La Canada Unified’s 3 public elementary schools run from the 97th to the 99th percentile among the 5,726 California elementary schools we score (spring 2026 tests).
Elementary · 3 schools
from 97th to 99th · among 5,726 California elementary schools we score · spring 2026 tests
The average elementary school in La Canada Unified had 3 in 100 students chronically absent (missed 10% or more of school days) in 2025–26; the average California elementary school we score had 17 in 100. Both are averages of school rates, each school counted once.
High schools
Where does the high school we score in La Canada Unified stand?
La Canada High is at the 99th percentile.
That’s higher than 99 in 100 of the 1,498 California high schools we score (spring 2025 tests). It’s the only public high school we score in La Canada Unified.
Each percentile compares a school with California schools at its own level. What patterns mean
Where does La Canada Unified’s money go, and what does it plan?
La Canada Unified spent $17,349 per student in the 2024–25 school year.
The typical California district spent $20,491. About 65 cents of every La Canada Unified dollar went to classroom instruction.
Spending by function
Day-to-day spending per student in average daily attendance, from the district’s annual financial report (SACS) to the California Department of Education. District-wide: it includes central administration and costs never assigned to one campus.
Share by function, 2024–25
Instruction65%
Instruction support8%
Student services7%
Administration8%
Buildings & maintenance12%
Shares of the same spending total, by the report’s spending categories, rounded so they add up to 100. Names are simplified from the report’s own categories.
What the district plans
$18.8 million
planned in its 2026–27 plan for 45 funded actions in 4 goals. That’s 27% of its $69.9 million general fund budget. These are planned amounts; the district reports what it spent in a later plan.
The plan in short
Source: the district’s yearly spending plan (Local Control and Accountability Plan, or LCAP, 122 pages), as posted to the California School Dashboard.
Where the money goes
Three actions take 73% of the money. The plan itself puts 52% of it toward staff.
Measure LCF Bond Program $7.8 million
Class size reduction $3.4 million
Campus Cleaning Standards $2.5 million
42 other actions
Reading, math and catch-up help
8 of the plan’s 45 funded actions name reading, math, catch-up help or English learners in their titles.
Actions whose titles name reading, catch-up help or English learners
Reading $47,956
Catch-up help $495,694
English learners $371,068
Largest of these
Response to Intervention$409,033
ELD Instruction at the Elementary Sites$253,596
Unduplicated Pupil Support/Interventions$86,661
For high-need students (English learners, low-income students and foster youth), what changed and what its goals measure
For high-need students
It plans $712,265 in extra services for English learners, low-income students and foster youth. For 2025–26, it planned $717,800 and estimates it spent $703,943, $13,857 (2%) less than planned (our arithmetic).
$703,943 spent (estimated)$717,800 planned
What changed
The total is $1.8 million (11%) higher than in the 2025–26 plan. The biggest change in dollars is Class size reduction, which went from $2.2 million to $3.4 million.
Largest cuts
Paraprofessional ELD support for novice ELs−$79,870
Largest increases
Class size reduction+$1.2 million
Measure LCF Bond Program+$599,572
Campus Cleaning Standards+$54,057
Ask: What did Paraprofessional ELD support for novice ELs pay for, and what changes now that the 2026–27 plan gives it $79,870 less?
What its goals measure
Read these state results for the district’s own schools as context for the goals they measure; results alone can’t show what the plan caused.
What its goals measure: state results, 2024–25 and 2025–26
Measure
2024–25
2025–26
Change
English, every tested grade: Proficient or Advanced in 2025–26, met or exceeded in 2024–25Goal 2
89%
88%
down 1 pt
Math, every tested grade: Proficient or Advanced in 2025–26, met or exceeded in 2024–25Goal 2
84%
84%
no change
Goals 1, 3 and 4 aren’t shown because they track other measures.
Figures from CDE’s state test, chronic absence and suspension files. Test figures cover every grade the district tests (California tests grades 3–8 and 11), so they differ from a profile’s rated grades. We combined the district’s schools ourselves, weighted by students and leaving out charter schools. Chronically absent means a student missed 10% or more of school days.
