Cascade Union Elementary

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.

Anderson, California - 4 schools

An equity score of 86/100 ranks Cascade Union Elementary #29 of 1517 districts in California (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $20,136 per pupil, Cascade Union Elementary ranks #230 of 1862 California districts by per-pupil spending (California districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

1,079
Total Enrollment
4
Schools
$20,136
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Middle
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Cascade Union Elementary operates 4 public schools serving 1,079 students, placing it among the smallest districts in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 3 elementary, 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 Shasta County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $20,136 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 1862 California districts by per-pupil spending. See how California compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 22.9% local, 52.8% state, and 24.3% 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 86/100, ranked #29 of 1517 in California against a state average of 50, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

and 49.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 49.2% White, 23.0% Hispanic or Latino, 3.9% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is North State Aspire Academy, with a diversity index of 69.8/100.

Its largest campus is Meadow Lane Elementary, enrolling 398 students (39% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is North State Aspire Academy, at 13 students, a 31x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Meadow Lane Elementary accounts for 36.9% of all Cascade Union Elementary student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Cascade Union Elementary-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

Cascade Union Elementary school enrollment varies 31× across entities

Cascade Union Elementary school enrollment ranges from 13 students (lowest) to 398 students (highest), a spread of 385 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

Cascade Union Elementary has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 72.8% 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). Eligibility here is approaching the 75% concentration-grant threshold; it does not yet unlock the extra funding tier but sits meaningfully above the baseline 50% majority mark. 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

Cascade Union Elementary chronic absenteeism rate is 49.8% — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)

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 Values this far above typical often signal acute resource constraints or a structurally different scale than most peers — worth reading alongside the underlying counts, not the ratio alone.

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

Where does the funding come from?

24.3%
Federal
52.8%
State
22.9%
Local

Funding Equity

86
Equity Score
29 / 1517
State Rank
50
State Average

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

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 4 schools in Cascade Union Elementary.

White 49.2%
Hispanic or Latino 23.0%
African American 1.0%
Asian 3.9%
Multiracial 16.8%
Other 6.3%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 66.0/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Cascade Union Elementary's schools, above the California average of 46.0.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 North State Aspire Academy 69.8
  2. 2 Anderson Middle 65.7
  3. 3 Anderson Heights Elementary 65.7
  4. 4 Meadow Lane Elementary 62.9

Programs & Resources

49.8%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Cascade Union Elementary

School Enrollment
Meadow Lane Elementary
398
Anderson Middle
341
Anderson Heights Elementary
261
North State Aspire Academy
13

How Cascade Union Elementary Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The California districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Santiago Middle District Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
Temecula Preparatory District Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
Kipp Comienza Community Prep District Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Sonora Union High Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
Santa Cruz County Office of Education Similar size Higher spending More locally funded

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

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 · $21,940/pupil
Compare vs Cascade Union Elementary →
San Diego Unified
93,893 students · 175 schools · $18,665/pupil
Compare vs Cascade Union Elementary →
Fresno Unified
69,668 students · 101 schools · $18,783/pupil
Compare vs Cascade Union Elementary →
Long Beach Unified
65,554 students · 84 schools · $16,028/pupil
Compare vs Cascade Union Elementary →
Elk Grove Unified
62,061 students · 67 schools · $14,134/pupil
Compare vs Cascade Union Elementary →

Compare Cascade Union Elementary

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

Compare vs Los Angeles Unified →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Cascade Union Elementary?

Cascade Union Elementary has 4 schools, including 3 elementary, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 1,079 students.

How much does Cascade Union Elementary spend per student?

Cascade Union Elementary spends $20,136 per student. The district has an equity score of 86/100, ranking #29 in California.

What is the demographic composition of Cascade Union Elementary?

Cascade Union Elementary students are 49.2% White, 23.0% Hispanic or Latino, 3.9% Asian, 1.0% African American, averaged across 4 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Cascade Union Elementary?

Cascade Union Elementary has an equity score of 86/100, ranking #29 out of 1517 districts in California.