Denair 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, the data changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.

Denair, California - 4 schools

An equity score of 48/100 ranks Denair Unified #822 of 1526 districts in California (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $16,696 per pupil, Denair Unified ranks #1067 of 1880 California districts by per-pupil spending (California districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

1,300
Total Enrollment
4
Schools
$16,696
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Denair Unified operates 4 public schools serving 1,300 students, placing it among the smallest districts in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 elementary, 1 high, 1 middle, 1 combined 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 Stanislaus County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $16,696 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 1880 California districts by per-pupil spending. See how California compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 46.3% local, 41.8% state, and 11.9% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 48/100, ranked #822 of 1526 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 1 of 4 schools offering Advanced Placement (6 AP courses district-wide), a 209.2:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 35.3% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 55.4% Hispanic or Latino, 36.5% White, 0.8% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Denair Charter Academy, with a diversity index of 60.7/100.

Its largest campus is Denair Elementary Charter Academy, enrolling 554 students (43% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Denair Charter Academy, at 143 students, a 4x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Denair Elementary Charter Academy accounts for 42.6% of all Denair Unified student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Denair Unified-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: elementary. The share measures enrollment concentration only; it does not establish how the district allocates programs, capital, or staff. Enrollment-weighted aggregates give this entity more weight than any smaller peer, while an unweighted entity average treats every record equally.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Denair Unified school enrollment varies 3.9× across entities

Denair Unified school enrollment ranges from 143 students (lowest) to 554 students (highest), a spread of 411 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio, most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. 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

Denair Unified reports 50.2% free-lunch eligibility

The reported share clears the 50% majority mark. Title I operates under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015), but its statutory allocation uses additional LEA-level counts and rules not represented by this average. This percentage is an economic-need context measure; it does not establish a Title I award, show dollars received, or describe how funds are distributed among campuses.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Denair Unified student-counselor ratio is 209:1 — low (typically associated with meeting or exceeding the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommended 250:1 benchmark, which correlates with stronger college and career counseling capacity)

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 Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Denair Unified chronic absenteeism rate is 35.3% — 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

Where does the funding come from?

11.9%
Federal
41.8%
State
46.3%
Local

Funding Equity

48
Equity Score
822 / 1526
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 4 schools in Denair Unified.

White 36.5%
Hispanic or Latino 55.4%
Asian 0.8%
Multiracial 6.1%
Other 0.8%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 55.3/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Denair Charter Academy 60.7
  2. 2 Denair Middle 56.4
  3. 3 Denair Elementary Charter Academy 52.2
  4. 4 Denair High 52.1

Programs & Resources

1 / 4
Schools with AP
6 AP courses total
209.2:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
35.3%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Denair Unified

School Enrollment
Denair Elementary Charter Academy
Charter
554
Denair High
306
Denair Middle
298
Denair Charter Academy
Charter
143

How Denair Unified Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The California districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Hawking S.T.E.a.M. Charter District Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Mark West Union Elementary Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Hillsborough City Elementary Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Roseland Charter District Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Iq Academy California-Los Angeles District Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Denair 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 · $22,606/pupil
Compare vs Denair Unified →
San Diego Unified
93,893 students · 175 schools · $20,783/pupil
Compare vs Denair Unified →
Fresno Unified
69,668 students · 101 schools · $20,909/pupil
Compare vs Denair Unified →
Long Beach Unified
65,554 students · 84 schools · $18,419/pupil
Compare vs Denair Unified →
Elk Grove Unified
62,061 students · 67 schools · $15,921/pupil
Compare vs Denair Unified →

Nationwide districts with similar enrollment or spending

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by per-pupil expenditure, not the same-state lists above.

Compare Denair 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 Denair Unified?

Denair Unified has 4 schools, including 1 elementary, 1 high, 1 middle, 1 combined. Total enrollment is 1,300 students.

How much does Denair Unified spend per student?

Denair Unified spends $16,696 per student. The district has an equity score of 48/100, ranking #822 in California.

What is the demographic composition of Denair Unified?

Denair Unified students are 55.4% Hispanic or Latino, 36.5% White, 0.8% Asian, 0.5% African American, averaged across 4 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Denair Unified?

Denair Unified has an equity score of 48/100, ranking #822 out of 1526 districts in California.