Golden Plains Unified
Golden Plains Unified is a public school district based in San Joaquin, California, serving 1,352 students in 6 schools. By enrollment it ranks #506 of the 554 California districts with 1,000 or more students, larger than about 9% of them. Its schools average 225 students each, fewer than the California median of 533. Its superintendent is Felipe Piedra. It spends about $17,077 per student on day-to-day operations, 24% more than the California median. It has roughly 17.1 students per teacher.
How Golden Plains compares
Spending and staffing
| Measure | Golden Plains | California median | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current spending per student | $17,077 | $13,724 | FY2020-21 |
| Instruction spending per student | $8,728 | $8,321 | FY2020-21 |
| Total spending | $28.0 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Total revenue | $31.2 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 79 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Total staff (full-time equivalent) | 193 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Students per teacher | 17.1 | 21.7 | 2024-25 |
| Students per counselor | 338 | 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 →Felipe Piedra
Source: California Department of Education, School Directory, checked 2026-10-19. Report a change
In the news
0 stories matchedWe haven't matched any stories to Golden Plains Unified yet. Recent California coverage is on the California page.
Peer districts in California
Compare side by side →| District | Students | Schools | Spending per student | Students per teacher | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark West Union ElementarySanta Rosa | 1,368 | 4 | $13,950 | 20.1 | #503 |
| Lakeport UnifiedLakeport | 1,362 | 6 | $13,919 | 18.2 | #504 |
| WheatlandWheatland | 1,359 | 4 | $14,778 | 20.0 | #505 |
| Golden Plains UnifiedSan Joaquin · this district | 1,352 | 6 | $17,077 | 17.1 | #506 |
| Palermo Union ElementaryPalermo | 1,343 | 6 | $14,010 | 20.7 | #507 |
Similar-size districts nationally
| District | Students | Spending per student | Students per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dryden Central School DistrictDryden, NY | 1,352 | $25,587 | 9.3 |
| Alleghany County SchoolsSparta, NC | 1,352 | $13,179 | 12.6 |
| Verdigris Public SchoolsClaremore, OK | 1,352 | $8,712 | 14.1 |
| Ligonier Valley School DistrictLigonier, PA | 1,352 | $17,356 | 12.6 |
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-golden-plains-unified