Saratoga Union Elementary vs Los Altos Elementary
CA · 1,653 students • CA · 3,370 students • fiscal year 2024 • swap sides
In one line
- Saratoga Union Elementary spends 6% more per student than Los Altos Elementary after adjusting for local price levels.
- Saratoga Union Elementary directs 2 more cents of every operating dollar to instruction than Los Altos Elementary.
Are these even comparable?
Establish the shape of each district before reading a single dollar figure.
| Saratoga Union Elementary | Los Altos Elementary | |
|---|---|---|
| Students enrolled | 1,653 | 3,370 |
| Schools | 5 | 10 |
| Grades served | K–8 | K–8 |
| Setting | Suburb | Suburb |
| County | Santa Clara County | Santa Clara County |
| State | CA | CA |
| Local price level (US = 100) Above 100 means a dollar buys less here than the national average. | 110.4 | 110.4 |
The headline dollar
Current operating spending per student, shown three ways. The first is what each district reports. The second and third are the honest ones for comparison.
| Saratoga Union Elementary | Los Altos Elementary | |
|---|---|---|
| Per student, as reported | $25,102 | $23,589 |
| Per student, price-adjusted Divided by the local price level, so both figures are in the same money. | $22,733 | $21,362 |
| Per student, price-adjusted, excluding transport Transportation provision varies enormously between districts and states. Removing it compares the parts both districts actually do. | $22,671 | $21,253 |
| Capital spending per student Buildings and land, never folded into the operating figures above. It is lumpy: a district mid-build looks expensive for two years. | Locked | Locked |
Saratoga Union Elementary
Los Altos Elementary
Where the money comes from
The funding mix determines how exposed a district is to local property values, to state politics, and to federal programmes ending.
Saratoga Union Elementary
- Local 91.0% Locked
- State 7.7% Locked
- Federal 1.3% Locked
Los Altos Elementary
- Local 89.1% Locked
- State 9.5% Locked
- Federal 1.5% Locked
| Saratoga Union Elementary | Los Altos Elementary | |
|---|---|---|
| Local share of revenue Mostly property tax. A high share means school budgets track local property values, up and down. | 91.0% | 89.1% |
| State share of revenue | 7.7% | 9.5% |
| Federal share of revenue | 1.3% | 1.5% |
| Total revenue | Locked | Locked |
How CA funds its districts
LCFF — Local Control Funding Formula: a base grant per pupil plus supplemental and concentration grants driven by low-income, English-learner and foster-youth counts.
How CA funds its districts
LCFF — Local Control Funding Formula: a base grant per pupil plus supplemental and concentration grants driven by low-income, English-learner and foster-youth counts.
Where the money goes
The same slices in the same order for both districts, plus the differences by function — because two pie charts side by side hide exactly the thing you want to see.
Saratoga Union Elementary
- Instruction 60.8% Locked
- Instructional staff support 2.6% Locked
- Student support 5.7% Locked
- Operations & maintenance 10.2% Locked
- Transportation 0.3% Locked
- Food service 3.1% Locked
- School administration 6.9% Locked
- District administration 3.2% Locked
- Other support 6.7% Locked
- Other current 3.1% Locked
Los Altos Elementary
- Instruction 56.5% Locked
- Instructional staff support 5.1% Locked
- Student support 5.5% Locked
- Operations & maintenance 12.9% Locked
- Transportation 0.5% Locked
- Food service 3.4% Locked
- School administration 5.0% Locked
- District administration 3.4% Locked
- Other support 6.9% Locked
- Other current 3.4% Locked
What is actually different
Share of each district's operating dollar, Saratoga Union Elementary minus Los Altos Elementary. Two pie charts side by side are almost impossible to read against each other; this is the same data as one chart.
| Saratoga Union Elementary | Los Altos Elementary | |
|---|---|---|
| Cents of each operating dollar reaching classrooms Instruction plus instructional staff support, as a share of current spending. | 63.4% | 61.6% |
| Administration share District office plus school administration. | 10.0% | 8.4% |
| Transportation share | 0.3% | 0.5% |
What the money buys
Staffing levels are the most direct thing a budget converts into.
| Saratoga Union Elementary | Los Altos Elementary | |
|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher This is a staffing ratio: total enrollment divided by teaching staff. It is NOT average class size. Actual classes are larger than this number in every district. | 21.2 | 19.6 |
| Students per counselor | Locked | Locked |
| Students per administrator | Locked | Locked |
| Total salaries All staff, not teachers alone. | Locked | Locked |
Who they serve
The answer to "but they serve different kids" — which is usually a fair objection.
| Saratoga Union Elementary | Los Altos Elementary | |
|---|---|---|
| Child poverty rate Children aged 5 to 17 in poverty within the district boundary. Used instead of free-lunch eligibility, which community eligibility has made unusable for comparison. | 2.2% | 2.4% |
| English learners | 0 | 0 |
| Students with disabilities | 0 | 0 |
| Enrollment change, 5 years | -3.0% | -15.7% |
Results, and results for the money
Stability and risk
The homebuyer’s real question: what is likely to change after I move in?
