CaliforniaSchoolsPacific Union Elementary

Pacific Union Elementary

PublicRegular
Arcata, California · Pacific Union Elementary
Students529enrolled
FRL57%Free/Reduced Lunch
Ratio18.2:1students:teacher
LevelPrimary0–8
SCHOOL SNAPSHOT
Students529
Grade Span0–8
Student:Teacher18.2:1
Free/Reduced Lunch57%
Title INo
SectorPublic

Finance

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

Per-pupil spending (2019)
$8,514
Total district expenditure
$5,287,000
Total district revenue
$5,768,000
District enrollment
621

Revenue sources

Federal$606,000(10.5%)
State$4,384,000(76.0%)
Local$778,000(13.5%)

Spending breakdown

Instruction (teacher salaries, classroom materials)$2,952,000
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.