An equity score of 19/100 ranks Golden Valley Unified #1449 of 1526 districts in California (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $13,158 per pupil, Golden Valley Unified ranks #1670 of 1880 California districts by per-pupil spending (California districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
2,566
Total Enrollment
10
Schools
$13,158
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Elementary
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Golden Valley Unified operates 10 public schools serving 2,566 students, placing it among the smaller districts in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 4 combined, 3 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 Madera County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,158 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 42.5% local, 49.2% state, and 8.4% 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 19/100, ranked #1449 of 1526 in California against a state average of 50, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 10 schools offering Advanced Placement (11 AP courses district-wide), a 422.6:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 22.7% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 56.1% Hispanic or Latino, 32.9% White, 4.5% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Stone Creek Elementary, with a diversity index of 64.8/100.
Its largest campus is Liberty High, enrolling 748 students (25% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Lincoln Community Day, at 2 students, a 374x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Liberty High accounts for 24.9% of all Golden Valley Unified student enrollment
That concentration means Golden Valley 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.
Golden Valley Unified school enrollment varies 374× across entities
Golden Valley Unified school enrollment ranges from 2 students (lowest) to 748 students (highest), a spread of 746 students. That ratio is an extreme outlier spread — among the widest gaps observed anywhere in this dataset. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Golden Valley Unified student-counselor ratio is 423:1 — 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.
Golden Valley Unified chronic absenteeism rate is 22.7% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism
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 Variation between sub-units within Golden Valley Unified is typically wider than the Golden Valley Unified-aggregate figure suggests.
Golden Valley Unified has 10 schools, including 2 high, 3 elementary, 1 middle, 4 combined. Total enrollment is 2,566 students.
How much does Golden Valley Unified spend per student?
Golden Valley Unified spends $13,158 per student. The district has an equity score of 19/100, ranking #1449 in California.
What is the demographic composition of Golden Valley Unified?
Golden Valley Unified students are 56.1% Hispanic or Latino, 32.9% White, 4.5% Asian, 2.5% African American, averaged across 10 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Golden Valley Unified?
Golden Valley Unified has an equity score of 19/100, ranking #1449 out of 1526 districts in California.