The plan’s own titles and amounts
Measure LCF Bond Program · $7,827,776
Class size reduction · $3,408,075
Campus Cleaning Standards · $2,464,057
The full plan4 goals, 10 measures and where the money goes
We calculate each action’s share of the plan by dividing its planned amount by the total of the plan’s funded actions ($18.8 million).
Where does the money go?
66% to Goal 4. Each box is one action, sized by its planned dollars and coloured by its change since last year’s plan. Tap a box to open its goal.
Mentoring for New Staff$18,319action 1.5 · p. 77 ↗
Beginning Teachers Support and Assessment (BTSA) Induction and Mentoring$12,500action 1.4 · p. 77 ↗
Safety Training and Ongoing Monitoring$5,787action 1.2 · p. 77 ↗
Changes from last year’s plan, same title
Beginning Teachers Support and Assessment (BTSA) Induction and Mentoring+$1,500$11,000 → $12,500 · p. 77 ↗
Staff Wellness and Support+$772$28,000 → $28,772 · p. 77 ↗
Mentoring for New Staff+$319$18,000 → $18,319 · p. 77 ↗
Every other line in this goal, against last year’s plan
Candidate Outreach · $20,000 → $20,035 · p. 77 ↗+$35
Safety Training and Ongoing Monitoring · $6,000 → $5,787 · p. 77 ↗−$213
How the plan measures it · 2 measures
None of these has an all-students line we can quote; the plan’s table lists them from p. 11 ↗.
Goal 2 · Maintenance of Progress GoalProvide a high-quality instructional program for all students$5.1 million27% of action budgets
22 funded actions · 2025–26 plan: $3.9 million (+$1.2 million) · p. 18 ↗
Largest funded actions
Class size reduction$3.4 millionaction 2.21 · p. 79 ↗
Response to Intervention$0.4 millionaction 2.2 · p. 77 ↗
ELD Instruction at the Elementary Sites$0.3 millionaction 2.4 · p. 77 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services
Visual Applied Performing and Technical Arts (VAPTA) Coordinator$0.2 millionaction 2.22 · p. 79 ↗
Professional Development Addressing the Needs of Unduplicated Pupils$0.1 millionaction 2.9 · p. 78 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services · of which $112,540 is state funding counted toward those services
17 more funded actions in this goal
Monitoring Academic Progress for Unduplicated Pupils · action 2.11 · p. 79 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services · of which $92,783 is state funding counted toward those services$0.1 million
Teachers on Special Assignment (TOSAs) to support staff implementing instructional priorities · action 2.15 · p. 79 ↗$0.1 million
Unduplicated Pupil Support/Interventions · action 2.10 · p. 78 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services$0.1 million
Implementation of the LCUSD Technology Plan · action 2.16 · p. 79 ↗$0.1 million
Paraprofessional ELD support for novice ELs · action 2.6 · p. 78 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services · of which $33,211 is state funding counted toward those servicesunder $0.1 million
Digital Citizenship, Literacy, and Responsibility Lessons · action 2.14 · p. 79 ↗under $0.1 million
Assessment Cycle and Differentiated Instruction · action 2.1 · p. 77 ↗under $0.1 million
Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) · action 2.18 · p. 79 ↗under $0.1 million
Professional Development Addressing the Needs of Special Education Students · action 2.12 · p. 79 ↗under $0.1 million
Career and Technical Education · action 2.17 · p. 79 ↗under $0.1 million
EL Support Teacher at LCHS · action 2.5 · p. 78 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need servicesunder $0.1 million
Staff Professional Development · action 2.3 · p. 77 ↗under $0.1 million
Courses at the 7-12 · action 2.19 · p. 79 ↗under $0.1 million
EL Parent Outreach on District Initiatives · action 2.8 · p. 78 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need servicesunder $0.1 million
Special Education Core and Supplementary Materials · action 2.13 · p. 79 ↗under $0.1 million
ELD Supplementary Materials · action 2.7 · p. 78 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need servicesunder $0.1 million
