El Centro Elementary

El Centro, California — 12 schools

5,256
Total Enrollment
12
Schools
$20,618
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Middle
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

El Centro Elementary operates 12 public schools serving 5,256 students, placing it among the smaller districts in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 10 elementary, 2 middle schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 5,157 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Imperial County County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $20,618 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 9.4% local, 67.6% state, and 23.1% 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 $92,622 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 70/100, ranked #251 of 1547 in California against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.

a 910.7:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 41.5% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 95.2% Hispanic or Latino, 2.4% White, 0.8% African American across the district's schools.

El Centro Elementary school enrollment varies 4.6× across entities

El Centro Elementary school enrollment ranges from 131 students (lowest) to 605 students (highest), a spread of 474 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 NCES Common Core of Data

El Centro Elementary has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 70.6% 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

El Centro Elementary student-counselor ratio is 911:1 — 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

El Centro Elementary chronic absenteeism rate is 41.5% — 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?

23.1%
Federal
67.6%
State
9.4%
Local

Funding Equity

70
Equity Score
251 / 1547
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores well on funding equity, with balanced funding sources and good resource allocation.

Local Rent Costs

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

$939
Studio/mo
$1,038
1 BR/mo
$1,362
2 BR/mo
$1,845
3 BR/mo
$2,285
4 BR/mo

Average Teacher Salary

$92,622
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 12 schools in El Centro Elementary.

White 2.4%
Hispanic or Latino 95.2%
African American 0.8%
Multiracial 1.3%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

910.7:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
41.5%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in El Centro Elementary

School Enrollment
Wilson Jr. High
605
Harding Elementary
601
De Anza Magnet
504
Mckinley Elementary
456
Margaret Hedrick Elementary
446
Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary
445
Kennedy Middle
434
Sunflower Elementary
427
Lincoln Elementary
399
Desert Garden Elementary
358
Washington Elementary
351
Imperial Valley Home School Academy
Charter
131

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
Compare vs El Centro Elementary →
San Diego Unified
93,893 students · 175 schools · $26,901/pupil
Compare vs El Centro Elementary →
Fresno Unified
69,668 students · 101 schools · $20,737/pupil
Compare vs El Centro Elementary →
Long Beach Unified
65,554 students · 84 schools · $19,558/pupil
Compare vs El Centro Elementary →
Elk Grove Unified
62,061 students · 67 schools · $16,975/pupil
Compare vs El Centro Elementary →

Compare El Centro Elementary

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 El Centro Elementary?

El Centro Elementary has 12 schools, including 2 middle, 10 elementary. Total enrollment is 5,256 students.

How much does El Centro Elementary spend per student?

El Centro Elementary spends $20,618 per student. The district has an equity score of 70/100, ranking #251 in California.

What is the average teacher salary in El Centro Elementary?

The average teacher salary in El Centro Elementary is $92,622 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

What is the average rent near El Centro Elementary?

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

What is the demographic composition of El Centro Elementary?

El Centro Elementary students are 95.2% Hispanic or Latino, 2.4% White, 0.8% African American, 0.4% Asian, averaged across 12 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for El Centro Elementary?

El Centro Elementary has an equity score of 70/100, ranking #251 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

Coverage

50 states + DC

Full national footprint

Update cadence

Quarterly

Refreshed within 30 days of upstream release

Source agency

Federal

Authoritative data, no third-party aggregation

Page reliability score 94.0%
Industry baseline

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