Mountain Valley Unified

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, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Hayfork, California - 3 schools

An equity score of 86/100 ranks Mountain Valley Unified #34 of 1517 districts in California (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $18,582 per pupil, Mountain Valley Unified ranks #334 of 1862 California districts by per-pupil spending (California districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

329
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$18,582
Per-Pupil Spending
High, Elementary
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Mountain Valley Unified operates 3 public schools serving 329 students, placing it among the smallest districts in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 high, 1 elementary 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 Trinity County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $18,582 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 1862 California districts by per-pupil spending. See how California compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 21.0% local, 66.7% state, and 12.3% 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 86/100, ranked #34 of 1517 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.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 3 schools offering Advanced Placement (2 AP courses district-wide), a 203:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 39.6% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 52.0% White, 22.6% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Hayfork High, with a diversity index of 66.6/100.

Its largest campus is Hayfork Elementary, enrolling 245 students (71% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Valley High, at 5 students, a 49x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Hayfork Elementary accounts for 70.8% of all Mountain Valley Unified student enrollment

That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Mountain Valley Unified a distant remainder — means Mountain Valley Unified-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: elementary. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Mountain Valley Unified school enrollment varies 49× across entities

Mountain Valley Unified school enrollment ranges from 5 students (lowest) to 245 students (highest), a spread of 240 students. That ratio is among the widest observed and reflects extreme enrollment heterogeneity, the district operates both small specialty programs and large comprehensive campuses inside a single budgeting unit. 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

Mountain Valley Unified has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 79.3% 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 — including this one — 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

Mountain Valley Unified student-counselor ratio is 203:1 — low (typically associated with meeting or exceeding the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommended 250:1 benchmark, which correlates with stronger college and career counseling capacity)

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 Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Mountain Valley Unified chronic absenteeism rate is 39.6% — 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?

12.3%
Federal
66.7%
State
21.0%
Local

Funding Equity

86
Equity Score
34 / 1517
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 Mountain Valley Unified.

White 52.0%
Hispanic or Latino 22.6%
Asian 16.6%
Multiracial 7.2%
Other 1.3%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 59.0/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Mountain Valley Unified's schools, above the California average of 46.0.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Hayfork High 66.6
  2. 2 Hayfork Elementary 60.4
  3. 3 Valley High 50.0

Programs & Resources

1 / 3
Schools with AP
2 AP courses total
203:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
39.6%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Mountain Valley Unified

School Enrollment
Hayfork Elementary
245
Hayfork High
96
Valley High
5

How Mountain Valley Unified Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The California districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
New Los Angeles Charter District Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Springville Union Elementary Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Contra Costa County Office of Education Similar size No spending data More locally funded
Crete Academy District Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Vista Condor Global Academy District Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Mountain Valley Unified'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 · $21,940/pupil
Compare vs Mountain Valley Unified →
San Diego Unified
93,893 students · 175 schools · $18,665/pupil
Compare vs Mountain Valley Unified →
Fresno Unified
69,668 students · 101 schools · $18,783/pupil
Compare vs Mountain Valley Unified →
Long Beach Unified
65,554 students · 84 schools · $16,028/pupil
Compare vs Mountain Valley Unified →
Elk Grove Unified
62,061 students · 67 schools · $14,134/pupil
Compare vs Mountain Valley Unified →

Compare Mountain Valley Unified

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 Mountain Valley Unified?

Mountain Valley Unified has 3 schools, including 1 elementary, 2 high. Total enrollment is 329 students.

How much does Mountain Valley Unified spend per student?

Mountain Valley Unified spends $18,582 per student. The district has an equity score of 86/100, ranking #34 in California.

What is the demographic composition of Mountain Valley Unified?

Mountain Valley Unified students are 52.0% White, 22.6% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% Asian, 0.3% African American, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Mountain Valley Unified?

Mountain Valley Unified has an equity score of 86/100, ranking #34 out of 1517 districts in California.