operational schools · 2023–24
School district or education agency · NCES 0629490
Pajaro Valley Unified
Watsonville, CA
Students17,013
Student membership reported by NCES for 2023–24.
students in linked records
federal comparable series
per student
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 standing2025
18th percentile42nd percentile45th percentileThis district is 24 percentile points lower than the state figure and 27 percentile points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students chronically absent2022–23
35.1%27.7%27.8%This district is 7.4 percentage points higher than the state figure and 7.3 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Revenue per studentFY 2023
$26,187$25,614$19,509This district is $573 per student higher than the state figure and $6,678 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Spending per studentFY 2023
$20,320$18,479$15,859This district is $1,841 per student higher than the state figure and $4,461 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Capital outlay per studentFY 2023
$1,161$2,019$1,964This district is $858 per student lower than the state figure and $803 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Equipment spending per studentFY 2023
$9$135$336This district is $126 per student lower than the state figure and $327 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Special-education spending per studentFY 2023
$3,438$2,978$1,793This district is $460 per student higher than the state figure and $1,645 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Salaries per studentFY 2023
$10,006$9,951$8,742This district is $55 per student higher than the state figure and $1,264 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Benefits per studentFY 2023
$6,377$4,693$3,769This district is $1,684 per student higher than the state figure and $2,608 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Debt outstanding per studentFY 2023
$10,526$18,517$11,715This district is $7,991 per student lower than the state figure and $1,189 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Debt retired per studentFY 2023
$206$916$869This district is $710 per student lower than the state figure and $663 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Students per teacher2023–24
21:122:115:1This 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 counselor2023–24
422:1443:1376:1This district is 21 students per counselor lower than the state figure and 46 students per counselor higher than the U.S. figure.
District staff per 1,000 students2023–24
113.3108.2138.9This district is 5.1 staff per 1,000 students higher than the state figure and 25.6 staff per 1,000 students lower than the U.S. figure.
Instructional aides per 1,000 students2023–24
15.316.918.5This district is 1.6 aides per 1,000 students lower than the state figure and 3.2 aides per 1,000 students lower than the U.S. figure.
School psychologists per 1,000 students2023–24
0.91.30.9This district is 0.4 psychologists per 1,000 students lower than the state figure and about the same as the U.S. figure.
Regular diplomas among completers2023–24
97.8%98.6%99.0%This district is 0.8 percentage points lower than the state figure and 1.2 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Annual dropouts among students in grades 9–122023–24
1.0%2.7%2.6%This district is 1.7 percentage points lower than the state figure and 1.6 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students receiving IDEA services2021–22 · reporting schools
14.3%12.5%14.0%This district is 1.9 percentage points higher than the state figure and 0.3 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Students with Section 504 plans2021–22 · reporting schools
1.5%2.1%3.9%This district is 0.6 percentage points lower than the state figure and 2.4 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Teachers reported as certified2021–22 · reporting schools
100.0%95.9%95.8%This district is 4.1 percentage points higher than the state figure and 4.2 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Enrollment change2021–22 to 2023–24
-6.0%-0.6%+0.5%This district is 5.4 percentage points lower than the state figure and 6.5 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students eligible for free or reduced-price meals2021–22 · valid district records
78.8%57.8%50.6%This district is 21.0 percentage points higher than the state figure and 28.2 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students without disabilities2021–22 · matched enrollment
3.8%2.8%4.5%This district is 1.0 percentage points higher than the state figure and 0.7 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students receiving IDEA services2021–22 · matched enrollment
7.0%6.1%9.0%This district is 0.9 percentage points higher than the state figure and 2.0 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students with Section 504 plans2021–22 · matched enrollment
6.2%4.5%6.7%This district is 1.7 percentage points higher than the state figure and 0.5 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
School-age children in poverty2024 Census estimate
18.4%13.9%14.4%This district is 4.5 percentage points higher than the state figure and 4.0 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Enrollment · 2023–24
Who attends this district?
Kindergarten–grade 57,588 students
44.6%Grades 6–83,896 students
22.9%Grades 9–125,529 students
32.5%See enrollment for every grade
Kindergarten1,350
Grade 11,130
Grade 21,279
Grade 31,226
Grade 41,309
Grade 51,294
Grade 61,228
Grade 71,361
Grade 81,307
Grade 91,362
Grade 101,337
Grade 111,375
Grade 121,455
Students by race and ethnicity
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?
