School safety
District profile / California
San Diego Unified
95,175
Students
2024-25 school year
175
Schools
2024-25 school year
$15,976
Spending per student
FY2020-21 · 16% above the California median
23.0
Students per teacher
2024-25 · California median 21.7
San Diego Unified is a public school district based in San Diego, California, serving 95,175 students in 175 schools. By enrollment it ranks #2 of the 554 California districts with 1,000 or more students, larger than about 100% of them. Its schools average 544 students each, about the same as the California median of 533. Its superintendent is Fabiola Bagula. It spends about $15,976 per student on day-to-day operations, 16% more than the California median. It has roughly 23.0 students per teacher. We've matched 33 news stories to the district.
How San Diego compares
San DiegoCalifornia median, districts with 1,000+ students
Spending and staffing
Where the money comes from$2.24 billion in revenue · FY2020-21
Federal 11%State 24%Local 65%
| Measure | San Diego | California median | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current spending per student | $15,976 | $13,724 | FY2020-21 |
| Instruction spending per student | $9,592 | $8,321 | FY2020-21 |
| Total spending | $2.25 billion | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Total revenue | $2.24 billion | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 4,140 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Total staff (full-time equivalent) | 10,908 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Students per teacher | 23.0 | 21.7 | 2024-25 |
| Students per counselor | 326 | 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 →Fabiola Bagula
Source: California Department of Education, School Directory, checked 2026-11-09. Report a change
In the news
33 stories matchedTeaching & learning
A Haitian 8-year-old was taken by ICE at routine check-in, rattling a San Diego school district
Technology & AI
Google issues ultimatum to San Diego County schools: use AI search or be cut off
Leadership
San Diego school board president Richard Barrera is elected California school superintendent, AP projects
School safety
Reports describe immigration enforcement near San Diego schools, including arrests involving parents and students.
Policy & legislation
SDUSD eases up on classroom tech-use policy
Teaching & learning
San Diego Unified students learning science behind El Niño
Teaching & learning
‘El Niño Explorer Week' teaches SDUSD students about climate
Leadership
Inside Richard Barrera’s Influence on the San Diego School Board: Policy, Governance, and What Shapes District Decisions
Teaching & learning
Farm to School Month with San Diego Unified School District
Budget & finance
California voters face $12.6B in school bonds. Here’s what districts want to do with the money
Leadership
San Diego school board candidate accused of hiding extremist views on vaccines
Teaching & learning
4pm - San Diego Schools Get Recognized As “Healthy” - Lou Penrose
Leadership
Richard Barrera is a powerful school leader with ties to labor; will that help him win the state superintendent race?
Teaching & learning
San Diego Unified School District vs. Clairemont High School
Teaching & learning
New tuberculosis cases under investigation at San Diego schools; testing urged
Teaching & learning
Want your child in a specific San Diego Unified school? Here's how to apply
Teaching & learning
SDUSD prepares for El Niño weather pattern with safety work and curriculum
Teaching & learning
San Diego unified preparing students and schools for possible El Niño impacts
Teaching & learning
San Diego Unified School District prepares for El Niño flooding
School safety
San Diego schools, congressional members call for halt of immigration enforcement near schools
Teaching & learning
California school district report cards: San Diego Unified gets high marks for graduation rate and college preparedness
Policy & legislation
Congressional lawmakers speak out about ICE enforcement near San Diego schools
Teaching & learning
San Diego school district passes new vacancy appointment process amid election season
Leadership
Q&A: Meet Hayden Gore, candidate for San Diego Unified School District trustee in Area C
School safety
San Diego Unified police officers take students on shopping spree with 'True Blue Buddies' program
School safety
Elementary school students go on fall shopping spree with San Diego Unified Police officers
Teaching & learning
San Diego Unified High School Bizcon highlights stress‑relief startups
Teaching & learning
dTRINITY Staked dUSD (SDUSD) Price Prediction for 2026 to 2031
Teaching & learning
San Diego Unified Students Make Their Voices Heard Through Congresswoman Jacobs’ Youth Vision Labs
Peer districts in California
Compare side by side →| District | Students | Schools | Spending per student | Students per teacher | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego UnifiedSan Diego · this district | 95,175 | 175 | $15,976 | 23.0 | #2 |
| Fresno UnifiedFresno | 68,131 | 101 | $15,565 | 19.3 | #3 |
| Elk Grove UnifiedElk Grove | 63,421 | 67 | $12,179 | 22.7 | #4 |
| Long Beach UnifiedLong Beach | 62,644 | 82 | $13,498 | 23.7 | #5 |
| Corona-Norco UnifiedNorco | 49,487 | 53 | $12,310 | 24.0 | #6 |
Similar-size districts nationally
| District | Students | Spending per student | Students per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Katy ISDKaty, TX | 96,111 | $10,299 | 13.9 |
| Jefferson County Public SchoolsLouisville, KY | 95,180 | $14,931 | 15.2 |
| DeKalb CountyStone Mountain, GA | 91,752 | $13,668 | 13.6 |
| Denver Public SchoolsDenver, CO | 90,471 | $13,804 | 15.1 |
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-san-diego-unified