Sylvan Union Elementary
Sylvan Union Elementary is a public school district based in Modesto, California, serving 7,977 students in 13 schools. By enrollment it ranks #186 of the 554 California districts with 1,000 or more students, larger than about 67% of them. Its schools average 614 students each, more than the California median of 533. Its superintendent is Diolinda Peterson. It spends about $12,937 per student on day-to-day operations, 6% less than the California median. It has roughly 21.4 students per teacher.
How Sylvan Union Elementary compares
Spending and staffing
| Measure | Sylvan Union Elementary | California median | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current spending per student | $12,937 | $13,724 | FY2020-21 |
| Instruction spending per student | $8,392 | $8,321 | FY2020-21 |
| Total spending | $109.9 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Total revenue | $106.2 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 372 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Total staff (full-time equivalent) | 881 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Students per teacher | 21.4 | 21.7 | 2024-25 |
| Students per counselor | 886 | 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 →Diolinda Peterson
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Placer UnifiedLincoln | 8,052 | 14 | $12,000 | 22.9 | #184 |
| Calexico UnifiedCalexico | 8,022 | 12 | $15,165 | 22.9 | #185 |
| Sylvan Union ElementaryModesto · this district | 7,977 | 13 | $12,937 | 21.4 | #186 |
| San Lorenzo UnifiedSan Lorenzo | 7,957 | 17 | $14,346 | 22.3 | #187 |
| Lammersville Joint UnifiedMountain House | 7,949 | 9 | $9,816 | 23.8 | #188 |
Similar-size districts nationally
| District | Students | Spending per student | Students per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Islip Union Free School DistrictCentral Islip, NY | 7,981 | $26,556 | 14.8 |
| Franklin County SchoolsLouisburg, NC | 7,978 | $10,538 | 15.5 |
| Zionsville Community SchoolsZionsville, IN | 7,971 | $9,178 | 16.2 |
| Washington CountyJonesborough, TN | 7,969 | $9,379 | n/a |
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-sylvan-union-elementary