Pierce Joint Unified

Public school district · Colusa County · California · NCES district ID 0630360

Pierce Joint Unified spent $13,742 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, below the middle: 89% of the other California districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 spent more (median $16,855). Its 5 schools enrolled 1,447 students in 2024-25; 69.6% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $14,964 per student, up 8.9% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 95% or more (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 Pierce Joint Unified in enrollment (1,469 to 1,523 students) and Pierce Joint Unified itself.

Current spending per student, California districts closest in size to Pierce Joint Unified, FY23Roseland $34,119; Ravenswood City $33,564; Thermalito Elementary $19,171; Riverdale Joint Unified $18,932; Plumas Lake Elementary $15,424; Alpine Union $14,443; Pierce Joint Unified $13,742; Horizon Charter Schools $12,981; Empire Springs Charter District $12,665; Academy for Academic Excellence District $10,910; State median, 1,000+ students $16,855.010k20k30k40kRoseland$34,119Ravenswood City$33,564Thermalito Elementary$19,171Riverdale Joint Unified$18,932Plumas Lake Elementary$15,424Alpine Union$14,443Pierce Joint Unified$13,742Horizon Charter Schools$12,981Empire Springs Charter District$12,665Academy for Academic Excellenc…$10,910State median, 1,000+ students $16,855
Current spending per student, California districts closest in size to Pierce Joint Unified, FY23Roseland $34,119; Ravenswood City $33,564; Thermalito Elementary $19,171; Riverdale Joint Unified $18,932; Plumas Lake Elementary $15,424; Alpine Union $14,443; Pierce Joint Unified $13,742; Horizon Charter Schools $12,981; Empire Springs Charter District $12,665; Academy for Academic Excellence District $10,910; State median, 1,000+ students $16,855.010k20k30k40kRoseland$34,119Ravenswood City$33,564Thermalito Elementary$19,171Riverdale Joint Unified$18,932Plumas Lake Elementary$15,424Alpine Union$14,443Pierce Joint Unified$13,742Horizon Charter Schools$12,981Empire Springs Charter District$12,665Academy for Academic Excellence Dis…$10,910State median, 1,000+ students $16,855
Current spending per student, California districts closest in size to Pierce Joint Unified, FY23Roseland $34,119; Ravenswood City $33,564; Thermalito Elementary $19,171; Riverdale Joint Unified $18,932; Plumas Lake Elementary $15,424; Alpine Union $14,443; Pierce Joint Unified $13,742; Horizon Charter Schools $12,981; Empire Springs Charter District $12,665; Academy for Academic Excellence District $10,910; State median, 1,000+ students $16,855.020k40kRoseland$34,119Ravenswood City$33,564Thermalito Elementary$19,171Riverdale Joint Unified$18,932Plumas Lake Elementary$15,424Alpine Union$14,443Pierce Joint Unified$13,742Horizon Charter Schools$12,981Empire Springs Charter District$12,665Academy for Academic Excellence District$10,910State median, 1,000+ students $16,855
Current spending per student, California districts closest in size to Pierce Joint Unified, FY23Roseland $34,119; Ravenswood City $33,564; Thermalito Elementary $19,171; Riverdale Joint Unified $18,932; Plumas Lake Elementary $15,424; Alpine Union $14,443; Pierce Joint Unified $13,742; Horizon Charter Schools $12,981; Empire Springs Charter District $12,665; Academy for Academic Excellence District $10,910; State median, 1,000+ students $16,855.020k40kRoseland$34,119Ravenswood City$33,564Thermalito Elementary$19,171Riverdale Joint Unified$18,932Plumas Lake Elementary$15,424Alpine Union$14,443Pierce Joint Unified$13,742Horizon Charter Schools$12,981Empire Springs Charter District$12,665Academy for Academic Excellence District$10,910State median, 1,000+ students $16,855

Where the money came from

$34,784,000 in revenue: 69.6% state, 24.1% local and 6.3% federal. Total spending including $2,891,000 of capital outlay was $24,979,000, or $16,764 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.

Pierce Joint Unified revenue by source, fiscal year 2022-23State $24,206,000; Local $8,384,000; Federal $2,194,000; total $34,784,000.
  • State$24,206,000 70%
  • Local$8,384,000 24%
  • Federal$2,194,000 6%

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

1,490 students in 2022-23, 1,494 students in 2023-24, 1,447 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.

