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School district · California · LEAID 0601327

Santa Cruz City Elementary/High

Santa Cruz City Elementary/High sits in the lowest third of California districts on estimated teacher pay at $77,732 (above only 3% of in-state peers with reliable estimates). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Santa Cruz City Elementary/High come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$77,732
Est. avg teacher salary

Well below benchmark

$21,828
Per-pupil spending
6,106
Students enrolled
3rd
Pct. in CA
$77,732

Santa Cruz City Elementary/High sits in the lowest third of California districts on estimated teacher pay at $77,732 (above only 3% of in-state peers with reliable estimates). Estimated average teacher salary is $77,732, above the national average of $70,245, serving 6,106 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Lower-third pay in state: Santa Cruz City Elementary/High sits in the lowest third of California districts on estimated teacher pay at $77,732 (above only 3% of in-state peers with reliable estimates).
  • 3rd percentile for California
  • 71st percentile nationally
  • 28% 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.
  • Santa Cruz City Elementary/High ranks #727 of 750 California districts by estimated teacher salary and #290 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
  • +22.5% 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, Santa Cruz City Elementary/High's instructional payroll puts 75.6% into regular program , 10.2 points below the state median of 85.8%. The mix below is the district's own F-33 program split against the in-state median, not a quality score.

Program Santa Cruz CA median Gap
Regular program 75.6% 85.8% -10.2 pp
Special education 16.0% 10.8% +5.2 pp
Vocational programs 3.7% 0.0% +3.7 pp
Other programs 4.7% 0.4% +4.3 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 0601327 · FY2023.

LEAID 0601327 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Santa Cruz F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-LOW -30% vs state RANK-ST-LOW P3 in state RANK-NAT-MID P71 national PPE-MID $22K/pupil ENR-MID 6,106 students INSTR-LOW 28% instr BASIS-EST Enroll-estimated PHOTO-NEAR Near Petaluma FY-2023-MID FY2023 book

FY2023: $77,732 estimated average teacher salary · P3 in California · P71 nationally · 28% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Modesto (+$2,062est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Santa Cruz

Salary neighbourhood · Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz City Elementary/High's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$77,732 Top 29% higher than 71% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$90,000: 1,097 US districts (10%). Above this entry. $90,000–$100,000: 662 US districts (6%). Above this entry. $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. This district $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

Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz City Elementary/High ranks #727 of 750 California districts by estimated teacher salary and #290 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

Santa Cruz City Elementary/High 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 Santa Cruz City Elementary/High

  • Enrolment fell from 6,590 to 6,106 students (7.3% 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.

California prices absorb part of this salary

Nominal district estimate
$77,731.739

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
$69,283

-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 Santa Cruz City Elementary/High

What the Numbers Say About Santa Cruz City Elementary/High

Santa Cruz City Elementary/High is a small-to-mid-sized school district in California, serving 6,106 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $21,828. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $77,732, placing the district in the high-investment tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 0601327 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the California statewide average of $110,546, teacher pay in Santa Cruz City Elementary/High runs materially below the state benchmark, a 29.7% gap, and above the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (10.7% differential). Among enrolling districts in California, it pays more than 3% 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, Santa Cruz City Elementary/High reports $133.3M in total expenditure against $154.4M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 28% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $23.9M, special-education teacher pay is $5.1M.

How does Santa Cruz City Elementary/High compare?

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

Santa Cruz City Elementary/High $77,732
Los Angeles Unified $103,820
California avg $110,546
National avg $70,245

Santa Cruz City Elementary/High pays -25.1% less than Los Angeles Unified · per-pupil $21,828 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, Santa Cruz City Elementary/High sits closest to Petaluma City Elementary/Joint Union High; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Castro Valley Unified. 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. Petaluma City Elementary/Joint Union High
  2. Fort Bragg Unified
  3. Pacifica
  4. Santa Rosa City Schools
  5. Scotts Valley Unified
  6. Ojai Unified
  7. Kelseyville Unified
  8. New Jerusalem Elementary
  9. West Sonoma County Union High
  10. Golden Valley Unified
  11. Sierra Sands Unified
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Castro Valley Unified
  2. Gilroy Unified
  3. Santa Maria Joint Union High
  4. Atwater Elementary
  5. Downey Unified
  6. Fallbrook Union Elementary
  7. Fallbrook Union High
  8. Burlingame Elementary
  9. Gonzales Unified
  10. Hacienda la Puente Unified
  11. West Covina Unified

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts near Santa Cruz City Elementary/High's smaller enrollment

Two out-of-state peer sets for Santa Cruz City Elementary/High: closest on enrollment (6,106 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($77,732 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

$154.4M
Total Revenue
$133.3M
Total Expenditure
$36.8M
Instruction Salaries
28% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$23.9M
Regular Program
$5.1M
Special Education
$1.2M
Vocational
$1.5M
Other Programs

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 4 programs in Santa Cruz City Elementary/High: the regular program, special education, vocational programs and other programs. Every program category NCES breaks out separately carries a figure here. Together they are 86% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 14% 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 633 of 644, Santa Cruz City Elementary/High 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.

Sulphur Springs Union
$113,706
5,210 students
Temple City Unified
$126,318
5,196 students
Rio Elementary
$113,487
5,167 students
Petaluma City Elementary/Joint Union High
$77,473
7,054 students
Santee
$118,630
6,141 students
Rosedale Union Elementary
$91,940
6,041 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 Santa Cruz City Elementary/High
What is the average teacher salary in Santa Cruz City Elementary/High?

The estimated average teacher salary in Santa Cruz City Elementary/High is $77,732 (NCES CCD FY2023). Santa Cruz City Elementary/High reports staffing below the district level, so the figure uses reported teacher salary expenditure divided by an estimated teacher FTE (enrollment ÷ the national 15:1 ratio).

How does Santa Cruz City Elementary/High teacher pay compare to the California average?

Santa Cruz City Elementary/High pays 29.7% less than the California state average of $110,546. The district's average is $77,732.

How does Santa Cruz City Elementary/High teacher pay compare to the national average?

Santa Cruz City Elementary/High pays 10.7% above the national average of $70,245. The district average is $77,732.

What is the per-pupil spending in Santa Cruz City Elementary/High?

Santa Cruz City Elementary/High spends approximately $21,828 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

What percentage of Santa Cruz City Elementary/High's budget goes to teacher salaries?

Instructional salaries account for 28% of Santa Cruz City Elementary/High's total expenditure of $133.3M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Santa Cruz City Elementary/High
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. Santa Cruz City Elementary/High'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.