Saratoga Union Elementary
- High debt burden More than 10% of total spending goes to interest and debt retirement, money that cannot reach a classroom.
- Little/no transportation spending Reported transportation spending is under 0.5% of current spending. Usually this means busing is limited, contracted out, or provided by another agency — check locally before assuming a bus.
Los Altos Elementary
- Declining enrollment Enrollment fell more than 5% over five years. Enrollment decline is the single best predictor of school closures and programme cuts.
| Saratoga Union Elementary | Los Altos Elementary | |
|---|---|---|
| Enrollment change, 5 years | -3.0% | -15.7% |
| Long-term debt per student | Locked | Locked |
| Debt service share of spending | Locked | Locked |
Enrolling a child
The same checklist for both districts. Every "required" below links to the sentence it came from.
Saratoga Union Elementary
Enrollment and Student Registration - Saratoga Union School District
Registration runs through PowerSchool. Read August 25, 2026.
Los Altos Elementary
Los Altos School District - Enrollment
Registration runs through PowerSchool. Read August 23, 2026.
Is a seat at your zoned school guaranteed?
Saratoga Union Elementary
We have no such statement from this district — which is not the same as a promise that your zoned school has room. Most districts never publish the policy in either direction. Ask the school office directly whether your address’s school is enrolling at your child’s grade level before you sign anything.
Los Altos Elementary
Living in the zone may not get you the seat
-
If your child is overflowed to another school in the District, staff will keep your child on a waitlist and call you if space becomes available.
the district’s page this was read from
What the district says it does when that happens
-
LASD makes an effort to return overflowed students to their home school when space becomes available.
the district’s page this was read from
Quoted from this district’s own pages, read August 25, 2026. Wording changes between enrollment seasons — the school office is the only authority on whether a grade is full today.
A district that cannot promise a seat at your zoned school is describing a capacity decision: how many children each building holds, and where the boundary runs. Both are settled by the board in public. Which schools are full, and what the plan is for them, is a fair question to ask at a meeting.
- This is the district’s own published wording, not our summary of it. Policies are rewritten between enrollment seasons and a page can be out of date the day after we read it — the school office is the only authority on whether a particular grade at a particular school is full right now.
- A warning here is about capacity, not about your address. It does not mean your child will be moved; it means the district has told you in writing that it may move them.
- Required the page says so, and the sentence is quoted.
- Mentioned only it comes up, but not as a requirement — often a sentence saying the district cannot demand it.
- Not mentioned we read the page and it was not on it. That is not the same as "not required".
- Page not read we have no enrollment page for this district.
Documents to bring
| Saratoga Union Elementary | Los Altos Elementary | |
|---|---|---|
| Proof of residency | Required “This includes all residency documents.” | Required “Proof of Residency Documents” |
| Proof of age (usually a birth certificate) | Not mentioned | Required “Birth Record” |
| Immunisation records | Required “Immunization Requirements and Health Forms” | Required “Immunization Record” |
| Physical examination | Not mentioned | Not mentioned |
| Dental, vision or hearing screening | Not mentioned | Not mentioned |
| Tuberculosis test | Required “If you have not completed the registration process or have not cleared immunizations or the TB risk assessment, your child will not be able to attend school.” | Required “A Tuberculosis (TB) Risk Assessment Form (or TB test if required after assessment) must be completed by a health professional in the U.S.” |
| Records from the previous school | Required “Additional school information can be found on their websites and their School Accountability Report Cards.” | Required “Most recent report card, required for 6 th, 7 th and 8 th grade registration” |
| IEP or 504 plan | Required “If your student needs additional support, please upload a copy of prior 504 plans or IEP.” | Required “Provide a copy, signed by parent and previous school, of existing or previous IEP or 504 plans” |
| Custody or guardianship paperwork | Not mentioned | Not mentioned |
| Parent or guardian photo ID | Not mentioned | Not mentioned |
| Home language survey | Not mentioned | Not mentioned |
| Emergency contact information | Not mentioned | Not mentioned |
| Proof of income | Not mentioned | Not mentioned |
| Social security number Asked for by some districts. It is not required to enrol, and a school may not refuse a child who does not provide one. We list it because districts ask, not because you must answer. | Not mentioned | Not mentioned |
How enrolling works
Locked 11 steps of the enrollment process — deadlines, appointments, proof of residency — are not shown. What to bring is above, and stays free.
