Chico Unified
Public school district · Alameda County · California · NCES district ID 0608370
Chico Unified spent $16,422 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, below the middle: 56% of the other California districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 spent more (median $16,855). Its 22 schools enrolled 12,260 students in 2024-25; 52.5% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $17,329 per student, up 5.5% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 91% (California: 86.2%).
NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method
Spending per student among California districts of similar size
Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Chico Unified in enrollment (11,626 to 12,557 students) and Chico Unified itself.
Where the money came from
$247,824,000 in revenue: 52.5% state, 37.3% local and 10.2% federal. Total spending including $9,627,000 of capital outlay was $216,571,000, or $17,916 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$130,228,000 53%
- Local$92,381,000 37%
- Federal$25,215,000 10%
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 646 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).
Enrollment rose from 2022-23 to 2024-25
12,087 students in 2022-23, 12,312 students in 2023-24, 12,260 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.
Teachers and students per teacher
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 12,087 | 563.9 | 21.4 |
| 2023-24 | 12,312 | 568.1 | 21.7 |
| 2024-25 | 12,260 | 588.5 | 20.8 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$60,146,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $4,976 per student
Chico Unified booked $60,146,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 564 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $106,670 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 63 in 100 California districts with a figure (state median $99,744, 1,149 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average California teacher salary at $87,275 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
| Program | Teacher salaries | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Regular programs | $47,588,000 | 79.1% |
| Special education | $7,806,000 | 13.0% |
| Vocational | $1,842,000 | 3.1% |
| Other programs | $2,910,000 | 4.8% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $3,934 in 2018-19, $3,955 in 2019-20, $4,150 in 2020-21, $4,532 in 2021-22, $4,976 in 2022-23.
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).
State test results, 2021-22
In 2021-22, the students tested in Chico Unified scored proficient or above: 52% in reading and 39% in math, against 45% in reading and 34% in math across California. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within California, not across states. Where a state published results by grade only, the grades tested are combined, weighted by the students tested in each.
| Subject | This district | California | Students tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and language arts | 52% | 45% | 5,088 |
| Math | 39% | 34% | 5,074 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.
Graduation rate, class of 2023
91% of the 997 students in Chico Unified's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 86.2% across California. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.
| This district | California | |
|---|---|---|
| Four-year graduation rate | 91% | 86.2% |
| Students in the class | 997 | 495,492 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.
12 elementary schools, 5,449 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shasta Elementary | 621 | 21.3 | 34.3% | Not reported |
| Emma Wilson Elementary | 597 | 20.5 | 48.9% | Not reported |
| Marigold Elementary | 571 | 21.1 | 37.8% | Not reported |
| Rosedale Elementary | 563 | 23.0 | 43.5% | Not reported |
| Little Chico Creek Elementary | 471 | 21.5 | 65.8% | Not reported |
| Sierra View Elementary | 428 | 17.8 | 21.5% | Not reported |
| Parkview Elementary | 406 | 18.3 | 38.7% | Not reported |
| McManus (John A.) Elementary | 397 | 18.0 | 66.0% | Not reported |
| Citrus Avenue Elementary | 383 | 19.3 | 77.0% | Not reported |
| Neal Dow Elementary | 364 | 16.9 | 60.4% | Not reported |
| Hooker Oak Elementary | 337 | 21.1 | 39.8% | Not reported |
| Chapman Elementary | 311 | 20.1 | 85.2% | Not reported |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
3 middle schools, 2,589 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bidwell Junior High | 1,012 | 24.2 | 41.5% | Not reported |
| Chico Junior High | 861 | 22.1 | 51.0% | Not reported |
| Marsh (Harry M.) Junior High | 716 | 19.8 | 48.3% | Not reported |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
5 high schools, 3,942 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pleasant Valley High | 1,978 | 22.4 | 36.0% | Not reported |
| Chico High | 1,804 | 22.3 | 46.1% | Not reported |
| Fair View High (Continuation) | 95 | 9.8 | 86.3% | Not reported |
| Center for Alternative Learning | 34 | 12.1 | 91.2% | Not reported |
| Academy for Change | 31 | 11.7 | 90.3% | Not reported |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
2 other schools, 280 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Bridge Academy | 188 | 19.0 | 52.7% | Not reported |
| Oakdale | 92 | 20.3 | 76.1% | Not reported |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
Contact Chico Unified
- Website: chicousd.org
- Phone: (530) 891-3000
- Office: 1163 East Seventh St., Chico, CA 95928
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.
What to look at next about Chico Unified
- California districts by spending per studentChico Unified ranks 364 of 646 California districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($16,422).#364 of 646
- Every school district in CaliforniaChico Unified is the number 123 by size of 1,991 California districts, with 12,088 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#123 of 1,991
- Victor Elementary School DistrictThe next larger California district: 12,420 students in fall 2022, $16,630 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$16,630
- Lynwood UnifiedThe next smaller California district: 11,967 students in fall 2022, $19,542 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$19,542
- Compare Chico Unified with Victor Elementary School DistrictEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Pleasant Valley High, its largest high school1,978 students in 2024-25, 22.4 per teacher.1,978
- Teacher salary spending across CaliforniaChico Unified spent $106,670 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $99,744); spending, not a salary.$106,670
- Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).
Questions about Chico Unified
How many schools and students are in Chico Unified?
22 schools were open in 2024-25 (12 elementary, 3 middle, 5 high, 2 other), enrolling 12,260 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Chico Unified spend per student?
$16,422 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the California median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $16,855 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $17,329 per student, up 5.5% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Chico Unified's money come from?
$247,824,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 52.5% state, 37.3% local and 10.2% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Chico Unified live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 2,609 of the 16,773 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 15.6%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.How much does Chico Unified spend on teacher salaries?
$60,146,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $4,976 per student. Divided by the 564 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $106,670 per teacher, more than 63 in 100 California districts (state median $99,744). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average California teacher salary at $87,275 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).How do students in Chico Unified do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Chico Unified scored proficient or above: 52% in reading and 39% in math, against 45% in reading and 34% in math across California. California's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.What is the graduation rate in Chico Unified?
91% of the 997 students in Chico Unified's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 86.2% across California. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.What is Chico Unified's NCES district ID?
0608370. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.
Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.
Sources
Every federal file behind this record
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
- Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
- EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
- EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
- NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25