California
California operates the largest public school system in the United States, with more than 10,000 schools serving over 5.9 million students across 1,000+ school districts. The state's Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), adopted in 2013, distributes base funding per student while directing additional dollars to districts with higher concentrations of English learners, foster youth, and low-income families — a landmark equity-focused redesign of school finance. California's diversity is unmatched: no single ethnic group holds a majority, and more than 40% of students are English learners or former English learners. The state uses the Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBAC) for English Language Arts and Math, and ELPAC for English language proficiency. Charter schools enroll about 12% of students, and major urban districts like LAUSD and SFUSD have faced intense scrutiny over academic outcomes, governance, and post-pandemic recovery.
| District | Schools | Students | Per-Pupil | Grad Rate | Free Lunch | Opp. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Large Districts — 10,000+ Students | ||||||
| Los Angeles Unified | 778 | 420K | $25,983↓11% | 84.6%↑6% | 82.0%↑32% | 44 |
| San Diego Unified | 174 | 94K | $26,968↓7% | 89.9%↑12% | 56.2%↓10% | 44 |
| Fresno Unified | 99 | 69K | $20,803↓29% | 88.2%↑10% | 87.3%↑40% | 39 |
| Long Beach Unified | 84 | 65K | $19,684↓32% | 90.4%↑13% | 53.1%↓15% | 46 |
| Elk Grove Unified | 66 | 61K | $17,031↓41% | 93.4%↑17% | 42.4%↓32% | 46 |
| Corona-Norco Unified | 53 | 51K | $15,027↓48% | 95.6%↑20% | 70.9%↑14% | 49 |
| San Francisco Unified | 106 | 49K | $27,106↓7% | 88.7%↑11% | 51.8%↓17% | 48 |
| San Bernardino City Unified | 76 | 46K | $20,448↓30% | 93.8%↑17% | 88.6%↑42% | 47 |
| Clovis Unified | 49 | 43K | $15,081↓48% | 93.8%↑17% | 47.1%↓24% | 49 |
| Kern High | 24 | 42K | $19,267↓34% | 90.5%↑13% | 75.0%↑20% | 43 |
| Capistrano Unified | 59 | 42K | $15,077↓48% | 96.3%↑20% | 34.3%↓45% | 49 |
| Santa Ana Unified | 51 | 40K | $20,962↓28% | 91.8%↑15% | 73.6%↑18% | 44 |
| Riverside Unified | 48 | 39K | $17,213↓41% | 92.7%↑16% | 72.3%↑16% | 46 |
| Sacramento City Unified | 73 | 39K | $18,678↓36% | 85.8%↑7% | 68.6%↑10% | 39 |
| Garden Grove Unified | 64 | 38K | $18,615↓36% | 93.1%↑16% | 78.6%↑26% | 50 |
| San Juan Unified | 67 | 38K | $19,163↓34% | 89.7%↑12% | 53.8%↓14% | 44 |
| Irvine Unified | 44 | 36K | $16,249↓44% | 95.2%↑19% | 19.6%↓69% | 54 |
| Stockton Unified | 54 | 35K | $19,486↓33% | 82.9% | 76.0%↑22% | 43 |
| Sweetwater Union High | 29 | 35K | $16,384↓44% | 88.9%↑11% | 59.5% | 38 |
| Poway Unified | 38 | 35K | $16,206↓44% | 95.2%↑19% | 14.9%↓76% | 53 |
| Oakland Unified | 80 | 34K | $24,270↓17% | 77.1% | 77.1%↑24% | 41 |
| Fontana Unified | 44 | 34K | $18,411↓37% | 92.9%↑16% | 77.3%↑24% | 38 |
| Fremont Unified | 42 | 32K | $17,968↓38% | 94.1%↑18% | 21.9%↓65% | 54 |
| Moreno Valley Unified | 38 | 32K | $19,259↓34% | 91.8%↑15% | 70.0%↑12% | 39 |
| San Ramon Valley Unified | 36 | 30K | $14,990↓48% | 97.9%↑23% | 7.0%↓89% | 56 |
| Mt. Diablo Unified | 52 | 29K | $15,266↓48% | 90.6%↑13% | 37.5%↓40% | 51 |
| Bakersfield City | 44 | 29K | $18,394↓37% | — | 86.9%↑40% | 43 |
| Visalia Unified | 41 | 29K | $15,963↓45% | 94.5%↑18% | 66.6%↑7% | 46 |
| Anaheim Union High | 21 | 28K | $18,708↓36% | 89.4%↑12% | 77.8%↑25% | 48 |
| Lodi Unified | 49 | 27K | $17,375↓40% | 90.8%↑14% | 73.6%↑18% | 41 |
| Temecula Valley Unified | 29 | 27K | $14,046↓52% | 94.1%↑18% | 26.7%↓57% | 46 |
| Desert Sands Unified | 35 | 26K | $18,016↓38% | 93.4%↑17% | 74.2%↑19% | 40 |
| West Contra Costa Unified | 53 | 26K | $20,828↓28% | 85.1%↑6% | 53.1%↓15% | 47 |
| Chino Valley Unified | 34 | 26K | $21,449↓26% | 95.2%↑19% | 47.9%↓23% | 44 |
| San Jose Unified | 42 | 25K | $17,600↓40% | 94.2%↑18% | 41.2%↓34% | 53 |
| Orange Unified | 41 | 25K | $16,323↓44% | 94.9%↑19% | 56.6%↓9% | 53 |
| Manteca Unified | 29 | 24K | $15,284↓47% | 95.7%↑20% | 54.3%↓13% | 42 |
| Glendale Unified | 32 | 24K | $19,462↓33% | 90.1%↑13% | 45.3%↓27% | 53 |
| Rialto Unified | 29 | 24K | $17,604↓40% | 89.7%↑12% | 81.3%↑31% | 40 |
| Twin Rivers Unified | 43 | 24K | $20,304↓30% | 88.5%↑11% | 87.8%↑41% | 42 |
| Saddleback Valley Unified | 33 | 24K | $14,959↓49% | 92.3%↑15% | 43.3%↓30% | 47 |
| Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified | 34 | 23K | $15,529↓47% | 96.1%↑20% | 44.9%↓28% | 54 |
| Chaffey Joint Union High | 11 | 23K | $19,381↓33% | 91.5%↑14% | 61.0% | 44 |
| Hesperia Unified | 25 | 23K | $15,293↓47% | 93.3%↑17% | 58.0%↓7% | 46 |
| Downey Unified | 22 | 22K | $19,892↓32% | 97.0%↑21% | 70.0%↑12% | 44 |
| Murrieta Valley Unified | 20 | 22K | $14,310↓51% | 97.4%↑22% | 48.4%↓22% | 39 |
| Antelope Valley Union High | 13 | 22K | $17,029↓41% | 85.0%↑6% | 60.6% | 43 |
| Hemet Unified | 27 | 22K | $17,664↓39% | 91.1%↑14% | 85.3%↑37% | 39 |
| Chula Vista Elementary | 41 | 22K | $22,591↓22% | — | 48.1%↓23% | 48 |
| Tustin Unified | 28 | 22K | $14,952↓49% | 94.8%↑19% | 42.7%↓31% | 55 |