Del Norte County 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.

Crescent City, California - 11 schools

An equity score of 59/100 ranks Del Norte County Unified #513 of 1517 districts in California (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $15,514 per pupil, Del Norte County Unified ranks #854 of 1862 California districts by per-pupil spending (California districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

3,501
Total Enrollment
11
Schools
$15,514
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, 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 Del Norte County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $15,514 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 25.0% local, 60.2% state, and 14.8% 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 59/100, ranked #513 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.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 11 schools offering Advanced Placement (2 AP courses district-wide), a 306.3:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 59.8% 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. Its most demographically mixed campus is Sunset High, with a diversity index of 70.9/100.

Its largest campus is Del Norte High, enrolling 918 students (27% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Mountain Elementary, at 44 students, a 21x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Del Norte High accounts for 26.2% of all Del Norte County Unified student enrollment

That concentration 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 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

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). 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

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 59.8% — 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?

14.8%
Federal
60.2%
State
25.0%
Local

Funding Equity

59
Equity Score
513 / 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 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.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 65.5/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Del Norte County Unified's schools, above the California average of 46.0.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Sunset High 70.9
  2. 2 Joe Hamilton Elementary 70.8
  3. 3 Crescent Elk Middle 69.2
  4. 4 Del Norte High 68.7
  5. 5 Bess Maxwell Elementary 68.6

Programs & Resources

1 / 11
Schools with AP
2 AP courses total
306.3:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
59.8%
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

How Del Norte County Unified Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The California districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
El Segundo Unified Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
Rescue Union Elementary Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
Albany City Unified Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
San Benito High Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Walnut Creek Elementary Similar size Similar spending More locally funded

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

Compare Del Norte County 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 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 $15,514 per student. The district has an equity score of 59/100, ranking #513 in California.

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 #513 out of 1517 districts in California.