Finance
School finance is reported at the district (LEA) level. The figures below cover the full Vista Unified.
Per-pupil spending (2020)
$15,437
Total district expenditure
$304,446,000
Total district revenue
$329,495,000
District enrollment
19,722
Revenue sources
Federal$38,386,000(11.6%)
State$172,402,000(52.3%)
Local$118,707,000(36.0%)
Spending breakdown
Instruction (teacher salaries, classroom materials)$180,303,000
Support services (admin, transport, building ops)—
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, FY 2020. 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.