CaliforniaSchoolsIDEA Center

IDEA Center

PublicAlternative/other
El Cajon, California · Grossmont Union High
Students138enrolled
FRL73%Free/Reduced Lunch
Ratio69.0:1students:teacher
LevelHigh9–12
SCHOOL SNAPSHOT
Students138
Grade Span9–12
Student:Teacher69.0:1
Free/Reduced Lunch73%
Title INo
SectorPublic

Finance

School finance is reported at the district (LEA) level. The figures below cover the full Grossmont Union High.

Per-pupil spending (2019)
$21,855
Total district expenditure
$366,926,000
Total district revenue
$315,616,000
District enrollment
16,789

Revenue sources

Federal$21,568,000(6.8%)
State$119,751,000(37.9%)
Local$174,297,000(55.2%)

Spending breakdown

Instruction (teacher salaries, classroom materials)$141,648,000
Support services (admin, transport, building ops)

Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, FY 2019. Figures cover the entire district; individual school-level spending is not published.

US public school funding 101

  • Local revenue (property taxes) is typically the largest source in most states, though this varies widely.
  • State revenue equalization formulas aim to reduce disparities between wealthy and poor districts.
  • Federal revenue is usually 6-10% of budget — Title I (poverty), IDEA (special education), ESSER (COVID relief).
  • Per-pupil spending varies from under $10,000 to over $30,000 across states; California averages around $15,000, New York around $28,000.