Empire Union Elementary

Public school district · Stanislaus County · California · NCES district ID 0612690

Empire Union Elementary spent $17,501 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 57% of the other California districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $16,855). Its 6 schools enrolled 2,794 students in 2024-25; 63.3% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $20,567 per student, up 17.5% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).

NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method

Spending per student among California districts of similar size

Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Empire Union Elementary in enrollment (2,813 to 2,946 students) and Empire Union Elementary itself.

Current spending per student, California districts closest in size to Empire Union Elementary, FY23Assurance Learning Academy $21,615; Arvin Union $19,846; Vaughn Next Century Learning Center District $18,788; Palo Verde Unified $17,741; Redding Elementary $17,722; Empire Union Elementary $17,501; Rim of the World Unified $16,560; Cambrian $16,205; Calaveras Unified $15,211; Loomis Union $11,712; State median, 1,000+ students $16,855.10k15k20k25kAssurance Learning Academy$21,615Arvin Union$19,846Vaughn Next Century Learning C…$18,788Palo Verde Unified$17,741Redding Elementary$17,722Empire Union Elementary$17,501Rim of the World Unified$16,560Cambrian$16,205Calaveras Unified$15,211Loomis Union$11,712State median, 1,000+ students $16,855
Current spending per student, California districts closest in size to Empire Union Elementary, FY23Assurance Learning Academy $21,615; Arvin Union $19,846; Vaughn Next Century Learning Center District $18,788; Palo Verde Unified $17,741; Redding Elementary $17,722; Empire Union Elementary $17,501; Rim of the World Unified $16,560; Cambrian $16,205; Calaveras Unified $15,211; Loomis Union $11,712; State median, 1,000+ students $16,855.10k15k20k25kAssurance Learning Academy$21,615Arvin Union$19,846Vaughn Next Century Learning Center…$18,788Palo Verde Unified$17,741Redding Elementary$17,722Empire Union Elementary$17,501Rim of the World Unified$16,560Cambrian$16,205Calaveras Unified$15,211Loomis Union$11,712State median, 1,000+ students $16,855
Current spending per student, California districts closest in size to Empire Union Elementary, FY23Assurance Learning Academy $21,615; Arvin Union $19,846; Vaughn Next Century Learning Center District $18,788; Palo Verde Unified $17,741; Redding Elementary $17,722; Empire Union Elementary $17,501; Rim of the World Unified $16,560; Cambrian $16,205; Calaveras Unified $15,211; Loomis Union $11,712; State median, 1,000+ students $16,855.10k15k20k25kAssurance Learning Academy$21,615Arvin Union$19,846Vaughn Next Century Learning Center District$18,788Palo Verde Unified$17,741Redding Elementary$17,722Empire Union Elementary$17,501Rim of the World Unified$16,560Cambrian$16,205Calaveras Unified$15,211Loomis Union$11,712State median, 1,000+ students $16,855
Current spending per student, California districts closest in size to Empire Union Elementary, FY23Assurance Learning Academy $21,615; Arvin Union $19,846; Vaughn Next Century Learning Center District $18,788; Palo Verde Unified $17,741; Redding Elementary $17,722; Empire Union Elementary $17,501; Rim of the World Unified $16,560; Cambrian $16,205; Calaveras Unified $15,211; Loomis Union $11,712; State median, 1,000+ students $16,855.10k15k20k25kAssurance Learning Academy$21,615Arvin Union$19,846Vaughn Next Century Learning Center Dis…$18,788Palo Verde Unified$17,741Redding Elementary$17,722Empire Union Elementary$17,501Rim of the World Unified$16,560Cambrian$16,205Calaveras Unified$15,211Loomis Union$11,712State median, 1,000+ students $16,855

Where the money came from

$70,334,000 in revenue: 63.3% state, 24.4% local and 12.3% federal. Total spending including $2,872,000 of capital outlay was $54,136,000, or $18,830 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.

Empire Union Elementary revenue by source, fiscal year 2022-23State $44,535,000; Local $17,152,000; Federal $8,647,000; total $70,334,000.
  • State$44,535,000 63%
  • Local$17,152,000 24%
  • Federal$8,647,000 12%

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 646 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).

Enrollment fell from 2022-23 to 2024-25

2,870 students in 2022-23, 2,818 students in 2023-24, 2,794 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.

Empire Union Elementary enrollment by school year2022-23: 2,870, 2023-24: 2,818, 2024-25: 2,79401k2k3k2022-232,8702023-242,8182024-252,794
Empire Union Elementary enrollment by school year2022-23: 2,870, 2023-24: 2,818, 2024-25: 2,79401k2k3k2022-232,8702023-242,8182024-252,794
Empire Union Elementary enrollment by school year2022-23: 2,870, 2023-24: 2,818, 2024-25: 2,79401k2k3k2022-232,8702023-242,8182024-252,794
Empire Union Elementary enrollment by school year2022-23: 2,870, 2023-24: 2,818, 2024-25: 2,79401k2k3k2022-232,8702023-242,8182024-252,794

Teachers and students per teacher

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Per teacher
2022-232,870124.923.0
2023-242,818124.522.6
2024-252,794117.123.9

Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.