- A blank row means the requirement did not appear on the district’s page. It does not mean the district will not ask for it — published lists are routinely incomplete, and the registrar has the final word.
- Requirements change every enrollment season. Check the district’s own page, linked above, before you gather anything.
- A district cannot condition enrollment on your child’s immigration status: under Plyler v. Doe (1982) every child resident in the district is entitled to a free public education. If a district asks for something that would reveal status, you are not obliged to provide it.
- If your family is in temporary or shared housing, the McKinney-Vento Act lets a child enrol immediately without the residency and records documents listed here. Ask for the district’s homeless liaison by name.
Comparability notes
No comparability caveats: these two are a like-for-like pair.
What these numbers are, exactly
Who decides, and what it costs you
Every band above this one asks what a district spends. This one asks who chose to.
Saratoga Union Elementary
The district levies its own school tax
This district raises property tax in its own name. Who sets the rate varies by state — an elected board in some, a public vote in others — but the levy is the school system’s own, and it is the part of a tax bill that school politics moves most directly.
Los Altos Elementary
The district levies its own school tax
This district raises property tax in its own name. Who sets the rate varies by state — an elected board in some, a public vote in others — but the levy is the school system’s own, and it is the part of a tax bill that school politics moves most directly.
| Saratoga Union Elementary | Los Altos Elementary | |
|---|---|---|
| School property tax levied, per student Only for districts that levy in their own name. Blank where the county or town levies instead — see the cards above, and read the next row. | $28,968 | $21,059 |
| Appropriated by the county or town, per student What the parent government handed the schools, for dependent systems. This is a general appropriation, not solely property tax. | — | — |
| Property tax as a share of all revenue How much of the budget rides on local property values, and therefore on local votes. | 83.1% | 67.3% |
| Long-term debt already owed, per student The balance at the end of the year, for scale. Repaid over decades, so it is a commitment made by earlier boards rather than a bill arriving now. | Locked | Locked |
| Debt service as a share of spending Interest plus principal repaid this year, against total spending. This is the part of the debt that is being paid now, out of money that would otherwise reach a classroom. | Locked | Locked |
| New long-term debt issued, per student Money borrowed during fiscal year 2024. What this figure does and does not tell you is set out under the table. | — | $0 |
- Saratoga Union Elementary: borrowing withheld. Its debt schedule does not balance — the opening balance plus what it says it issued, less what it says it retired, does not reach the closing balance it reports. 335 districts are in this position. Rather than print a figure from a schedule that does not add up, we print none.
- Los Altos Elementary: issued no new long-term debt in fiscal year 2024. That is a reported zero, not a gap in the data.
- A figure in the borrowing row is not a bond voters approved. It records debt issued, and that includes refinancing existing debt at a new rate — which changes nothing about what a district owes — as well as certificates of participation and lease-revenue debt, which in many states a board can issue with no referendum at all. To find out what was actually on a ballot, check the county election office.
- Debt is repaid over decades. A large balance per student is a commitment made by earlier boards and earlier voters, not a bill arriving this year. The debt service row above it is the part being paid now.
Who sits on the board
Saratoga Union Elementary board of education
- Communication Pathways
- Eric Cao — Board President term ends 2026
- Cynthia Miller — Clerk of the Board term ends 2026
- Melissa Stanis — Board Member term ends 2028
- Ramya Vasu — Board Member term ends 2028
- Vidya R. Vineet — Board Member term ends 2026
1 of these is listed on the page without an office. It names them among the board without saying which office they hold, so none is shown for them. It is not a vacancy.
- How many seats the board has: “The Saratoga Union School District is governed by an elected five-member Board of Trustees.”
- How long a term runs: “Board members serve four-year terms with no term limits and, by state law, must reside within the school district boundaries.”
Read from the district’s own board page on 2026-08-25. Boards change; the district’s page is the current record, not ours.
These seats are elected, and what this board decides — the budget, the attendance boundaries, the calendar — is decided at a meeting the public may attend. The district’s own board page, linked above, is where it publishes the schedule and the agenda. We do not hold meeting dates or contact details for these people.
