Kernville Union Elementary

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.

Lake Isabella, California - 3 schools

An equity score of 71/100 ranks Kernville Union Elementary #261 of 1526 districts in California (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $20,548 per pupil, Kernville Union Elementary ranks #425 of 1880 California districts by per-pupil spending (California districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

814
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$20,548
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Middle
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Kernville Union Elementary operates 3 public schools serving 814 students, placing it among the smallest districts in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 elementary, 1 middle 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 Kern County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $20,548 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 26.4% local, 53.3% state, and 20.3% 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 71/100, ranked #261 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.

a 329.5:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 68.2% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 68.1% White, 25.5% Hispanic or Latino, 1.2% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Woodrow W. Wallace Elementary, with a diversity index of 48.6/100.

Its largest campus is Woodrow W. Wallace Elementary, enrolling 390 students (51% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Kernville Elementary, at 105 students, a 4x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Woodrow W. Wallace Elementary accounts for 47.9% of all Kernville Union Elementary student enrollment

That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Kernville Union Elementary a distant remainder — means Kernville Union Elementary-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

Kernville Union Elementary school enrollment varies 3.7× across entities

Kernville Union Elementary school enrollment ranges from 105 students (lowest) to 390 students (highest), a spread of 285 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

Kernville Union Elementary reports 73.8% 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

Kernville Union Elementary student-counselor ratio is 330:1 — 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 Kernville Union Elementary is typically wider than the Kernville Union Elementary-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Kernville Union Elementary chronic absenteeism rate is 68.2% — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)

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 Values this far above typical often signal acute resource constraints or a structurally different scale than most peers — worth reading alongside the underlying counts, not the ratio alone.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

20.3%
Federal
53.3%
State
26.4%
Local

Funding Equity

71
Equity Score
261 / 1526
State Rank
50
State Average

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

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 3 schools in Kernville Union Elementary.

White 68.1%
Hispanic or Latino 25.5%
African American 1.2%
Asian 0.9%
Multiracial 1.4%
Other 3.0%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 46.9/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Kernville Union Elementary's schools, about the same as the California average of 46.0.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Woodrow W. Wallace Elementary 48.6
  2. 2 Kernville Elementary 47.2
  3. 3 Woodrow Wallace Middle 44.9

Programs & Resources

329.5:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
68.2%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Kernville Union Elementary

School Enrollment
Woodrow W. Wallace Elementary
390
Woodrow Wallace Middle
269
Kernville Elementary
105

How Kernville Union Elementary Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The California districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Da Vinci Connect District Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
California Virtual Academy @ Sonoma District Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Antelope Elementary Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Elite Academic Academy - Mountain Empire District Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Compass Charter Schools of San Diego District Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix

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

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 Kernville Union 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 Kernville Union Elementary?

Kernville Union Elementary has 3 schools, including 2 elementary, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 814 students.

How much does Kernville Union Elementary spend per student?

Kernville Union Elementary spends $20,548 per student. The district has an equity score of 71/100, ranking #261 in California.

What is the demographic composition of Kernville Union Elementary?

Kernville Union Elementary students are 68.1% White, 25.5% Hispanic or Latino, 1.2% African American, 0.9% Asian, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Kernville Union Elementary?

Kernville Union Elementary has an equity score of 71/100, ranking #261 out of 1526 districts in California.