elementary | KG–06 | 364 | 17:1 |
| La Colina Junior High | Middle | 07–08 | 832 | 19.8:1 |
| La Cuesta Continuation High | High | 09–12 | 77 | 8.4:1 |
| La Cumbre Junior High | Middle | 07–08 | 426 | 17.6:1 |
| McKinley Elementary | Elementary | KG–06 | 293 | 17:1 |
| Monroe Elementary | Elementary | KG–06 | 315 | 16.3:1 |
| Roosevelt Elementary | Elementary | KG–06 | 463 | 17.5:1 |
| San Marcos Senior High | High | 09–12 | 1,926 | 21.2:1 |
| Santa Barbara Charter Charter | Elementary | KG–08 | 269 | 22.3:1 |
| Santa Barbara Community Academy | Elementary | KG–06 | 221 | 17.6:1 |
| Santa Barbara Junior High | Middle | 07–08 | 512 | 16:1 |
| Santa Barbara Senior High | High | 09–12 | 1,924 | 19.5:1 |
| Santa Barbara Unified Early Childhood | Other | M–M | — | — |
| Washington Elementary | Elementary | KG–06 | 477 | 16.5:1 |