See detailed staffing
Kindergarten teachers71.8 FTE
Elementary teachers473.4 FTE
Secondary teachers259.6 FTE
Elementary school counselors5 FTE
Secondary school counselors19.3 FTE
Instructional coordinators16 FTE
District administrators23 FTE
District administrative support129.9 FTE
School administrative support175.8 FTE
Other support staff369.8 FTE
Final NCES Common Core of Data staff file, 2023–24. These are full-time-equivalent positions, not employee headcounts, vacancies or caseloads.
High-school outcomes · 2023–24
How many students completed school or dropped out?
Regular diplomas among completers
Annual dropouts among students in grades 9–12
Final NCES Common Core of Data completer and dropout files, 2023–24. The dropout rate divides the reported annual grades 9–12 dropout count by complete grades 9–12 enrollment. It is not a cohort graduation rate. The diploma share describes credentials among completers and should not be read as a graduation rate.
Graduation · 2022–23
How many students graduated within four years?
Loading the district's official graduation record…
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.
14.3%Students receiving IDEA special-education services2,571 students · 33 of 33 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
1.5%Students with Section 504 plans210 students · 25 of 33 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
0.0%English learners also receiving IDEA services0 students · 33 of 33 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
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?
Teacher certification comparison
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.
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.
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.
Compton UnifiedCompton, CA16,738 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, special-education enrollment · View profile →Oxnard Union HighCamarillo, CA16,501 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, special-education enrollment · View profile →Alvord UnifiedRiverside, CA16,663 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, special-education enrollment · View profile →Santa Maria-BonitaSanta Maria, CA17,165 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, special-education enrollment · View profile →Grossmont Union HighEl Cajon, CA16,566 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, special-education enrollment · View profile →
Academic results · 2025
How do results differ among student groups?
White students1,585 assessments
50 out of 100Students not economically disadvantaged2,449 assessments
48 out of 100Fem7,256 assessments
19 out of 100Mal7,405 assessments
18 out of 100Economically disadvantaged students11,996 assessments
15 out of 100Hispanic students12,377 assessments
15 out of 100A 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?
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.
Uses of funds
Where the money goes
Annual spending for each enrolled student.
Revenue by source: percentages and dollars
How operating money was used
People costs
Equipment, buildings and debt
Selected federal program revenue
What changed since FY 2022
FY 2022$17,011
→FY 2023$20,320
FY 2022$613
→FY 2023$1,161
FY 2022$10,312
→FY 2023$10,526
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?
2,952 of 18,182 students
7,243 of 18,094 students
6,106 of 17,376 students
Specialized support and security · 2021–22
What specialized roles were reported?
Staffing is reported as full-time equivalents in the 2021–22 CRDC collection.
Learning opportunities
What do district schools offer?
Algebra I6 reporting schools
100%
Calculus6 reporting schools
50%
Biology6 reporting schools
100%
Chemistry6 reporting schools
100%
Physics6 reporting schools
50%
Computer science6 reporting schools
0%
Advanced Placement6 reporting schools
50%
Dual enrollment6 reporting schools
67%
Gifted programs32 reporting schools
94%
International Baccalaureate6 reporting schools
0%
Athletics6 reporting schools
0%
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?
647Out-of-school suspensions31 reporting schoolsSee schools →262In-school suspensions31 reporting schoolsSee schools →0Law-enforcement referrals31 reporting schoolsSee schools →0School-related arrests31 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?
Technology and incident figures are from the 2021–22 CRDC collection. Device counts describe the reporting year, not current inventory.
Six questions parents ask
What the available data says
Each answer shows its reporting year and opens a deeper comparison. Missing and suppressed results are never shown as zero.
Are students making academic progress?5 years of resultsLatest research estimate: 2025Explore and compare →Are students missing too much school?35.1% chronically absent2022–23 · 17,376 students measuredExplore and compare →Is the district improving?Declined overallCompare the earliest and latest available yearsExplore and compare →Where are student-group gaps largest?6 student groups2025 research estimatesExplore and compare →How much does the district spend?$20,320current spending per studentExplore and compare →Does the district have enough support staff?422:1 counselor ratioStudents per counselor in the 2023–24 federal staffing fileExplore and compare →
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 →