California Area Sd

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Coal Center, Pennsylvania - 3 schools

An equity score of 32/100 ranks California Area Sd #502 of 648 districts in Pennsylvania (state average 49). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $14,332 per pupil, California Area Sd ranks #607 of 671 Pennsylvania districts by per-pupil spending (Pennsylvania districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

922
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$14,332
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

California Area Sd operates 3 public schools serving 922 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Pennsylvania. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 elementary, 1 high, 1 middle schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Washington County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $14,332 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, among the bottom 68 of 671 Pennsylvania districts by per-pupil spending. See how Pennsylvania compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 35.9% local, 56.6% state, and 7.4% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 32/100, ranked #502 of 648 in Pennsylvania against a state average of 49, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 3 schools offering Advanced Placement (2 AP courses district-wide), a 390.1:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 28.9% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 82.2% White, 3.9% African American, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is California Area El Sch, with a diversity index of 34.7/100.

Its largest campus is California Area El Sch, enrolling 485 students (52% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is California Area Ms, at 158 students, a 3x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

California Area El Sch accounts for 52.0% of all California Area Sd student enrollment

That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of California Area Sd a distant remainder — means California Area Sd-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: elementary. 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

California Area Sd school enrollment varies 3.1× across entities

California Area Sd school enrollment ranges from 158 students (lowest) to 485 students (highest), a spread of 327 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio, most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. 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

California Area Sd student-counselor ratio is 390:1 — 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

California Area Sd chronic absenteeism rate is 28.9% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism

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 Variation between sub-units within California Area Sd is typically wider than the California Area Sd-aggregate figure suggests.

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

Where does the funding come from?

7.4%
Federal
56.6%
State
35.9%
Local

Funding Equity

32
Equity Score
502 / 648
State Rank
49
State Average

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

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 3 schools in California Area Sd.

White 82.2%
Hispanic or Latino 3.8%
African American 3.9%
Multiracial 9.4%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 31.2/100

Average Simpson diversity index across California Area Sd's schools, below the Pennsylvania average of 37.3.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 California Area El Sch 34.7
  2. 2 California Area Ms 30.0
  3. 3 California Area Shs 28.9

Programs & Resources

1 / 3
Schools with AP
2 AP courses total
390.1:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
28.9%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in California Area Sd

School Enrollment
California Area El Sch
485
California Area Shs
290
California Area Ms
158

How California Area Sd Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Pennsylvania districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Fort Cherry Sd Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
Belmont Cs Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Jeannette City Sd Similar size Higher spending Less locally funded
Central Fulton Sd Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
West Branch Area Sd Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to California Area Sd's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Pennsylvania

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

Philadelphia City Sd
118,335 students · 219 schools · $17,892/pupil
Compare vs California Area Sd →
Commonwealth Charter Academy Cs
20,355 students · 1 schools · $13,853/pupil
Compare vs California Area Sd →
Pittsburgh Sd
20,034 students · 56 schools · $24,314/pupil
Compare vs California Area Sd →
Central Bucks Sd
17,540 students · 23 schools · $18,148/pupil
Compare vs California Area Sd →
Reading Sd
17,363 students · 19 schools · $13,219/pupil
Compare vs California Area Sd →

Compare California Area Sd

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

Compare vs Philadelphia City Sd →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in California Area Sd?

California Area Sd has 3 schools, including 1 elementary, 1 high, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 922 students.

How much does California Area Sd spend per student?

California Area Sd spends $14,332 per student. The district has an equity score of 32/100, ranking #502 in Pennsylvania.

What is the demographic composition of California Area Sd?

California Area Sd students are 82.2% White, 3.9% African American, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 0.1% Asian, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for California Area Sd?

California Area Sd has an equity score of 32/100, ranking #502 out of 648 districts in Pennsylvania.