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 (2022)
$10,780
Total district expenditure
$3,978,000
Total district revenue
$3,957,000
District enrollment
369

Revenue sources

Federal$196,000(5.0%)
State$2,507,000(63.4%)
Local$1,254,000(31.7%)

Spending breakdown

Instruction (teacher salaries, classroom materials)$2,414,000
Support services (admin, transport, building ops)$1,041,000

Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, FY 2022. 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.