Lake Elsinore Unified

Lake Elsinore, California — 24 schools

20,815
Total Enrollment
24
Schools
$15,717
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Lake Elsinore Unified operates 24 public schools serving 20,815 students, placing it in the mid-size range in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 15 elementary, 4 high, 4 middle, 1 other schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 20,539 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Riverside County County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $15,717 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 25.9% local, 61.4% state, and 12.6% 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 $89,137 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 44/100, ranked #924 of 1547 in California against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.

Academic infrastructure includes 3 of 24 schools offering Advanced Placement (44 AP courses district-wide), a 1330:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 43.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 68.0% Hispanic or Latino, 19.2% White, 4.4% African American across the district's schools.

Lake Elsinore Unified school enrollment varies 7.1× across entities

Lake Elsinore Unified school enrollment ranges from 332 students (lowest) to 2,373 students (highest), a spread of 2,041 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

Lake Elsinore Unified has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 59.8% 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

Lake Elsinore Unified student-counselor ratio is 1330:1 — 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

Lake Elsinore Unified chronic absenteeism rate is 43.8% — 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 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

12.6%
Federal
61.4%
State
25.9%
Local

Funding Equity

44
Equity Score
924 / 1547
State Rank
50
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Local Rent Costs

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

$1,692
Studio/mo
$1,777
1 BR/mo
$2,201
2 BR/mo
$2,912
3 BR/mo
$3,514
4 BR/mo

Average Teacher Salary

$89,137
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 24 schools in Lake Elsinore Unified.

White 19.2%
Hispanic or Latino 68.0%
African American 4.4%
Asian 3.2%
Multiracial 4.5%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

3 / 24
Schools with AP
44 AP courses total
1330:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
43.8%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Lake Elsinore Unified

School Enrollment
Temescal Canyon High
2,373
Elsinore High
1,927
Lakeside High
1,687
David a. Brown Middle
1,030
Terra Cotta Middle
1,026
Canyon Lake Middle
951
Elsinore Middle
947
Lakeland Village
909
Railroad Canyon Elementary
873
Earl Warren Elementary
821
Luiseno
819
Cottonwood Canyon Elementary
813
William Collier Elementary
707
Wildomar Elementary
620
Tuscany Hills Elementary
606
Rice Canyon Elementary
596
Withrow Elementary
583
Machado Elementary
531
Ronald Reagan Elementary
508
Alberhill Elementary
485
Donald Graham Elementary
470
Ortega High
463
Elsinore Elementary
462
Keith Mccarthy Academy
332

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

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Lake Elsinore Unified?

Lake Elsinore Unified has 24 schools, including 4 high, 4 middle, 15 elementary, 1 other. Total enrollment is 20,815 students.

How much does Lake Elsinore Unified spend per student?

Lake Elsinore Unified spends $15,717 per student. The district has an equity score of 44/100, ranking #924 in California.

What is the average teacher salary in Lake Elsinore Unified?

The average teacher salary in Lake Elsinore Unified is $89,137 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

What is the average rent near Lake Elsinore Unified?

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

What is the demographic composition of Lake Elsinore Unified?

Lake Elsinore Unified students are 68.0% Hispanic or Latino, 19.2% White, 4.4% African American, 3.2% Asian, averaged across 24 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Lake Elsinore Unified?

Lake Elsinore Unified has an equity score of 44/100, ranking #924 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

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Full national footprint

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Refreshed within 30 days of upstream release

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Federal

Authoritative data, no third-party aggregation

Page reliability score 94.0%
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Composite score weighing source authority, update freshness, and methodological transparency. 1.0 = full federal-source coverage with documented methodology and recent update.