Santa Rita Union Elementary
Santa Rita Union Elementary is a public school district based in Salinas, California, serving 3,088 students in 7 schools. By enrollment it ranks #350 of the 554 California districts with 1,000 or more students, larger than about 37% of them. Its schools average 441 students each, fewer than the California median of 533. Its superintendent is Melissa Alderman. It spends about $11,968 per student on day-to-day operations, 13% less than the California median. It has roughly 20.7 students per teacher.
How Santa Rita Union Elementary compares
Spending and staffing
| Measure | Santa Rita Union Elementary | California median | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current spending per student | $11,968 | $13,724 | FY2020-21 |
| Instruction spending per student | $7,184 | $8,321 | FY2020-21 |
| Total spending | $44.5 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Total revenue | $58.1 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 149 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Total staff (full-time equivalent) | 328 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Students per teacher | 20.7 | 21.7 | 2024-25 |
| Students per counselor | 772 | 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 →Melissa Alderman
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rincon Valley Union ElementarySanta Rosa | 3,091 | 9 | $14,780 | 19.6 | #349 |
| Santa Rita Union ElementarySalinas · this district | 3,088 | 7 | $11,968 | 20.7 | #350 |
| San Marino UnifiedSan Marino | 3,087 | 4 | $12,375 | 21.4 | #351 |
| Newman-Crows Landing UnifiedNewman | 3,085 | 9 | $14,058 | 20.0 | #352 |
| Los Gatos-Saratoga Union HighLos Gatos | 3,084 | 2 | $16,925 | 20.3 | #353 |
Similar-size districts nationally
| District | Students | Spending per student | Students per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thornapple Kellogg School DistrictMiddleville, MI | 3,091 | $11,227 | 17.0 |
| GraftonGrafton, MA | 3,089 | $16,426 | 13.1 |
| Seminole ISDSeminole, TX | 3,089 | $13,649 | 13.0 |
| McDuffie CountyThomson, GA | 3,088 | $11,918 | 14.3 |
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-rita-union-elementary