CaliforniaSchoolsSparrow Academy

Sparrow Academy

PublicRegularCharter
La Mesa, California · Sparrow Academy District
Students348enrolled
FRL28%Free/Reduced Lunch
Ratio26.8:1students:teacher
LevelPrimary0–8
SCHOOL SNAPSHOT
Students348
Grade Span0–8
Student:Teacher26.8:1
Free/Reduced Lunch28%
Title INo
SectorCharter

Finance

School finance is reported at the district (LEA) level. The figures below cover the full Sparrow Academy District.

Per-pupil spending (2019)
$10,133
Total district expenditure
$2,665,000
Total district revenue
$3,302,000
District enrollment
263

Revenue sources

Federal$39,000(1.2%)
State$1,767,000(53.5%)
Local$1,496,000(45.3%)

Spending breakdown

Instruction (teacher salaries, classroom materials)$1,519,000
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.