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Orinda, California - 5 schools
An equity score of 29/100 ranks Orinda Union Elementary #1265 of 1517 districts in California (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $14,746 per pupil, Orinda Union Elementary ranks #1016 of 1862 California districts by per-pupil spending (California districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
2,516
Total Enrollment
5
Schools
$14,746
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Middle
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Orinda Union Elementary operates 5 public schools serving 2,516 students, placing it among the smallest districts in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 4 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 Contra Costa County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $14,746 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 1862 California districts by per-pupil spending. See how California compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 73.3% local, 24.8% state, and 1.9% federal, a local-revenue-heavy mix that leaves the district more exposed to property-tax swings and local ballot measures than state-funded peers. The district's equity score is 29/100, ranked #1265 of 1517 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.
a 274:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 3.5% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 52.5% White, 20.0% Asian, 8.0% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Wagner Ranch Elementary, with a diversity index of 69.4/100.
Its largest campus is Orinda Intermediate, enrolling 822 students (32% of the district's total enrollment).
Orinda Intermediate accounts for 31.7% of all Orinda Union Elementary student enrollment
That dominant concentration means Orinda Union Elementary-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: middle. 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.
Orinda Union Elementary school enrollment varies 2.1× across entities
Orinda Union Elementary school enrollment ranges from 399 students (lowest) to 822 students (highest), a spread of 423 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.
Orinda Union Elementary student-counselor ratio is 274:1 — 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 Orinda Union Elementary is typically wider than the Orinda Union Elementary-aggregate figure suggests.
Orinda Union Elementary chronic absenteeism rate is 3.5% — well below typical (typically associated with unusually small scale or exceptionally high per-unit investment)
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 below typical often correlate with unusually small scale or population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se — worth checking whether the underlying denominator is itself an outlier.
Orinda Union Elementary has 5 schools, including 1 middle, 4 elementary. Total enrollment is 2,516 students.
How much does Orinda Union Elementary spend per student?
Orinda Union Elementary spends $14,746 per student. The district has an equity score of 29/100, ranking #1265 in California.
What is the demographic composition of Orinda Union Elementary?
Orinda Union Elementary students are 52.5% White, 20.0% Asian, 8.0% Hispanic or Latino, 0.8% African American, averaged across 5 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Orinda Union Elementary?
Orinda Union Elementary has an equity score of 29/100, ranking #1265 out of 1517 districts in California.