San Luis Coastal Unified
San Luis Coastal Unified is a public school district based in San Luis Obispo, California, serving 7,654 students in 16 schools. By enrollment it ranks #194 of the 554 California districts with 1,000 or more students, larger than about 65% of them. Its schools average 478 students each, fewer than the California median of 533. Its superintendent is Eric Prater. It spends about $15,433 per student on day-to-day operations, 12% more than the California median. It has roughly 21.3 students per teacher.
How San Luis Coastal compares
Spending and staffing
| Measure | San Luis Coastal | California median | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current spending per student | $15,433 | $13,724 | FY2020-21 |
| Instruction spending per student | $8,800 | $8,321 | FY2020-21 |
| Total spending | $149.9 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Total revenue | $138.1 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 359 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Total staff (full-time equivalent) | 883 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Students per teacher | 21.3 | 21.7 | 2024-25 |
| Students per counselor | 348 | 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 →Eric Prater
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Covina UnifiedWest Covina | 7,715 | 15 | $15,130 | 21.3 | #191 |
| Adelanto ElementaryAdelanto | 7,669 | 15 | $14,491 | 21.8 | #192 |
| South San Francisco UnifiedSouth San Francisco | 7,664 | 17 | $14,807 | 18.9 | #193 |
| San Luis Coastal UnifiedSan Luis Obispo · this district | 7,654 | 16 | $15,433 | 21.3 | #194 |
| East Whittier City ElementaryWhittier | 7,524 | 13 | $12,409 | 22.8 | #195 |
Similar-size districts nationally
| District | Students | Spending per student | Students per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| KingsportKingsport, TN | 7,658 | $11,223 | n/a |
| Lynchburg City Public SchoolsLynchburg, VA | 7,657 | $14,076 | 11.9 |
| Wayne Township Public School DistrictWayne, NJ | 7,653 | $24,633 | 10.7 |
| West Clermont LocalCincinnati, OH | 7,651 | $10,701 | 17.8 |
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-luis-coastal-unified