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School district · California · LEAID 0691134

Golden Plains Unified

Golden Plains Unified is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable California districts (1,389 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Golden Plains Unified come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$95,379
Est. avg teacher salary

Below benchmark

$27,854
Per-pupil spending
1,389
Students enrolled
23rd
Pct. in CA
$95,379

Golden Plains Unified is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable California districts (1,389 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Estimated average teacher salary is $95,379, above the national average of $70,245, serving 1,389 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Smaller enrollment scale: Golden Plains Unified is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable California districts (1,389 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort).
  • 23rd percentile for California
  • 88th percentile nationally
  • 22% of spending reaches instructional salaries
  • California ranks #2 of 49 on the salary estimate and #1 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
  • Golden Plains Unified ranks #577 of 750 California districts by estimated teacher salary and #81 of 750 by per-pupil spending. Calaveras County Office of Education pay #1 at $178,519 is not Beverly Hills Unified spending #1 at $61,843 per pupil
  • +32.4% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2023 (not applied to the FTE figure above)

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Instructional payroll mix vs California median

Among 954 California districts that break out F-33 program salary totals, Golden Plains Unified's instructional payroll puts 90.9% into regular program , 5.1 points above the state median of 85.8%. Regular-program teachers claim more of the instructional salary pool here than at the median California district.

Program Golden Plains CA median Gap
Regular program 90.9% 85.8% +5.1 pp
Special education 7.7% 10.8% -3.0 pp
Vocational programs 0.5% 0.0% +0.5 pp
Other programs 0.9% 0.4% +0.5 pp

Shares are of this district's reported F-33 teacher-salary program totals (Z35–Z38), compared with the median share across 954 in-state peers with a positive program sum. NCES LEAID 0691134 · FY2023.

LEAID 0691134 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Golden Plains F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-LOW -14% vs state RANK-ST-LOW P23 in state RANK-NAT-MID P88 national PPE-HIGH $28K/pupil ENR-SMALL 1,389 students INSTR-LOW 22% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Chowchilla FY-2023-LIGHT FY2023 book

FY2023: $95,379 estimated average teacher salary · P23 in California · P88 nationally · 22% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: West (+$6,722est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Golden Plains

Salary neighbourhood · Golden Plains

Golden Plains trails most of its in-state peer set; the chart plots it against the top and bottom pay poles for context (NCES F-33 FY2023, not a full state reprint).

est. salary
Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey As of FY2023
Appropriate use & corrections
National salary distribution for Golden Plains

Golden Plains Unified's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$95,379 Top 12% higher than 88% of 10,684 US districts

Show national distribution $30,000–$40,000: 155 US districts (1%). Below this entry. $40,000–$50,000: 1,360 US districts (13%). Below this entry. $50,000–$60,000: 2,382 US districts (22%). Below this entry. $60,000–$70,000: 2,402 US districts (22%). Below this entry. $70,000–$80,000: 1,633 US districts (15%). Below this entry. $80,000–$90,000: 1,097 US districts (10%). Below this entry. $90,000–$100,000: 662 US districts (6%). This entry sits in this band. $100,000–$110,000: 371 US districts (3%). Above this entry. $110,000–$120,000: 249 US districts (2%). Above this entry. $120,000–$130,000: 156 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $130,000–$140,000: 112 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $140,000–$150,000: 57 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $150,000–$160,000: 25 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $160,000–$170,000: 13 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $170,000–$180,000: 10 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $180,000–$190,000: 0 US districts (0%). Above this entry. Golden Plains Unified $30,000 $190,000 every reliable-salary US district, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $10K-wide band; taller bars hold more US districts. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 · FY2023

Golden Plains in California's lower-third pay band

Same 750 districts with a usable salary and a comparable per-pupil figure (NCES F-33 FY2023)

est. avg salary

What this shows Golden Plains Unified ranks #577 of 750 California districts by estimated teacher salary and #81 of 750 by per-pupil spending. Calaveras County Office of Education pay #1 at $178,519 is not Beverly Hills Unified spending #1 at $61,843 per pupil

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 As of FY2023

The same districts by per-pupil spending

Golden Plains Unified is marked; a high spending bar is not a high pay bar

per pupil

What this shows Beverly Hills Unified leads spending at $61,843 per pupil; Calaveras County Office of Education leads pay.

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 As of FY2023

What stands out about Golden Plains Unified

  • Estimated teacher pay here rose +32.4% between FY2019 and FY2023, outpacing California's statewide +25.3% by 7.2 points, a growth rate faster than 77% of the 856 California districts with a comparable FY2019 baseline.
  • Enrolment fell from 1,649 to 1,389 students (15.8% down) across FY2019–FY2023 while the instructional salary pool per teacher went up. Districts on that path are usually holding staffing steady against a falling roll, which lifts the per-teacher figure without anyone getting a raise, so read this page's salary estimate alongside the enrolment line rather than on its own.
  • Its per-pupil spending of $27,854 is among the highest in the nation.

California prices absorb part of this salary

Nominal district estimate
$95,379.071

The FY2023 salary estimate shown in the hero.

California price level
112.2 / 100

BEA all-items regional price parity; 100 is the U.S. average.

National-price equivalent
$85,012

-11% versus the nominal figure.

Prices in California run above the national average, so this salary has roughly the buying power of the national-price equivalent above. Comparing it with a district in a cheaper state without this adjustment overstates its relative value.

Regional price parity: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2023 all-items RPP by state. The adjustment applies a statewide index to a district figure, so it captures how California compares nationally, not how this district compares with others in its own state. Compare every state on this basis.