Pierce Joint Unified enrollment by school year2022-23: 1,490, 2023-24: 1,494, 2024-25: 1,44705001k1.5k2022-231,4902023-241,4942024-251,447
Pierce Joint Unified enrollment by school year2022-23: 1,490, 2023-24: 1,494, 2024-25: 1,44705001k1.5k2022-231,4902023-241,4942024-251,447
Pierce Joint Unified enrollment by school year2022-23: 1,490, 2023-24: 1,494, 2024-25: 1,44705001k1.5k2022-231,4902023-241,4942024-251,447
Pierce Joint Unified enrollment by school year2022-23: 1,490, 2023-24: 1,494, 2024-25: 1,44705001k1.5k2022-231,4902023-241,4942024-251,447

Teachers and students per teacher

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Per teacher
2022-231,49073.420.3
2023-241,49473.220.4
2024-251,44775.119.3

Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.

$6,407,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $4,300 per student

Pierce Joint Unified booked $6,407,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 73 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 $87,241 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 29 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).

ProgramTeacher salariesShare
Regular programs$5,816,00090.8%
Vocational$451,0007.0%
Other programs$140,0002.2%

Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23

The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $3,675 in 2018-19, $3,971 in 2019-20, $4,073 in 2020-21, $4,020 in 2021-22, $4,300 in 2022-23.

Pierce Joint Unified teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,675, 2019-20: $3,971, 2020-21: $4,073, 2021-22: $4,020, 2022-23: $4,30002k4k6k2018-19$3,6752019-20$3,9712020-21$4,0732021-22$4,0202022-23$4,300
Pierce Joint Unified teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,675, 2019-20: $3,971, 2020-21: $4,073, 2021-22: $4,020, 2022-23: $4,30002k4k6k2018-19$3,6752019-20$3,9712020-21$4,0732021-22$4,0202022-23$4,300
Pierce Joint Unified teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,675, 2019-20: $3,971, 2020-21: $4,073, 2021-22: $4,020, 2022-23: $4,30002k4k6k2018-19$3,6752019-20$3,9712020-21$4,0732021-22$4,0202022-23$4,300
Pierce Joint Unified teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,675, 2019-20: $3,971, 2020-21: $4,073, 2021-22: $4,020, 2022-23: $4,30002k4k6k2018-19$3,6752019-20$3,9712020-21$4,0732021-22$4,0202022-23$4,300

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 Pierce Joint Unified scored proficient or above: 36-40% in reading and 27-30% 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.

Students proficient or above, 2021-22
SubjectThis districtCaliforniaStudents tested
Reading and language arts36-40%45%649
Math27-30%34%654

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

95% or more of the 116 students in Pierce Joint 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.

Four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rate, class of 2023
This districtCalifornia
Four-year graduation rate95% or more86.2%
Students in the class116495,492

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.

2 elementary schools, 653 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Arbuckle Elementary60421.561.4%Not reported
Grand Island Elementary4915.465.3%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, 321 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Lloyd G. Johnson Junior High32119.761.4%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.

2 high schools, 473 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Pierce High46317.366.3%Not reported
Arbuckle Alternative High (Continuation)1013.370.0%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.

Contact Pierce Joint Unified

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 Pierce Joint Unified

  1. California districts by spending per studentPierce Joint Unified ranks 576 of 646 California districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($13,742).#576 of 646
  2. Every school district in CaliforniaPierce Joint Unified is the number 564 by size of 1,991 California districts, with 1,490 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#564 of 1,991
  3. Empire Springs Charter DistrictThe next larger California district: 1,497 students in fall 2022, $12,665 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$12,665
  4. Ravenswood City School DistrictThe next smaller California district: 1,489 students in fall 2022, $33,564 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$33,564
  5. Compare Pierce Joint Unified with Empire Springs Charter DistrictEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
  6. Pierce High, its largest high school463 students in 2024-25, 17.3 per teacher.463
  7. Teacher salary spending across CaliforniaPierce Joint Unified spent $87,241 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $99,744); spending, not a salary.$87,241
  8. 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 Pierce Joint Unified

  1. How many schools and students are in Pierce Joint Unified?
    5 schools were open in 2024-25 (2 elementary, 1 middle, 2 high), enrolling 1,447 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.
  2. How much does Pierce Joint Unified spend per student?
    $13,742 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 $14,964 per student, up 8.9% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).
  3. Where does Pierce Joint Unified's money come from?
    $34,784,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 69.6% state, 24.1% local and 6.3% federal (NCES F-33).
  4. How many children in Pierce Joint Unified live in poverty?
    The Census Bureau estimates that 171 of the 1,397 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 12.2%, 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.
  5. How much does Pierce Joint Unified spend on teacher salaries?
    $6,407,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $4,300 per student. Divided by the 73 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $87,241 per teacher, more than 29 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).
  6. How do students in Pierce Joint Unified do on state tests?
    In 2021-22, the students tested in Pierce Joint Unified scored proficient or above: 36-40% in reading and 27-30% 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.
  7. What is the graduation rate in Pierce Joint Unified?
    95% or more of the 116 students in Pierce Joint 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.
  8. What is Pierce Joint Unified's NCES district ID?
    0630360. 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

Compiled from official source data by .