Calexico Unified

Calexico, California — 12 schools

8,353
Total Enrollment
12
Schools
$21,017
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Calexico Unified operates 12 public schools serving 8,353 students, placing it among the smaller districts in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 7 elementary, 2 high, 2 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 8,022 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Imperial County County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $21,017 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 10.2% local, 69.5% state, and 20.4% 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 $81,620 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 75/100, ranked #145 of 1547 in California against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 12 schools offering Advanced Placement (7 AP courses district-wide), a 521.1:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 68.3% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 99.1% Hispanic or Latino, 0.4% White, 0.2% African American across the district's schools.

Calexico High accounts for 34.2% of all Calexico Unified student enrollment

That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Calexico 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

Calexico Unified school enrollment varies 1373× across entities

Calexico Unified school enrollment ranges from 2 students (lowest) to 2,746 students (highest), a spread of 2,744 students. That ratio is among the widest observed and reflects extreme enrollment heterogeneity — the district operates both small specialty programs and large comprehensive campuses inside a single budgeting unit. 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

Calexico Unified has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 83.6% 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 — including this one — 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

Calexico Unified student-counselor ratio is 521:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)

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 Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

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

Calexico Unified chronic absenteeism rate is 68.3% — 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?

20.4%
Federal
69.5%
State
10.2%
Local

Funding Equity

75
Equity Score
145 / 1547
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores well on funding equity, with balanced funding sources and good resource allocation.

Local Rent Costs

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

$939
Studio/mo
$1,038
1 BR/mo
$1,362
2 BR/mo
$1,845
3 BR/mo
$2,285
4 BR/mo

Average Teacher Salary

$81,620
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 12 schools in Calexico Unified.

Hispanic or Latino 99.1%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

1 / 12
Schools with AP
7 AP courses total
521.1:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
68.3%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Calexico Unified

School Enrollment
Calexico High
2,746
Cesar Chavez Elementary
765
Enrique Camarena Jr. High
674
Jefferson Elementary
625
William Moreno Junior High
618
Rockwood Elementary
617
Dool Elementary
568
Kennedy Gardens Elementary
484
Blanche Charles Elementary
419
Mains Elementary
408
Aurora High (Continuation)
96
Pinnacle Hall Community Day
2

Nearby Districts in California

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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 Calexico 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 Calexico Unified?

Calexico Unified has 12 schools, including 2 high, 7 elementary, 2 middle, 1 other. Total enrollment is 8,353 students.

How much does Calexico Unified spend per student?

Calexico Unified spends $21,017 per student. The district has an equity score of 75/100, ranking #145 in California.

What is the average teacher salary in Calexico Unified?

The average teacher salary in Calexico Unified is $81,620 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

What is the average rent near Calexico Unified?

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

What is the demographic composition of Calexico Unified?

Calexico Unified students are 99.1% Hispanic or Latino, 0.4% White, 0.2% African American, 0.1% Asian, averaged across 12 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Calexico Unified?

Calexico Unified has an equity score of 75/100, ranking #145 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

Coverage

50 states + DC

Full national footprint

Update cadence

Quarterly

Refreshed within 30 days of upstream release

Source agency

Federal

Authoritative data, no third-party aggregation

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.