How this salary figure is calculated
Full NCES reading for Golden Plains Unified

What the Numbers Say About Golden Plains Unified

Golden Plains Unified is a small school district in California, serving 1,389 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $27,854. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $95,379, placing the district in the high-investment tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 0691134 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the California statewide average of $110,546, teacher pay in Golden Plains Unified runs materially below the state benchmark, a 13.7% gap, and above the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (35.8% differential). Among enrolling districts in California, it pays more than 23% of them. California itself ranks #2 of 49 nationally on average teacher compensation, which shapes the funding ceiling districts operate under.

On the budget side, Golden Plains Unified reports $38.7M in total expenditure against $51.2M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 22% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $6.7M, special-education teacher pay is $0.6M.

How does Golden Plains Unified compare?

Estimated average teacher salary versus a peer district, the California average, and the national average. Pick any in-state district to compare.

Golden Plains Unified $95,379
Los Angeles Unified $103,820
California avg $110,546
National avg $70,245

Golden Plains Unified pays -8.1% less than Los Angeles Unified · per-pupil $27,854 vs $26,962

Derived from NCES F-33 teacher salary expenditure (Z35-Z38) and CCD Staff Universe teacher FTE (FY2023); a small minority use the documented fallback. Unreliable service entities are excluded.

Data-derived comparison paths

Find comparable California districts

On pay, Golden Plains Unified sits closest to Chowchilla Union High; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is San Bruno Park Elementary. These are not simply nearby districts: each group is selected from the same NCES FY2023 dataset using a matching salary or per-pupil-investment signal and a comparable enrollment range.

Closest on estimated pay
  1. Chowchilla Union High
  2. Chatom Union
  3. Standard Elementary
  4. Riverdale Joint Unified
  5. Esparto Unified
  6. Soulsbyville Elementary
  7. Del Norte County Unified
  8. Reef-Sunset Unified
  9. Antelope Elementary
  10. Cloverdale Unified
  11. Winters Joint Unified
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. San Bruno Park Elementary
  2. Orchard Elementary
  3. Center Joint Unified
  4. Carpinteria Unified
  5. Rancho Santa Fe Elementary
  6. Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High
  7. Trinity Alps Unified
  8. Tahoe-Truckee Unified
  9. Anderson Valley Unified
  10. Garvey Elementary
  11. Menlo Park City Elementary

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts near Golden Plains Unified's smaller enrollment

Two out-of-state peer sets for Golden Plains Unified: closest on enrollment (1,389 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($95,379 here). Rows stay link-disjoint so each axis is a distinct neighborhood.

Similar enrollment

Nearest other districts by NCES student count (floored at ≥200).

Similar estimated salary

Nearest other districts by F-33-derived average teacher salary, distinct from the enrollment row.

Enrollment and salaries from NCES CCD F-33; estimated teacher pay can diverge widely at the same student count because of state funding, cost of living, and local bargaining.

Revenue & Expenditure

$51.2M
Total Revenue
$38.7M
Total Expenditure
$8.7M
Instruction Salaries
22% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$6.7M
Regular Program
$0.6M
Special Education
$0.0M
Vocational
$0.1M
Other Programs

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 4 programs in Golden Plains Unified: the regular program, special education, vocational programs and other programs. Every program category NCES breaks out separately carries a figure here. Together they are 85% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 15% pays instructional aides, paraprofessionals, substitutes and other instructional staff who are not counted as teachers here.

California Teacher Pay Overview

The highest average among comparably sized California districts belongs to San Bernardino County Office of Education at $178,265. Placed 531 of 644, Golden Plains Unified is in the lower quarter, where a state-average comparison flatters the district rather than describing it. Because California prices run above the national average, this salary is worth less than the same number elsewhere; District of Columbia and Hawaii are the states it can be compared with directly on BEA's price parity.

View all California districts →

Other California Districts

Smaller-district sample from 776 California peers; bar length shows pay magnitude within this enrollment band.

Plumas Lake Elementary
$100,608
1,496 students
Guadalupe Union Elementary
$104,674
1,279 students
Hermosa Beach City Elementary
$108,622
1,277 students
Wright Elementary
$110,826
1,276 students
Larkspur-Corte Madera
$118,575
1,260 students
Thermalito Union Elementary
$124,170
1,522 students

This is a sample of 6 from 776 California districts with enrollment and salary data reliable enough to compare in the NCES CCD F-33 survey.

Frequently Asked Questions about Golden Plains Unified
What is the average teacher salary in Golden Plains Unified?

The average teacher salary in Golden Plains Unified is $95,379 (NCES CCD FY2023), from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by the district's reported teacher headcount (NCES CCD Staff Universe Survey).

How does Golden Plains Unified teacher pay compare to the California average?

Golden Plains Unified pays 13.7% less than the California state average of $110,546. The district's average is $95,379.

How does Golden Plains Unified teacher pay compare to the national average?

Golden Plains Unified pays 35.8% above the national average of $70,245. The district average is $95,379.

What is the per-pupil spending in Golden Plains Unified?

Golden Plains Unified spends approximately $27,854 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

What percentage of Golden Plains Unified's budget goes to teacher salaries?

Instructional salaries account for 22% of Golden Plains Unified's total expenditure of $38.7M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Golden Plains Unified
Disclaimer & data sources

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD). Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.

Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainTeacher

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Editorial standards & source notes

According to the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) F-33 Local Education Agency Finance Survey, PlainTeacher's figures are computed directly, no number is typed in by an editor. Golden Plains Unified's salary and finance figures are computed directly from its FY2023 F-33 submission, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Data current as of FY2023.