CaliforniaSchoolsJoseph Arnold Elementary

Joseph Arnold Elementary

PublicRegular
Torrance, California · Torrance Unified
Students604enrolled
FRL29%Free/Reduced Lunch
Ratio25.2:1students:teacher
LevelPrimary0–5
SCHOOL SNAPSHOT
Students604
Grade Span0–5
Student:Teacher25.2:1
Free/Reduced Lunch29%
Title INo
SectorPublic

Finance

School finance is reported at the district (LEA) level. The figures below cover the full Torrance Unified.

Per-pupil spending (2022)
$15,094
Total district expenditure
$331,078,000
Total district revenue
$355,182,000
District enrollment
21,935

Revenue sources

Federal$34,681,000(9.8%)
State$185,585,000(52.3%)
Local$134,916,000(38.0%)

Spending breakdown

Instruction (teacher salaries, classroom materials)$186,908,000
Support services (admin, transport, building ops)$94,183,000

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.