Los Altos Elementary board of education
- Vaishali Sirkay — President term ends 2026
- Jim Malone — Vice President term ends 2028
- Stella Kam — Clerk term ends 2028
- Bryan Johnson — Member term ends 2026
- Brandon Stroy — Member term ends 2026
- The public may speak: “All regular board meetings are broadcast online via Zoom, however public comment is not supported in this format.”
Read from the district’s own board page on 2026-08-24. Boards change; the district’s page is the current record, not ours.
These seats are elected, and what this board decides — the budget, the attendance boundaries, the calendar — is decided at a meeting the public may attend. The district’s own board page, linked above, is where it publishes the schedule and the agenda. We do not hold meeting dates or contact details for these people.
Funding measures on the ballot
Saratoga Union Elementary
$19.9M approved by voters in a single measure.
| Election | Measure | Amount | Yes | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-05-07 | Operating levy · Prop. Measure ATo maintain strong core academic programs, including math and science, attract/retain qualified teachers, limit class sizes, pr ovide up-to-date instr…To maintain strong core academic programs, including math and science, attract/retain qualified teachers, limit class sizes, pr ovide up-to-date instructional materials, protect art, music, reading/writing programs, keep libraries open, shall Saratoga Union School District’s Measure renewing without increasing its expiring $68 annual parcel tax for eight years, be approved, raising $475,000 annually which cannot be t aken by the State, with exemptions for seniors, audits, independent oversight, no funds for administrators? |
— | 72.3% | Passed |
Locked 2 earlier measures in this district’s history are not shown.
From the state’s own election file. Latest election on record: 2025-06-03.
What this state publishes: School district bonds and parcel taxes as the California Elections Data Archive compiles them for the Secretary of State. Bonds carry the principal; parcel taxes are quoted per parcel and carry no comparable dollar figure. Recalls and advisory questions are not included.
CA published no results for 2010, so a measure put to voters in that year would not appear here. That is a gap in the state’s own publishing.
Los Altos Elementary
$500M approved by voters across 2 measures.
| Election | Measure | Amount | Yes | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-11-05 | Bond · Prop. Measure EETo upgrade aging neighborhood schools, enhance science, technology, engineering, and math classrooms/labs, fix leaky roofs/windows, improve school tra…To upgrade aging neighborhood schools, enhance science, technology, engineering, and math classrooms/labs, fix leaky roofs/windows, improve school traffic safety, update aging heating, cooling/plumbing, and construct facilities needed to preserve small neighborhood schools; shall Los Altos School District's measure authorizing $350,000,000 of bonds at legal rates be adopted, levying an average $30 per $100,000 as sessed value (approximately $20,300,000 annually) while bonds are outstanding, with citizens' oversight, annual audits, all funds for local elementary/junior high schools? |
$350M | 56.2% | Passed |
Locked 6 earlier measures in this district’s history are not shown.
From the state’s own election file. Latest election on record: 2025-06-03.
What this state publishes: School district bonds and parcel taxes as the California Elections Data Archive compiles them for the Secretary of State. Bonds carry the principal; parcel taxes are quoted per parcel and carry no comparable dollar figure. Recalls and advisory questions are not included.
CA published no results for 2010, so a measure put to voters in that year would not appear here. That is a gap in the state’s own publishing.
- A vote share is not an outcome. What it takes to carry varies by state and by measure — in some states a bond needs a supermajority and a minimum turnout while a levy on the same ballot needs half, so a clear majority can still lose. Every outcome shown here is copied from the state’s own election file, and the rule that applied is stated with the coverage above. Where that file stated no outcome we show whatever count it published and no verdict, rather than working one out from the percentage — and some states publish the ballot question without ever recording a count, so a blank there is a number nobody printed.
- These are the measures a district put to its voters, not its whole tax bill. A property tax bill also carries county, city and state levies that have nothing to do with schools, and in most states a school board can issue some kinds of debt with no vote at all.
The detailed figures for Saratoga Union Elementary and Los Altos Elementary
The verdict, the headline dollar, the funding shares, who is served and every comparability caveat are free above, and stay free. What is behind the lock is the detail you would want before acting on any of it:
- capital spending per student
- total revenue and total current spending, and the funding mix in dollars (the percentage shares stay free)
- the ten-line per-student breakdown of where the money goes
- counselor and administrator ratios, and the total salary bill
- the debt behind the risk flags — per student, and as a share of spending
- the enrollment process — deadlines, appointments and proof of residency
- the full ballot history: 8 more bonds and levies, with the amounts
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Compare something else
Saratoga Union Elementary on its own · Los Altos Elementary on its own