Novato Unified
Novato Unified is a public school district based in Novato, California, serving 7,247 students in 15 schools. By enrollment it ranks #200 of the 554 California districts with 1,000 or more students, larger than about 64% of them. Its schools average 483 students each, about the same as the California median of 533. Its superintendent is Tracy Smith. It spends about $12,709 per student on day-to-day operations, 7% less than the California median. It has roughly 21.1 students per teacher.
How Novato compares
Spending and staffing
| Measure | Novato | California median | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current spending per student | $12,709 | $13,724 | FY2020-21 |
| Instruction spending per student | $7,952 | $8,321 | FY2020-21 |
| Total spending | $137.8 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Total revenue | $128.9 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 344 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Total staff (full-time equivalent) | 689 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Students per teacher | 21.1 | 21.7 | 2024-25 |
| Students per counselor | 725 | 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 →Tracy Smith
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alisal UnionSalinas | 7,303 | 13 | $14,439 | 24.7 | #197 |
| El Monte Union HighEl Monte | 7,295 | 7 | $15,158 | 21.0 | #198 |
| Alum Rock Union ElementarySan Jose | 7,259 | 22 | $16,303 | 19.4 | #199 |
| Novato UnifiedNovato · this district | 7,247 | 15 | $12,709 | 21.1 | #200 |
| Morongo UnifiedTwentynine Palms | 7,225 | 17 | $15,012 | 20.9 | #201 |
Similar-size districts nationally
| District | Students | Spending per student | Students per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spartanburg 07Spartanburg, SC | 7,255 | $16,515 | 11.2 |
| Oregon City School District 62Oregon City, OR | 7,247 | $12,539 | 20.2 |
| Hillsborough Township Public School DistrictHillsborough, NJ | 7,246 | $19,580 | 11.5 |
| Camas School DistrictCamas, WA | 7,239 | $13,796 | 19.0 |
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-novato-unified