Infrastructure
District profile / California
Oakland Unified
33,838
Students
2024-25 school year
84
Schools
2024-25 school year
$18,173
Spending per student
FY2020-21 · 32% above the California median
18.8
Students per teacher
2024-25 · California median 21.7
Oakland Unified is a public school district based in Oakland, California, serving 33,838 students in 84 schools. By enrollment it ranks #20 of the 554 California districts with 1,000 or more students, larger than about 97% of them. Its schools average 403 students each, fewer than the California median of 533. Its superintendent is Denise Saddler. It spends about $18,173 per student on day-to-day operations, 32% more than the California median. It has roughly 18.8 students per teacher. We've matched 4 news stories to the district.
How Oakland compares
OaklandCalifornia median, districts with 1,000+ students
Spending and staffing
Where the money comes from$889.6 million in revenue · FY2020-21
Federal 15%State 43%Local 41%
| Measure | Oakland | California median | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current spending per student | $18,173 | $13,724 | FY2020-21 |
| Instruction spending per student | $11,002 | $8,321 | FY2020-21 |
| Total spending | $773.9 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Total revenue | $889.6 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 1,798 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Total staff (full-time equivalent) | 4,301 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Students per teacher | 18.8 | 21.7 | 2024-25 |
| Students per counselor | 825 | 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 →Denise Saddler
Source: California Department of Education, School Directory, checked 2026-10-19. Report a change
In the news
4 stories matchedTechnology & AI
Oakland Unified to restrict screen time next school year
Policy & legislation
Oakland Unified must address antisemitism against Jewish students, judge rules
Teaching & learning
After years of cross-Bay commutes, Oakland Unified moves to bring specialized school closer to home
Peer districts in California
Compare side by side →| District | Students | Schools | Spending per student | Students per teacher | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poway UnifiedSan Diego | 34,405 | 39 | $12,246 | 22.7 | #18 |
| Sweetwater Union HighChula Vista | 34,282 | 29 | $12,784 | 22.3 | #19 |
| Oakland UnifiedOakland · this district | 33,838 | 84 | $18,173 | 18.8 | #20 |
| Stockton UnifiedStockton | 33,648 | 54 | $15,856 | 23.0 | #21 |
| Fremont UnifiedFremont | 33,134 | 44 | $11,623 | 24.0 | #22 |
Similar-size districts nationally
| District | Students | Spending per student | Students per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ysleta ISDEl Paso, TX | 34,062 | $11,475 | 14.6 |
| School District U-46Elgin, IL | 34,036 | $16,406 | 14.4 |
| Ector County ISDOdessa, TX | 33,663 | $10,309 | 19.5 |
| Tulsa Public SchoolsTulsa, OK | 33,617 | $11,764 | 18.1 |
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-oakland-unified