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.
Bakersfield, California - 25 schools
An equity score of 50/100 ranks Panama-Buena Vista Union #748 of 1517 districts in California (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $14,357 per pupil, Panama-Buena Vista Union ranks #1123 of 1862 California districts by per-pupil spending (California districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
19,107
Total Enrollment
25
Schools
$14,357
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Middle
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Panama-Buena Vista Union operates 25 public schools serving 19,107 students, placing it in the mid-size range in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 20 elementary, 5 middle schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. 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 $14,357 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 10.2% local, 71.3% state, and 18.5% 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 50/100, ranked #748 of 1517 in California against a state average of 50, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
a 774.1:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 43.0% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 62.1% Hispanic or Latino, 13.1% White, 10.5% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Highgate Elementary, with a diversity index of 73.6/100.
Its largest campus is Dolores S. Whitley Tk-8, enrolling 1,151 students (6% of the district's total enrollment).
Panama-Buena Vista Union school enrollment varies 2.2× across entities
Panama-Buena Vista Union school enrollment ranges from 524 students (lowest) to 1,151 students (highest), a spread of 627 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.
Panama-Buena Vista Union has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 63.3% 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). Eligibility here is approaching the 75% concentration-grant threshold; it does not yet unlock the extra funding tier but sits meaningfully above the baseline 50% majority mark. 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.
Panama-Buena Vista Union student-counselor ratio is 774:1 — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)
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 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.
Panama-Buena Vista Union chronic absenteeism rate is 43.0% — 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.
Panama-Buena Vista Union has 25 schools, including 20 elementary, 5 middle. Total enrollment is 19,107 students.
How much does Panama-Buena Vista Union spend per student?
Panama-Buena Vista Union spends $14,357 per student. The district has an equity score of 50/100, ranking #748 in California.
What is the demographic composition of Panama-Buena Vista Union?
Panama-Buena Vista Union students are 62.1% Hispanic or Latino, 13.1% White, 10.5% Asian, 7.9% African American, averaged across 25 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Panama-Buena Vista Union?
Panama-Buena Vista Union has an equity score of 50/100, ranking #748 out of 1517 districts in California.