School district or education agency · NCES 0605580

Santa Maria-Bonita

Santa Maria, CA

District overview See comparisons

Students17,165

Student membership reported by NCES for 2023–24.

Schools21

operational schools · 2023–24

Students17,165

students in linked records

Latest attendance year2022–23

federal comparable series

Latest finance record$16,207

per student

Profile coverage

8 of 8 core data areas available

Each area is matched to this district’s NCES ID. Dates show the reporting year, not the date the page was updated.

✓Academic results2025✓Attendance2022–23✓Spending2022–23✓Enrollment & staffing2023–24✓Student support2021–22✓Safety & civil rights2021–22✓Community context2023✓Programs & opportunities2021–22

Five things to know

The district at a glance

Every answer links to the underlying measure. Reporting years stay attached to the data.

01Comparable nationwide

Student outcomes

How are students doing?

Four views answer different questions. State test percentages show grade-level expectations; the national research trend shows change over time; graduation and dropout measures describe high-school outcomes.

Nationally comparable trend · 2019–2025

Are results improving over time?

20^thlatest estimated national standing

20192022202320242025

10 percentile points lower than 2019.

State proficiency standards differ and should not be used for cross-state rankings. Graduation ranges and privacy protections are preserved exactly. The academic trend uses Stanford Education Data Archive estimates and is not a state proficiency percentage.

What has changed?

The district’s recent direction

Each card uses its own clearly labeled period. Measures from different sources are never blended.

Academic standing9 percentile points

Lower than the first comparable year.

2019–2025 · Stanford research estimate

Chronic absence12.6 points

Higher than the first year. More students were chronically absent.

2020–21–2022–23

Enrollment+3.6%

Student enrollment grew.

2021–22 to 2023–24 · NCES

Operating spending+12.5%

Spending per student increased before adjusting for inflation.

FY 2022 to FY 2023 · NCES F-33

Enrollment 2023–24Finance 2022–23Attendance 2022–23State tests 2024–25 where published

Enrollment · 2023–24

Who attends this district?

Kindergarten–grade 511,683 students

68.1%

Grades 6–85,482 students

31.9%

See enrollment for every grade

Kindergarten2,724

Grade 11,794

Grade 21,797

Grade 31,796

Grade 41,779

Grade 51,793

Grade 61,845

Grade 71,825

Grade 81,812

Students by race and ethnicity

Hispanic/Latino16,361 (95.3%)

White336 (2.0%)

Asian247 (1.4%)

Two or more races119 (0.7%)

American Indian or Alaska Native56 (0.3%)

Black or African American38 (0.2%)

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander7 (0.0%)

Final NCES Common Core of Data membership file, 2023–24. Suppressed or missing cells are not estimated.

Current staffing · 2023–24

How many staff members support students?

1,727.3All district staff, full-time equivalent

822.7Teachers, full-time equivalent

11.5School counselors, full-time equivalent

19.7School psychologists, full-time equivalent

331.4Instructional aides, full-time equivalent

46.5School administrators, full-time equivalent

23.5Student support staff, full-time equivalent

See detailed staffing

Kindergarten teachers141.7 FTE

Elementary teachers681 FTE

Elementary school counselors11.5 FTE

Instructional coordinators9 FTE

District administrators2 FTE

District administrative support73.1 FTE

School administrative support110.6 FTE

Other support staff277.3 FTE

Final NCES Common Core of Data staff file, 2023–24. These are full-time-equivalent positions, not employee headcounts, vacancies or caseloads.

Teachers and staff

Teacher workforce

Loading the district’s workforce comparison…

Community context · 2024

How many school-age children live in poverty?

This Census estimate provides context about families in the district. It does not measure school quality or describe every student enrolled in the district.

16,021children ages 5 to 17

4,444estimated to live in families below the poverty line

27.7%about 1 in 4 school-age children

District27.7%

CA13.9%

United States14.4%

U.S. Census Bureau Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024. The estimate covers related children ages 5 to 17 in families in poverty and uses 2024–25 district boundaries.

