Bear Valley Unified

Big Bear Lake, California — 6 schools

2,145
Total Enrollment
6
Schools
$15,678
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Bear Valley Unified operates 6 public schools serving 2,145 students, placing it among the smaller districts in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 3 elementary, 1 high, 1 middle, 1 other schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 2,176 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in San Bernardino County County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $15,678 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 42.6% local, 45.8% state, and 11.6% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $79,598 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 31/100, ranked #1274 of 1547 in California against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 6 schools offering Advanced Placement (8 AP courses district-wide), a 279:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 45.7% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 48.6% White, 44.5% Hispanic or Latino, 1.1% Asian across the district's schools.

Big Bear High accounts for 29.0% of all Bear Valley Unified student enrollment

That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Bear Valley Unified-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Bear Valley Unified school enrollment varies 19× across entities

Bear Valley Unified school enrollment ranges from 33 students (lowest) to 630 students (highest), a spread of 597 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Bear Valley Unified has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 60.9% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch

free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

Bear Valley Unified student-counselor ratio is 279:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment — districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Variation between sub-units within Bear Valley Unified is typically wider than the Bear Valley Unified-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Bear Valley Unified chronic absenteeism rate is 45.7% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason — illness, family obligations, or disengagement Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

11.6%
Federal
45.8%
State
42.6%
Local

Funding Equity

31
Equity Score
1274 / 1547
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores below average on funding equity. High reliance on local revenue or lower spending may contribute.

Local Rent Costs

Fair Market Rents in San Bernardino County county, where this district is located.

$1,692
Studio/mo
$1,777
1 BR/mo
$2,201
2 BR/mo
$2,912
3 BR/mo
$3,514
4 BR/mo

Average Teacher Salary

$79,598
Average annual teacher salary

Source: NCES CCD F-33 (Finance Survey).

Teacher salary data from NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 6 schools in Bear Valley Unified.

White 48.6%
Hispanic or Latino 44.5%
African American 0.8%
Asian 1.1%
Multiracial 4.8%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

1 / 6
Schools with AP
8 AP courses total
279:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
45.7%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Bear Valley Unified

School Enrollment
Big Bear High
630
North Shore Elementary
517
Big Bear Middle
489
Baldwin Lane Elementary
445
Fallsvale
62
Chautauqua High (Continuation)
33

Nearby Districts in California

Top districts in the same state — compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Los Angeles Unified
427,795 students · 785 schools · $25,877/pupil
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San Diego Unified
93,893 students · 175 schools · $26,901/pupil
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Fresno Unified
69,668 students · 101 schools · $20,737/pupil
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Long Beach Unified
65,554 students · 84 schools · $19,558/pupil
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Elk Grove Unified
62,061 students · 67 schools · $16,975/pupil
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Compare Bear Valley Unified

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Bear Valley Unified?

Bear Valley Unified has 6 schools, including 1 high, 3 elementary, 1 middle, 1 other. Total enrollment is 2,145 students.

How much does Bear Valley Unified spend per student?

Bear Valley Unified spends $15,678 per student. The district has an equity score of 31/100, ranking #1274 in California.

What is the average teacher salary in Bear Valley Unified?

The average teacher salary in Bear Valley Unified is $79,598 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

What is the average rent near Bear Valley Unified?

The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in San Bernardino County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.

What is the demographic composition of Bear Valley Unified?

Bear Valley Unified students are 48.6% White, 44.5% Hispanic or Latino, 1.1% Asian, 0.8% African American, averaged across 6 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Bear Valley Unified?

Bear Valley Unified has an equity score of 31/100, ranking #1274 out of 1547 districts in California. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.

Federal data Last updated 2026 Free public data

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Full national footprint

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Quarterly

Refreshed within 30 days of upstream release

Source agency

Federal

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Page reliability score 94.0%
Industry baseline

Composite score weighing source authority, update freshness, and methodological transparency. 1.0 = full federal-source coverage with documented methodology and recent update.