District profile / California
Santa Barbara Unified
12,250
Students
2024-25 school year
21
Schools
2024-25 school year
$14,447
Spending per student
FY2020-21 · 5% above the California median
18.9
Students per teacher
2024-25 · California median 21.7
Santa Barbara Unified is a public school district based in Santa Barbara, California, serving 12,250 students in 21 schools. By enrollment it ranks #120 of the 554 California districts with 1,000 or more students, larger than about 78% of them. Its schools average 583 students each, about the same as the California median of 533. Its superintendent is Hilda Maldonado. It spends about $14,447 per student on day-to-day operations, 5% more than the California median. It has roughly 18.9 students per teacher. We've matched 5 news stories to the district.
How Santa Barbara compares
Santa BarbaraCalifornia median, districts with 1,000+ students
Spending and staffing
Where the money comes from$237.1 million in revenue · FY2020-21
Federal 9%State 19%Local 73%
| Measure | Santa Barbara | California median | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current spending per student | $14,447 | $13,724 | FY2020-21 |
| Instruction spending per student | $8,136 | $8,321 | FY2020-21 |
| Total spending | $237.2 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Total revenue | $237.1 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 649 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Total staff (full-time equivalent) | 1,330 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Students per teacher | 18.9 | 21.7 | 2024-25 |
| Students per counselor | 371 | 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 →Hilda Maldonado
Source: California Department of Education, School Directory, checked 2026-10-19. Report a change
Recent news: Santa Barbara Unified Superintendent Hilda Maldonado Resigning at End of School Year (The Santa Barbara Independent, October 21, 2026)
In the news
5 stories matchedLeadership
Santa Barbara Unified Superintendent Hilda Maldonado Resigning at End of School Year
Leadership
Santa Barbara Unified’s Superintendent Announces Retirement Wednesday
Leadership
Hilda Maldonado Retiring as Santa Barbara Unified Superintendent in July 2027
Leadership
Santa Barbara Unified Superintendent Hilda Maldonado Announces Retirement
Budget & finance
Santa Barbara Unified School District ends fiscal year with a smaller deficit than expected
Peer districts in California
Compare side by side →| District | Students | Schools | Spending per student | Students per teacher | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roseville City ElementaryRoseville | 12,324 | 21 | $11,769 | 21.7 | #116 |
| Victor ElementaryVictorville | 12,320 | 19 | $13,284 | 24.4 | #117 |
| Chico UnifiedChico | 12,266 | 22 | $13,999 | 20.9 | #118 |
| Menifee UnionMenifee | 12,253 | 18 | $11,823 | 23.7 | #119 |
| Santa Barbara UnifiedSanta Barbara · this district | 12,250 | 21 | $14,447 | 18.9 | #120 |
Similar-size districts nationally
| District | Students | Spending per student | Students per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clarke CountyAthens, GA | 12,275 | $15,755 | 10.2 |
| Kalamazoo Public SchoolsKalamazoo, MI | 12,273 | $12,689 | 17.7 |
| Troup CountyLaGrange, GA | 12,262 | $11,464 | 14.3 |
| Roscoe Collegiate ISDRoscoe, TX | 12,256 | $20,571 | 240.3 |
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-santa-barbara-unified