District geography · 2024–25

What area does this district cover?

NCES publishes a geographic boundary for traditional school districts. Charter agencies and some special-purpose agencies may not have one.

Loading the official district boundary…

Source: NCES EDGE School District Boundaries, school year 2024–25.

Comparable districts

Districts serving a similar student population

These peers are matched using enrollment and available student population measures. Districts in CA receive geographic preference, but a closer national match may appear when it is more comparable. Open any profile for a full comparison.

Pajaro Valley UnifiedWatsonville, CA

Students: 17,013
Community poverty: 18.4%
Special education: 14.3%

Matched on enrollment, community poverty, special-education enrollment · View →Compton UnifiedCompton, CA

Students: 16,738
Community poverty: 22.0%
English learners: 27.1%
Special education: 9.7%

Matched on enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View →Coachella Valley UnifiedCoachella, CA

Students: 16,046
Community poverty: 14.7%
English learners: 44.0%
Special education: 11.7%

Matched on enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View →Ontario-MontclairOntario, CA

Students: 17,944
Community poverty: 17.5%
English learners: 28.4%
Special education: 12.9%

Matched on enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View →Hayward UnifiedHayward, CA

Students: 17,631
Community poverty: 8.8%
English learners: 30.7%
Special education: 12.0%

Matched on enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View →

District, state and country

How does this district compare?

State and national figures use the same measure and reporting period. They are weighted by students or staffing whenever the source provides a denominator.

MeasureDistrictCAUnited States

Academic standing2025Needs attention

20th percentile42nd percentile45th percentile

This district is 22 percentile points lower than the state figure and 25 percentile points lower than the U.S. figure.

Students chronically absent2022–23Stronger than benchmarks

20.5%27.7%27.8%

This district is 7.2 percentage points lower than the state figure and 7.3 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.

Revenue per studentFY 2023Context only

$23,552$25,614$19,509

This district is $2,062 per student lower than the state figure and $4,043 per student higher than the U.S. figure.

Spending per studentFY 2023Context only

$16,207$18,479$15,859

This district is $2,272 per student lower than the state figure and $348 per student higher than the U.S. figure.

Capital outlay per studentFY 2023Context only

$539$2,019$1,964

This district is $1,480 per student lower than the state figure and $1,425 per student lower than the U.S. figure.

Equipment spending per studentFY 2023Context only

$24$135$336

This district is $111 per student lower than the state figure and $312 per student lower than the U.S. figure.

Special-education spending per studentFY 2023Context only

$1,897$2,978$1,793

This district is $1,081 per student lower than the state figure and $104 per student higher than the U.S. figure.

Salaries per studentFY 2023Context only

$8,249$9,951$8,742

This district is $1,702 per student lower than the state figure and $493 per student lower than the U.S. figure.

Benefits per studentFY 2023Context only

$3,784$4,693$3,769

This district is $909 per student lower than the state figure and $15 per student higher than the U.S. figure.

Debt outstanding per studentFY 2023Context only

$4,124$18,517$11,715

This district is $14,393 per student lower than the state figure and $7,591 per student lower than the U.S. figure.

Debt retired per studentFY 2023Context only

$189$916$869

This district is $727 per student lower than the state figure and $680 per student lower than the U.S. figure.

Students per teacher2023–24Mixed comparison

21:122:115:1

This district is 1.0 students per teacher lower than the state figure and 6.0 students per teacher higher than the U.S. figure.

Students per counselor2023–24Needs attention

1,493:1443:1376:1

This district is 1,050 students per counselor higher than the state figure and 1,117 students per counselor higher than the U.S. figure.

District staff per 1,000 students2023–24Needs attention

100.6108.2138.9

This district is 7.6 staff per 1,000 students lower than the state figure and 38.3 staff per 1,000 students lower than the U.S. figure.

