Covina-Valley Unified

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.

Covina, California - 17 schools

An equity score of 48/100 ranks Covina-Valley Unified #811 of 1517 districts in California (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $15,106 per pupil, Covina-Valley Unified ranks #947 of 1862 California districts by per-pupil spending (California districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

11,130
Total Enrollment
17
Schools
$15,106
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Covina-Valley Unified operates 17 public schools serving 11,130 students, placing it among the smaller districts in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 9 elementary, 4 high, 3 middle, 1 combined schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Los Angeles County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $15,106 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 1862 California districts by per-pupil spending. See how California compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 26.0% local, 61.7% state, and 12.3% 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 48/100, ranked #811 of 1517 in California against a state average of 50, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 3 of 17 schools offering Advanced Placement (46 AP courses district-wide), a 431.6:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 24.3% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 80.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 5.1% White across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Mesa Elementary, with a diversity index of 59.8/100.

Its largest campus is South Hills High, enrolling 1,568 students (14% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Covina-Valley Learning Options Academy, at 57 students, a 28x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Covina-Valley Unified school enrollment varies 28× across entities

Covina-Valley Unified school enrollment ranges from 57 students (lowest) to 1,568 students (highest), a spread of 1,511 students. That spread is wider than typical and predicts noticeable gaps in service quality between the highest and lowest areas. 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

Covina-Valley Unified has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 58.5% 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

Covina-Valley Unified student-counselor ratio is 432:1 — 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

Covina-Valley Unified chronic absenteeism rate is 24.3% — 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 Covina-Valley Unified is typically wider than the Covina-Valley Unified-aggregate figure suggests.

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

Where does the funding come from?

12.3%
Federal
61.7%
State
26.0%
Local

Funding Equity

48
Equity Score
811 / 1517
State Rank
50
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 17 schools in Covina-Valley Unified.

White 5.1%
Hispanic or Latino 80.1%
African American 2.7%
Asian 9.8%
Multiracial 2.0%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 33.3/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Covina-Valley Unified's schools, below the California average of 46.0.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Mesa Elementary 59.8
  2. 2 Grovecenter Elementary 41.1
  3. 3 Sierra Vista Middle 40.2
  4. 4 Barranca Elementary 39.1
  5. 5 Rowland Avenue Elementary 38.1

Programs & Resources

3 / 17
Schools with AP
46 AP courses total
431.6:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
24.3%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Covina-Valley Unified

School Enrollment
South Hills High
1,568
Northview High
1,247
Covina High
1,056
Las Palmas Middle
887
Sierra Vista Middle
778
Mesa Elementary
753
Traweek Middle
614
Grovecenter Elementary
595
Cypress Elementary
558
Barranca Elementary
529
Ben Lomond Elementary
506
Merwin Elementary
462
Workman Avenue Elementary
455
Manzanita Elementary
425
Rowland Avenue Elementary
423
Fairvalley High (Continuation)
115
Covina-Valley Learning Options Academy
57

How Covina-Valley Unified Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The California districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Merced Union High Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Los Banos Unified Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Carlsbad Unified Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Merced City Elementary Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Victor Valley Union High Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Covina-Valley Unified'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 Covina-Valley Unified →
San Diego Unified
93,893 students · 175 schools · $18,665/pupil
Compare vs Covina-Valley Unified →
Fresno Unified
69,668 students · 101 schools · $18,783/pupil
Compare vs Covina-Valley Unified →
Long Beach Unified
65,554 students · 84 schools · $16,028/pupil
Compare vs Covina-Valley Unified →
Elk Grove Unified
62,061 students · 67 schools · $14,134/pupil
Compare vs Covina-Valley Unified →

Compare Covina-Valley Unified

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 Covina-Valley Unified?

Covina-Valley Unified has 17 schools, including 4 high, 3 middle, 9 elementary, 1 combined. Total enrollment is 11,130 students.

How much does Covina-Valley Unified spend per student?

Covina-Valley Unified spends $15,106 per student. The district has an equity score of 48/100, ranking #811 in California.

What is the demographic composition of Covina-Valley Unified?

Covina-Valley Unified students are 80.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 5.1% White, 2.7% African American, averaged across 17 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Covina-Valley Unified?

Covina-Valley Unified has an equity score of 48/100, ranking #811 out of 1517 districts in California.