Centinela Valley Union High
Centinela Valley Union High is a public school district based in Lawndale, California, serving 5,370 students in 5 schools. By enrollment it ranks #245 of the 554 California districts with 1,000 or more students, larger than about 56% of them. Its schools average 1,074 students each, more than the California median of 533. Its superintendent is Stephen Nellman. It spends about $16,383 per student on day-to-day operations, 19% more than the California median. It has roughly 20.7 students per teacher.
How Centinela Valley Union High compares
Spending and staffing
| Measure | Centinela Valley Union High | California median | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current spending per student | $16,383 | $13,724 | FY2020-21 |
| Instruction spending per student | $9,484 | $8,321 | FY2020-21 |
| Total spending | $161.4 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Total revenue | $232.1 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 259 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Total staff (full-time equivalent) | 563 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Students per teacher | 20.7 | 21.7 | 2024-25 |
| Students per counselor | 233 | 474 | 2024-25 |
Spending: NCES school district finance survey (F-33), FY2020-21. Staffing and enrollment: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25. Via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal. The California median compares districts with 1,000 or more students.
Leadership
Moves tracker →Stephen Nellman
Source: California Department of Education, School Directory, checked 2026-10-19. Report a change
In the news
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Peer districts in California
Compare side by side →| District | Students | Schools | Spending per student | Students per teacher | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acalanes Union HighLafayette | 5,425 | 5 | $16,341 | 19.4 | #242 |
| Travis UnifiedFairfield | 5,405 | 10 | $11,683 | 22.9 | #243 |
| Union ElementarySan Jose | 5,379 | 8 | $12,626 | 24.2 | #244 |
| Centinela Valley Union HighLawndale · this district | 5,370 | 5 | $16,383 | 20.7 | #245 |
| Temple City UnifiedTemple City | 5,298 | 9 | $11,904 | 25.0 | #246 |
Similar-size districts nationally
| District | Students | Spending per student | Students per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| City Schools of DecaturDecatur, GA | 5,367 | $15,239 | 12.2 |
| Rome City School DistrictRome, NY | 5,366 | $19,616 | 12.7 |
| West Bend School DistrictWest Bend, WI | 5,365 | $12,726 | 14.8 |
| Spartanburg 01Campobello, SC | 5,364 | $11,142 | 14.1 |
Peers are the districts closest in enrollment, so they can still differ in many other ways. Enrollment, school counts and phone numbers are from the NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25.
Printed from Superintendent's Corner: https://superintendentscorner.com/district-ca-centinela-valley-union-high