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 (2022)
$10,342
Total district expenditure
$5,864,000
Total district revenue
$7,116,000
District enrollment
567

Revenue sources

Federal$1,258,000(17.7%)
State$4,968,000(69.8%)
Local$890,000(12.5%)

Spending breakdown

Instruction (teacher salaries, classroom materials)$3,337,000
Support services (admin, transport, building ops)$2,183,000

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.