$14,151,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $4,922 per student

Empire Union Elementary booked $14,151,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 125 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $113,308 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 72 in 100 California districts with a figure (state median $99,744, 1,149 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average California teacher salary at $87,275 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).

ProgramTeacher salariesShare
Regular programs$12,209,00086.3%
Special education$1,942,00013.7%

Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23

The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $3,843 in 2018-19, $3,968 in 2019-20, $4,269 in 2020-21, $4,425 in 2021-22, $4,922 in 2022-23.

Empire Union Elementary teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,843, 2019-20: $3,968, 2020-21: $4,269, 2021-22: $4,425, 2022-23: $4,92202k4k6k2018-19$3,8432019-20$3,9682020-21$4,2692021-22$4,4252022-23$4,922
Empire Union Elementary teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,843, 2019-20: $3,968, 2020-21: $4,269, 2021-22: $4,425, 2022-23: $4,92202k4k6k2018-19$3,8432019-20$3,9682020-21$4,2692021-22$4,4252022-23$4,922
Empire Union Elementary teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,843, 2019-20: $3,968, 2020-21: $4,269, 2021-22: $4,425, 2022-23: $4,92202k4k6k2018-19$3,8432019-20$3,9682020-21$4,2692021-22$4,4252022-23$4,922
Empire Union Elementary teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,843, 2019-20: $3,968, 2020-21: $4,269, 2021-22: $4,425, 2022-23: $4,92202k4k6k2018-19$3,8432019-20$3,9682020-21$4,2692021-22$4,4252022-23$4,922

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).

State test results, 2021-22

In 2021-22, the students tested in Empire Union Elementary scored proficient or above: 30-32% in reading and 19-20% in math, against 45% in reading and 34% in math across California. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within California, not across states. Where a state published results by grade only, the grades tested are combined, weighted by the students tested in each.

Students proficient or above, 2021-22
SubjectThis districtCaliforniaStudents tested
Reading and language arts30-32%45%1,873
Math19-20%34%1,876

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.

5 elementary schools, 2,192 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Christine Sipherd Elementary50524.063.0%Not reported
Capistrano Elementary46926.176.3%Not reported
Bernard L. Hughes Elementary45526.867.5%Not reported
Empire Elementary38424.078.4%Not reported
Alice N. Stroud Elementary37923.766.0%Not reported

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

1 middle school, 602 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Norman N. Glick Middle60220.764.5%Not reported

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

Contact Empire Union Elementary

Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.

What to look at next about Empire Union Elementary

  1. California districts by spending per studentEmpire Union Elementary ranks 276 of 646 California districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($17,501).#276 of 646
  2. Every school district in CaliforniaEmpire Union Elementary is the number 401 by size of 1,991 California districts, with 2,875 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#401 of 1,991
  3. Vaughn Next Century Learning Center DistrictThe next larger California district: 2,877 students in fall 2022, $18,788 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$18,788
  4. Palo Verde UnifiedThe next smaller California district: 2,813 students in fall 2022, $17,741 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$17,741
  5. Compare Empire Union Elementary with Vaughn Next Century Learning Center DistrictEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
  6. Teacher salary spending across CaliforniaEmpire Union Elementary spent $113,308 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $99,744); spending, not a salary.$113,308
  7. Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.

Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).

Questions about Empire Union Elementary

  1. How many schools and students are in Empire Union Elementary?
    6 schools were open in 2024-25 (5 elementary, 1 middle), enrolling 2,794 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.
  2. How much does Empire Union Elementary spend per student?
    $17,501 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the California median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $16,855 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $20,567 per student, up 17.5% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).
  3. Where does Empire Union Elementary's money come from?
    $70,334,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 63.3% state, 24.4% local and 12.3% federal (NCES F-33).
  4. How many children in Empire Union Elementary live in poverty?
    The Census Bureau estimates that 623 of the 3,390 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 18.4%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.
  5. How much does Empire Union Elementary spend on teacher salaries?
    $14,151,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $4,922 per student. Divided by the 125 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $113,308 per teacher, more than 72 in 100 California districts (state median $99,744). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average California teacher salary at $87,275 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
  6. How do students in Empire Union Elementary do on state tests?
    In 2021-22, the students tested in Empire Union Elementary scored proficient or above: 30-32% in reading and 19-20% in math, against 45% in reading and 34% in math across California. California's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.
  7. What is Empire Union Elementary's NCES district ID?
    0612690. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.

Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.

Sources

Every federal file behind this record
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
  • Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
  • EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
  • EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
  • NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24

Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25

Compiled from official source data by .