Mountain Empire Unified
Public school district · San Diego County · California · NCES district ID 0626100
Mountain Empire Unified spent $18,521 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 69% of the other California districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $16,855). Its 8 schools enrolled 1,738 students in 2024-25; 59.2% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $20,129 per student, up 8.7% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 90-94% (California: 86.2%).
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 Mountain Empire Unified in enrollment (1,789 to 1,854 students) and Mountain Empire Unified itself.
Where the money came from
$43,390,000 in revenue: 59.2% state, 27.1% local and 13.8% federal. Total spending including $5,602,000 of capital outlay was $40,061,000, or $21,963 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$25,668,000 59%
- Local$11,742,000 27%
- Federal$5,980,000 14%
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
1,823 students in 2022-23, 1,867 students in 2023-24, 1,738 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.
Teachers and students per teacher
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 1,823 | 86.3 | 21.1 |
| 2023-24 | 1,867 | 85.8 | 21.8 |
| 2024-25 | 1,738 | 81.5 | 21.3 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$9,165,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $5,025 per student
Mountain Empire Unified booked $9,165,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 86 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 $106,199 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 62 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).
| Program | Teacher salaries | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Regular programs | $8,263,000 | 90.2% |
| Special education | $747,000 | 8.2% |
| Vocational | $148,000 | 1.6% |
| Other programs | $7,000 | 0.1% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $3,883 in 2018-19, $3,837 in 2019-20, $4,355 in 2020-21, $4,920 in 2021-22, $5,025 in 2022-23.
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 Mountain Empire Unified scored proficient or above: 27-31% in reading and 15-19% 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.
| Subject | This district | California | Students tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and language arts | 27-31% | 45% | 855 |
| Math | 15-19% | 34% | 867 |
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.
Graduation rate, class of 2023
90-94% of the 127 students in Mountain Empire Unified's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 86.2% across California. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.
| This district | California | |
|---|---|---|
| Four-year graduation rate | 90‑94% | 86.2% |
| Students in the class | 127 | 495,492 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.
4 elementary schools, 1,037 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Campo Elementary | 359 | 22.2 | 47.1% | Not reported |
| Potrero Elementary | 300 | 25.0 | 74.0% | Not reported |
| Clover Flat Elementary | 190 | 23.8 | 59.5% | Not reported |
| Descanso Elementary | 188 | 20.8 | 36.2% | 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, 245 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camp Lockett Middle | 245 | 21.2 | 58.4% | 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.
3 high schools, 456 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mountain Empire High | 412 | 18.8 | 40.3% | Not reported |
| Hillside Junior/Senior High | 31 | 15.2 | 74.2% | Not reported |
| Campo High (Continuation) | 13 | 17.1 | 84.6% | 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.
One more school on file: small, closed or in an earlier directory
These records carry fewer federal fields than a full school page needs, so each is summarized here with what NCES reports.
Pine Valley Middle
Middle school in Pine Valley; 154 students; 23.4 students per teacher.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 and earlier directories: the last year each school was listed, its students and its teachers.
Contact Mountain Empire Unified
- Website: meusd.org
- Phone: (619) 473-9022
- Office: 3291 Buckman Springs Rd., Pine Valley, CA 91962
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 Mountain Empire Unified
- California districts by spending per studentMountain Empire Unified ranks 198 of 646 California districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($18,521).#198 of 646
- Every school district in CaliforniaMountain Empire Unified is the number 508 by size of 1,991 California districts, with 1,824 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#508 of 1,991
- Miller Creek ElementaryThe next larger California district: 1,825 students in fall 2022, $17,596 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$17,596
- The O'Farrell Charter DistrictThe next smaller California district: 1,818 students in fall 2022, $13,647 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$13,647
- Compare Mountain Empire Unified with Miller Creek ElementaryEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Mountain Empire High, its largest high school412 students in 2024-25, 18.8 per teacher.412
- Teacher salary spending across CaliforniaMountain Empire Unified spent $106,199 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $99,744); spending, not a salary.$106,199
- 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 Mountain Empire Unified
How many schools and students are in Mountain Empire Unified?
8 schools were open in 2024-25 (4 elementary, 1 middle, 3 high), enrolling 1,738 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Mountain Empire Unified spend per student?
$18,521 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 $20,129 per student, up 8.7% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Mountain Empire Unified's money come from?
$43,390,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 59.2% state, 27.1% local and 13.8% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Mountain Empire Unified live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 246 of the 2,004 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 12.3%, 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.How much does Mountain Empire Unified spend on teacher salaries?
$9,165,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $5,025 per student. Divided by the 86 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $106,199 per teacher, more than 62 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).How do students in Mountain Empire Unified do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Mountain Empire Unified scored proficient or above: 27-31% in reading and 15-19% 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.What is the graduation rate in Mountain Empire Unified?
90-94% of the 127 students in Mountain Empire Unified's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 86.2% across California. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.What is Mountain Empire Unified's NCES district ID?
0626100. 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 four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.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