Instructional aides per 1,000 students2023–24Stronger than benchmarks

19.316.918.5

This district is 2.4 aides per 1,000 students higher than the state figure and 0.8 aides per 1,000 students higher than the U.S. figure.

School psychologists per 1,000 students2023–24Mixed comparison

1.11.30.9

This district is 0.2 psychologists per 1,000 students lower than the state figure and 0.2 psychologists per 1,000 students higher than the U.S. figure.

Students learning English2021–22 · reporting schoolsContext only

52.6%19.3%12.0%

This district is 33.4 percentage points higher than the state figure and 40.6 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.

Students receiving IDEA services2021–22 · reporting schoolsContext only

9.8%12.5%14.0%

This district is 2.7 percentage points lower than the state figure and 4.2 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.

Students with Section 504 plans2021–22 · reporting schoolsContext only

0.2%2.1%3.9%

This district is 1.9 percentage points lower than the state figure and 3.7 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.

Teachers reported as certified2021–22 · reporting schoolsContext only

98.8%95.9%95.8%

This district is 2.9 percentage points higher than the state figure and 3.0 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.

Enrollment change2021–22 to 2023–24Context only

+3.6%-0.6%+0.5%

This district is 4.2 percentage points higher than the state figure and 3.1 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.

Students eligible for free or reduced-price meals2021–22 · valid district recordsContext only

84.6%57.8%50.6%

This district is 26.8 percentage points higher than the state figure and 34.0 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.

Out-of-school suspension rate · students without disabilities2021–22 · matched enrollmentStronger than benchmarks

2.4%2.8%4.5%

This district is 0.4 percentage points lower than the state figure and 2.1 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.

Out-of-school suspension rate · students receiving IDEA services2021–22 · matched enrollmentStronger than benchmarks

4.9%6.1%9.0%

This district is 1.2 percentage points lower than the state figure and 4.1 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.

Out-of-school suspension rate · students with Section 504 plans2021–22 · matched enrollmentStronger than benchmarks

3.6%4.5%6.7%

This district is 0.9 percentage points lower than the state figure and 3.1 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.

School-age children in poverty2024 Census estimateNeeds attention

27.7%13.9%14.4%

This district is 13.8 percentage points higher than the state figure and 13.3 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.

Learning support · 2021–22 federal snapshot

How many students may need specialized support?

Counts and shares use only schools with a usable value for that measure. The reporting-school denominator prevents missing schools from being counted as zero.

52.6%Students learning English8,834 students · 21 of 21 schools reported both this measure and enrollment

District52.6%

CA19.3%

U.S.12.0%

9.8%Students receiving IDEA special-education services1,638 students · 21 of 21 schools reported both this measure and enrollment

District9.8%

CA12.5%

U.S.14.0%

0.2%Students with Section 504 plans28 students · 15 of 21 schools reported both this measure and enrollment

District0.2%

CA2.1%

U.S.3.9%

5.1%English learners also receiving IDEA services852 students · 21 of 21 schools reported both this measure and enrollment

District5.1%

CA3.2%

U.S.1.7%

U.S. Department of Education Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021–22. Public-use counts are privacy-protected. These figures describe the reporting year, not current enrollment, diagnoses, service quality or unmet need.

Teacher quality and early learning · 2021–22

What did the district report about teachers and preschool?

98.8%Teachers reported as certified

518Children ages 3–5 in district preschool

Teacher certification comparison

District98.8%

CA95.9%

United States95.8%

U.S. Department of Education Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021–22. Certification status is district-reported and may not match current staffing. Preschool counts cover the federal reporting year and are not a measure of available seats.

Academic results · 2025

How do results differ among student groups?

Students not economically disadvantaged993 assessments

41 out of 100

White students389 assessments

36 out of 100

Fem10,340 assessments

21 out of 100

Hispanic students20,281 assessments

20 out of 100

Economically disadvantaged students20,165 assessments

19 out of 100

Mal10,907 assessments

19 out of 100

A score of 50 marks the national 2019 midpoint. Higher numbers indicate stronger results on the comparable Stanford research scale. This is not a state proficiency rate.

