Southern Kern Unified
Southern Kern Unified is a public school district based in Rosamond, California, serving 3,636 students in 6 schools. By enrollment it ranks #320 of the 554 California districts with 1,000 or more students, larger than about 42% of them. Its schools average 606 students each, more than the California median of 533. Its superintendent is Barbara Gaines. It spends about $12,312 per student on day-to-day operations, 10% less than the California median. It has roughly 20.2 students per teacher.
How Southern Kern compares
Spending and staffing
| Measure | Southern Kern | California median | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current spending per student | $12,312 | $13,724 | FY2020-21 |
| Instruction spending per student | $7,545 | $8,321 | FY2020-21 |
| Total spending | $45.0 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Total revenue | $59.2 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 180 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Total staff (full-time equivalent) | 388 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Students per teacher | 20.2 | 21.7 | 2024-25 |
| Students per counselor | 1,818 | 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 →Barbara Gaines
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buena Park ElementaryBuena Park | 3,685 | 7 | $14,824 | 23.3 | #317 |
| Enterprise ElementaryRedding | 3,670 | 9 | $13,124 | 22.2 | #318 |
| Southern Kern UnifiedRosamond · this district | 3,636 | 6 | $12,312 | 20.2 | #320 |
| Valley Center-Pauma UnifiedValley Center | 3,636 | 8 | $12,715 | 26.0 | #319 |
| Walnut Creek ElementaryWalnut Creek | 3,603 | 7 | $11,522 | 23.1 | #321 |
Similar-size districts nationally
| District | Students | Spending per student | Students per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Chicago School District 187North Chicago, IL | 3,637 | $16,905 | 13.6 |
| MarshfieldMarshfield, MA | 3,637 | $18,011 | 11.4 |
| Spencerport Central School DistrictSpencerport, NY | 3,636 | $20,866 | 10.0 |
| Mars Area School DistrictMars, PA | 3,636 | $12,077 | 14.1 |
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-southern-kern-unified