Standards Aligned Instructional Materials and Resources · action 2.20 · p. 79 ↗under $0.1 million
Changes from last year’s plan, same title
Class size reduction+$1.2 million$2.2 million → $3.4 million · p. 79 ↗
Paraprofessional ELD support for novice ELs−$79,870$128,000 → $48,130 · p. 78 ↗
Monitoring Academic Progress for Unduplicated Pupils+$40,601$60,000 → $100,601 · p. 79 ↗
Every other line in this goal, against last year’s plan
Response to Intervention · $390,000 → $409,033 · p. 77 ↗+$19,033
ELD Instruction at the Elementary Sites · $235,000 → $253,596 · p. 77 ↗+$18,596
Visual Applied Performing and Technical Arts (VAPTA) Coordinator · $156,000 → $171,446 · p. 79 ↗+$15,446
Professional Development Addressing the Needs of Unduplicated Pupils · $116,000 → $122,473 · p. 78 ↗+$6,473
Teachers on Special Assignment (TOSAs) to support staff implementing instructional priorities · $95,000 → $94,263 · p. 79 ↗−$737
Standards Aligned Instructional Materials and Resources · $3,750 → $3,943 · p. 79 ↗+$193
How the plan measures it · 4 measures
None of these has an all-students line we can quote; the plan’s table lists them from p. 18 ↗.
Goal 3 · Maintenance of Progress GoalEnsure students and staff have opportunities to thrive through programs designed to promote social and…$1.2 million6% of action budgets
“Ensure students and staff have opportunities to thrive through programs designed to promote social and emotional health, wellness, and interpersonal connectedness in an environment that is safe and welcoming” p. 47 ↗
10 funded actions · 2025–26 plan: $1.2 million (−$17,822)
Largest funded actions
Promote Health and Wellness via the Wellness Center$452,499action 3.7 · p. 80 ↗
Improve Academic and Career Outcomes at LCHS$185,691action 3.6 · p. 80 ↗
Unify Social Emotional Learning Programs$148,310action 3.4 · p. 79 ↗
Positive Behavior Intervention Supports$79,693action 3.1 · p. 79 ↗
Counseling Support for UDP$69,449action 3.10 · p. 80 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services · of which $64,132 is state funding counted toward those services
5 more funded actions in this goal
Initiate the School Site DEI Plans · action 3.9 · p. 80 ↗$57,083
Implement Safety and Security Training and Practices · action 3.5 · p. 79 ↗$49,684
Family Communication, Input, and Education · $39,000 → $41,201 · p. 79 ↗+$2,201
Continue Challenge Success Program · $32,000 → $31,986 · p. 79 ↗−$14
How the plan measures it · 1 measure
None of these has an all-students line we can quote; the plan’s table lists them from p. 47 ↗.
Goal 4 · Maintenance of Progress GoalContinue Capital Improvement Projects and Maintain Safe District-wide Facilities$12.4 million66% of action budgets
8 funded actions · 2025–26 plan: $11.8 million (+$639,406) · p. 62 ↗
Largest funded actions
Measure LCF Bond Program$7.8 millionaction 4.1 · p. 80 ↗
Campus Cleaning Standards$2.5 millionaction 4.5 · p. 80 ↗
Routine Maintenance Projects$2.0 millionaction 4.6 · p. 80 ↗
Technology Infrastructure$0.1 millionaction 4.4 · p. 80 ↗
Facilities Projects Related to Safety and Securityunder $0.1 millionaction 4.3 · p. 80 ↗
3 more funded actions in this goal
School Site Design Teams · action 4.8 · p. 80 ↗under $0.1 million
Citizens’ Oversight Committee · action 4.7 · p. 80 ↗under $0.1 million
Williams Act Compliance · action 4.2 · p. 80 ↗under $0.1 million
Changes from last year’s plan, same title
Measure LCF Bond Program+$0.6 million$7.2 million → $7.8 million · p. 80 ↗
Campus Cleaning Standards+$0.1 million$2.4 million → $2.5 million · p. 80 ↗
Routine Maintenance Projects−$14,531$2.0 million → $2.0 million · p. 80 ↗
Every other line in this goal, against last year’s plan
Technology Infrastructure · $75,000 → $73,333 · p. 80 ↗−$1,667
Facilities Projects Related to Safety and Security · $49,000 → $49,703 · p. 80 ↗+$703
School Site Design Teams · $23,000 → $23,634 · p. 80 ↗+$634
All amounts are planned. We read them from the PDF and added up each goal’s actions ourselves. Page links open the plan at that page.