District makeup

What kinds of schools are in the district?

17Elementary schools

4Middle schools

18City setting

2Suburb setting

1Rural setting

School levels, settings and types use the NCES 2021–22 directory matched to the federal civil-rights collection.

District finances

How is the district funded, and how does it spend?

Sources of funds

Where the money comes from

Share of district revenue supplied by each level of government.

8.7%Federal

74.7%State

16.5%Local

Uses of funds

Where the money goes

Annual spending for each enrolled student.

$16,207Total current spending per student

$9,752Instruction per student

$5,656Support services per student

Revenue by source: percentages and dollars

$34.4MFederal revenue8.7% of total revenue

$294MState revenue74.7% of total revenue

$65.1MLocal revenue16.5% of total revenue

How operating money was used

$9,752Instructionper student

$5,656Student and instructional supportper student

$1,897Special educationper student

$1,349Building operations and maintenanceper student

$293Student transportationper student

$798Food servicesper student

$0Technologyper student

People costs

$137.8MSalaries$8,249 per student

$63.2MEmployee benefits$3,784 per student

Equipment, buildings and debt

$395KEquipmentFY 2023

$9MCapital outlay$539 per student

$8.6MConstructionincluded in capital outlay

$68.9MDebt outstanding at year end$4,124 per student

$0New debt issuedFY 2023

$3.2MDebt principal retiredFY 2023

$2.4MInterest paid on debtFY 2023

Selected federal program revenue

$7.1MTitle I$425 per student

$4.6MIDEA special education$275 per student

$13.9MChild nutrition$830 per student

What changed since FY 2022

Operating spending per student

FY 2022$14,410

FY 2023$16,207+12.5% year over year

Capital spending per student

FY 2022$62

FY 2023$539+769.4% year over year

Debt outstanding per student

FY 2022$4,266

FY 2023$4,124-3.3% year over year

Revenue shares and spending categories answer different questions and should not be added together. Source: NCES F-33 district finance, FY 2023.

Attendance

How has chronic absence changed?

2020–217.9%

1,310 of 16,665 students

2021–2239.5%

6,538 of 16,569 students

2022–2320.5%

3,419 of 16,703 students

Specialized support and security · 2021–22

What specialized roles were reported?

0Sworn law-enforcement officer FTE21 reporting schools

8Security staff FTE21 reporting schools

Staffing is reported as full-time equivalents in the 2021–22 CRDC collection.

Learning opportunities

What do district schools offer?

Gifted programs21 reporting schools

Shares use only schools for which the program was applicable and reported. A districtwide percentage does not guarantee availability at every grade or campus. Source: 2021–22 CRDC.

Safety and discipline

What was reported across district schools?

462Out-of-school suspensions21 reporting schoolsSee schools →289In-school suspensions18 reporting schoolsSee schools →86Law-enforcement referrals18 reporting schoolsSee schools →0School-related arrests18 reporting schoolsSee schools →

Counts are from the 2021–22 CRDC collection. Open a measure to see the schools behind the district total.

Technology and safety · 2021–22

What access and incident data is available?

100%Schools reporting Wi-Fi21 reporting schools

100%Schools reporting fiber21 reporting schools

Technology and incident figures are from the 2021–22 CRDC collection. Device counts describe the reporting year, not current inventory.

Data status

8 of 8 national data layers are matched to this NCES district ID. Identity and school counts use NCES records. Academic estimates use SEDA, attendance uses EDFacts, finance uses NCES F-33, staffing and enrollment use 2023–24 NCES CCD where available, teacher certification, preschool and policy fields use the 2021–22 CRDC, and community poverty context uses Census SAIPE. Four-year graduation rates use 2022–23 EDFacts. Every detailed view preserves its reporting year.

See all sources →