El Rancho 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.

Pico Rivera, California - 13 schools

An equity score of 58/100 ranks El Rancho Unified #550 of 1526 districts in California (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $18,168 per pupil, El Rancho Unified ranks #789 of 1880 California districts by per-pupil spending (California districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

7,255
Total Enrollment
13
Schools
$18,168
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Middle
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

El Rancho Unified operates 13 public schools serving 7,255 students, placing it among the smaller districts in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 8 elementary, 3 middle, 2 high 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 $18,168 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 1880 California districts by per-pupil spending. See how California compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 24.2% local, 61.8% state, and 14.0% 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 58/100, ranked #550 of 1526 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 13 schools offering Advanced Placement (16 AP courses district-wide), a 256.2:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 40.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 97.3% Hispanic or Latino, 1.2% White, 0.9% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is North Park Academy of the Arts, with a diversity index of 7.6/100.

Its largest campus is El Rancho High, enrolling 1,995 students (30% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Ruben Salazar Continuation, at 178 students, a 11x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

El Rancho High accounts for 27.5% of all El Rancho Unified student enrollment

That dominant concentration means El Rancho Unified-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: high. 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

El Rancho Unified school enrollment varies 11× across entities

El Rancho Unified school enrollment ranges from 178 students (lowest) to 1,995 students (highest), a spread of 1,817 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

El Rancho Unified reports 64.8% free-lunch eligibility

The reported share sits between 62.5% and 75%, above a simple majority but below the highest descriptive band used here. 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

El Rancho Unified student-counselor ratio is 256:1 — 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 El Rancho Unified is typically wider than the El Rancho Unified-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

El Rancho Unified chronic absenteeism rate is 40.8% — 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

Where does the funding come from?

14.0%
Federal
61.8%
State
24.2%
Local

Funding Equity

58
Equity Score
550 / 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 13 schools in El Rancho Unified.

White 1.2%
Hispanic or Latino 97.3%
Asian 0.9%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 5.3/100

Average Simpson diversity index across El Rancho Unified's schools, below the California average of 46.0.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 North Park Academy of the Arts 7.6
  2. 2 Valencia Academy of the Arts 7.4
  3. 3 Steam Academy @ Burke 7.2
  4. 4 Durfee Elementary 6.1
  5. 5 El Rancho High 5.9

Programs & Resources

1 / 13
Schools with AP
16 AP courses total
256.2:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
40.8%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in El Rancho Unified

School Enrollment
El Rancho High
1,995
Rivera Middle
544
Steam Academy @ Burke
534
North Park Academy of the Arts
512
Rivera Elementary
473
Valencia Academy of the Arts
398
Magee Academy of Arts & Sciences
376
Rio Vista Elementary
370
South Ranchito Dual Language Academy
351
Birney Tech Academy
344
Durfee Elementary
322
North Ranchito Elementary
319
Ruben Salazar Continuation
178

How El Rancho Unified Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The California districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Novato Unified Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Inglewood Unified Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
Hueneme Elementary Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Morongo Unified Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Hawthorne Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

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

El Rancho Unified has 13 schools, including 2 high, 3 middle, 8 elementary. Total enrollment is 7,255 students.

How much does El Rancho Unified spend per student?

El Rancho Unified spends $18,168 per student. The district has an equity score of 58/100, ranking #550 in California.

What is the demographic composition of El Rancho Unified?

El Rancho Unified students are 97.3% Hispanic or Latino, 1.2% White, 0.9% Asian, 0.2% African American, averaged across 13 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for El Rancho Unified?

El Rancho Unified has an equity score of 58/100, ranking #550 out of 1526 districts in California.