Who goes to the district’s schools
Who attends
Student mix
2024–25 · October enrollment count, 3,988 students
1White42%
2Asian30%
3Hispanic or Latino13%
4Two or more races12%
5Filipino2%
6Not reported<1%
7Black or African American<1%
8Pacific Islander<1%
9American Indian or Alaska Native0%
Shares use the district's own October enrollment counts from the CDE, including its charter schools.
Free or reduced-price meals
5%
Across California, 63% of students qualify.
2024–25 · 201 of 3,979 students qualify, summed from the CDE’s meal counts for every school it lists under the district, charters included. It comes from a different CDE file than the student mix, so the two totals differ.
The district’s state records
Is the state giving the district extra help?
La Canada Unified isn’t getting extra state help in 2026, only the standard support every district gets.
How English learners moved up on the state’s English test
From spring 2025 to spring 2026, 67% of the district’s English learners moved up at least one level on the state’s English test (ELPAC), or stayed at the top (31 of 46 students). California: 47%. It counts students moving up the test’s levels, so a student can count here before becoming fluent.
Which public schools in La Canada Unified rank highest?
Elementary: La Canada Elementary, 99th percentile (Strong). High: La Canada High, 99th percentile (Strong). Each percentile is among the California schools at the same level we score. A rank doesn’t decide fit or whether a child can enroll.
Does living in the La Canada Unified district decide which school my child attends?
Not by itself. Attendance boundaries, programs, transfers and space all matter. Confirm the school for your address, grade and program with the district.
More questions (5)
Are the public schools in La Canada Unified good?
La Canada Unified’s 3 public elementary schools run from the 97th to the 99th percentile among the 5,726 California elementary schools we score (spring 2026 tests). By band: 3 Strong. La Canada Unified has one public high school we score, La Canada High, at the 99th percentile among the 1,498 California high schools we score (spring 2025 tests). By band: 1 Strong. A percentile compares a school with California public schools at the same level that we score. How we score schools.
How does chronic absence in La Canada Unified compare with California?
The average elementary school in La Canada Unified had 3 in 100 students chronically absent (missed 10% or more of school days) in 2025–26; the average California elementary school we score had 17 in 100. Both are averages of school rates, each school counted once. These are averages of school rates: each school counts once, whatever its size.
How much does La Canada Unified spend per student?
La Canada Unified spent $17,349 per student in the 2024–25 school year. The typical California district spent $20,491. About 65 cents of every La Canada Unified dollar went to classroom instruction. Day-to-day spending per student in average daily attendance, from its annual financial report to the California Department of Education. The district’s spending, by function.
What is in La Canada Unified’s 2026–27 spending plan?
The district’s 2026–27 spending plan puts $18.8 million into 45 funded actions in 4 goals, 27% of its $69.9 million general fund budget. Its largest goal holds $12.4 million, 66% of the action budgets. The 2026–27 plan, goal by goal.
Where do these results come from?
California’s state tests (CAASPP): spring 2026 for elementary schools, spring 2025 for high schools, and chronic-absence rates for 2025–26, published by the California Department of Education. Percentiles, bands and Scope Scores are SchoolScope’s calculations. How we score schools.
Sources and methodology
This page lists the public schools governed and funded by La Canada Unified, with the district’s spending and state accountability records.
Data source: California Department of Education · CAASPP 2025–26 elementary school; 2024–25 high school
Percentiles, bands and Scope Scores are SchoolScope’s own calculations from these state files.