Del Norte County Unified

Crescent City, California — 11 schools

3,501
Total Enrollment
11
Schools
$16,910
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Del Norte County Unified operates 11 public schools serving 3,501 students, placing it among the smaller districts in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 8 elementary, 2 high, 1 middle schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 3,378 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Del Norte County County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $16,910 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 25.0% local, 60.2% state, and 14.8% 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 $80,232 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 59/100, ranked #528 of 1547 in California against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 11 schools offering Advanced Placement (2 AP courses district-wide), a 306.3:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 64.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 45.3% White, 24.8% Hispanic or Latino, 2.9% Asian across the district's schools.

Del Norte High accounts for 27.2% of all Del Norte County Unified student enrollment

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

Del Norte County Unified school enrollment varies 21× across entities

Del Norte County Unified school enrollment ranges from 44 students (lowest) to 918 students (highest), a spread of 874 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. 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

Del Norte County Unified has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 64.0% 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

Del Norte County Unified student-counselor ratio is 306:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts

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 Variation between sub-units within Del Norte County Unified is typically wider than the Del Norte County Unified-aggregate figure suggests.

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

Del Norte County Unified chronic absenteeism rate is 64.8% — 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?

14.8%
Federal
60.2%
State
25.0%
Local

Funding Equity

59
Equity Score
528 / 1547
State Rank
50
State Average

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

Local Rent Costs

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

$957
Studio/mo
$1,222
1 BR/mo
$1,370
2 BR/mo
$1,905
3 BR/mo
$2,277
4 BR/mo

Average Teacher Salary

$80,232
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 11 schools in Del Norte County Unified.

White 45.3%
Hispanic or Latino 24.8%
Asian 2.9%
Multiracial 9.2%
Other 17.5%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

1 / 11
Schools with AP
2 AP courses total
306.3:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
64.8%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Del Norte County Unified

School Enrollment
Del Norte High
918
Crescent Elk Middle
507
Redwood Elementary
452
Joe Hamilton Elementary
298
Pine Grove Elementary
265
Smith River Elementary
258
Mary Peacock Elementary
251
Bess Maxwell Elementary
217
Margaret Keating Elementary
86
Sunset High
82
Mountain Elementary
44

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 · $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 Del Norte County 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 Del Norte County Unified?

Del Norte County Unified has 11 schools, including 2 high, 1 middle, 8 elementary. Total enrollment is 3,501 students.

How much does Del Norte County Unified spend per student?

Del Norte County Unified spends $16,910 per student. The district has an equity score of 59/100, ranking #528 in California.

What is the average teacher salary in Del Norte County Unified?

The average teacher salary in Del Norte County Unified is $80,232 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

What is the average rent near Del Norte County Unified?

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

What is the demographic composition of Del Norte County Unified?

Del Norte County Unified students are 45.3% White, 24.8% Hispanic or Latino, 2.9% Asian, 0.3% African American, averaged across 11 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Del Norte County Unified?

Del Norte County Unified has an equity score of 59/100, ranking #528 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

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Composite score weighing source authority, update freshness, and methodological transparency. 1.0 = full federal-source coverage with documented methodology and recent update.