Sonoma Valley Unified
Sonoma Valley Unified is a public school district based in Sonoma, California, serving 3,049 students in 8 schools. By enrollment it ranks #357 of the 554 California districts with 1,000 or more students, larger than about 36% of them. Its schools average 381 students each, fewer than the California median of 533. Its superintendent is Jason Sutter. It spends about $18,599 per student on day-to-day operations, 36% more than the California median. It has roughly 19.5 students per teacher.
How Sonoma Valley compares
Spending and staffing
| Measure | Sonoma Valley | California median | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current spending per student | $18,599 | $13,724 | FY2020-21 |
| Instruction spending per student | $10,805 | $8,321 | FY2020-21 |
| Total spending | $106.7 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Total revenue | $81.7 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 156 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Total staff (full-time equivalent) | 418 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Students per teacher | 19.5 | 21.7 | 2024-25 |
| Students per counselor | 339 | 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 →Jason Sutter
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fruitvale ElementaryBakersfield | 3,069 | 5 | $11,618 | 21.2 | #355 |
| Lemon GroveLemon Grove | 3,053 | 8 | $15,559 | 22.8 | #356 |
| Sonoma Valley UnifiedSonoma · this district | 3,049 | 8 | $18,599 | 19.5 | #357 |
| Weaver UnionMerced | 3,047 | 4 | $13,168 | 21.2 | #358 |
| Eastside Union ElementaryLancaster | 3,032 | 6 | $15,340 | 22.3 | #359 |
Similar-size districts nationally
| District | Students | Spending per student | Students per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berwyn South School District 100Berwyn, IL | 3,050 | $18,789 | 11.7 |
| Cadillac Area Public SchoolsCadillac, MI | 3,050 | $10,602 | 17.2 |
| Aurora CityAurora, OH | 3,049 | $13,857 | 17.3 |
| Boone County SchoolsMadison, WV | 3,048 | $13,264 | 11.8 |
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-sonoma-valley-unified