Public School Districts in California

California has 9,972 public schools and over 6.3 million students, almost 2 million more than Texas, the next most populous state, and with a high enrollment comes a high teacher count - California has the highest number of "Full-time Equivalent" teachers in the nation; student - teacher ratio is 21:1, ranking the state among the last in the U.S. on the ratio of total school staff to students. Besides running a school system of such a great magnitude, California educators face numerous challenges - the state has the highest percentage of English learners in the nation (about 25%) and is near the top in the proportion of children living in low-income families. In 2004, California set a goal that all of its students be taught by qualified teachers meaning teachers who have been certified by the state of California, have at least a bachelor's degree, and have a working knowledge of all core subjects, including Reading, English, Math, Science, and Social Studies. Each year, the California State Board of Education awards public schools within the state with the California Distinguished School award - approximately five percent of the best California schools are awarded this honor.