Finance
School finance is reported at the district (LEA) level. The figures below cover the full Santa Ana Unified.
Per-pupil spending (2022)
$20,942
Total district expenditure
$876,091,000
Total district revenue
$972,026,000
District enrollment
41,835
Revenue sources
Federal$187,566,000(19.3%)
State$531,886,000(54.7%)
Local$252,574,000(26.0%)
Spending breakdown
Instruction (teacher salaries, classroom materials)$487,062,000
Support services (admin, transport, building ops)$264,381,000
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.