How this small Napa County district pays teachers $50,000 more than its neighbors and why the gap keeps growing

"Teachers in the St. Helena Unified School District earn an average of $155,546 per year, according to state data for 2023-24 making it one of the highest-paying public school districts in California. Only Mountain View-Los Altos Union High in Santa Clara County pays more. By contrast, teachers in neighboring Napa Valley Unified, the county's largest district with about 16,000 students, earn an average of $104,358."

"A new study released this month says such gaps are a direct result of California's funding formula, a system overhauled in 2013 to make school financing more equitable but that continues to favor a small group of property-rich districts. Under California's Local Control Funding Formula, the state sets a target funding amount for each district based on attendance and student demographics, aiming to direct more support to high-need schools. Districts receive this target amount through a combination of local property taxes and state aid."

"Most districts depend heavily on state funds because their local property tax revenue isn't enough to meet the target. But about 140 basic aid districts often located in wealthy areas generate so much in local property taxes that they exceed the target and get to keep the surplus. The result, the study says, is a system where basic aid districts can afford to pay teachers significantly more and maintain smaller class sizes, while nearby districts with fewer local tax dollars struggle to compete."

Teachers in St. Helena Unified earn an average of $155,546 for 2023-24, making the district one of the highest-paying in California; only Mountain View-Los Altos Union High pays more. Napa Valley Unified teachers average $104,358, slightly above the state average of $101,084 but about one-third less than St. Helena. Wealth and housing values within the same county drive stark differences in school resources and teacher pay. California's Local Control Funding Formula sets target funding by attendance and student demographics, combining local property taxes and state aid. About 140 basic aid districts generate surplus local property tax revenue that allows higher teacher pay and smaller class sizes, while nearby districts with less local tax revenue struggle to compete.

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