Pioneer Union

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, the data changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.

Somerset, California - 3 schools

An equity score of 26/100 ranks Pioneer Union #1345 of 1526 districts in California (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $15,298 per pupil, Pioneer Union ranks #1320 of 1880 California districts by per-pupil spending (California districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

275
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$15,298
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Middle
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Pioneer Union operates 3 public schools serving 275 students, placing it among the smallest districts in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 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 El Dorado County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $15,298 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 1880 California districts by per-pupil spending. See how California compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 52.7% local, 32.7% state, and 14.5% 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 26/100, ranked #1345 of 1526 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 130.5:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 55.5% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 67.2% White, 20.8% Hispanic or Latino, 1.9% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Walt Tyler Elementary, with a diversity index of 58.4/100.

Its largest campus is Pioneer Elementary, enrolling 162 students (55% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Walt Tyler Elementary, at 31 students, a 5x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Pioneer Elementary accounts for 55.5% of all Pioneer Union student enrollment

That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Pioneer Union a distant remainder — means Pioneer Union-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: elementary. The share measures enrollment concentration only; it does not establish how the district allocates programs, capital, or staff. Because it contains a majority of the affected population, enrollment-weighted aggregates will sit closer to this entity's reported fields than to those of smaller peers; an unweighted entity count answers a different question.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Pioneer Union school enrollment varies 5.2× across entities

Pioneer Union school enrollment ranges from 31 students (lowest) to 162 students (highest), a spread of 131 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.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Pioneer Union student-counselor ratio is 131:1 — well below typical (typically associated with unusually small scale or exceptionally high per-unit investment)

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 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.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Pioneer Union chronic absenteeism rate is 55.5% — 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.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

14.5%
Federal
32.7%
State
52.7%
Local

Funding Equity

26
Equity Score
1345 / 1526
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores below average on funding equity. High reliance on local revenue or lower spending may contribute.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 3 schools in Pioneer Union.

White 67.2%
Hispanic or Latino 20.8%
African American 1.1%
Asian 1.9%
Multiracial 7.9%
Other 1.1%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 49.2/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Pioneer Union's schools, above the California average of 46.0.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Walt Tyler Elementary 58.4
  2. 2 Pioneer Elementary 47.1
  3. 3 Mountain Creek Middle 42.0

Programs & Resources

130.5:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
55.5%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Pioneer Union

School Enrollment
Pioneer Elementary
162
Mountain Creek Middle
99
Walt Tyler Elementary
31

How Pioneer Union Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The California districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Valley International Preparatory High District Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Julian Union Elementary Similar size Higher spending Less locally funded
Merced River Union Elementary Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Uncharted Shores Academy District Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Wish Academy High District Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Pioneer Union'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 · $22,606/pupil
Compare vs Pioneer Union →
San Diego Unified
93,893 students · 175 schools · $20,783/pupil
Compare vs Pioneer Union →
Fresno Unified
69,668 students · 101 schools · $20,909/pupil
Compare vs Pioneer Union →
Long Beach Unified
65,554 students · 84 schools · $18,419/pupil
Compare vs Pioneer Union →
Elk Grove Unified
62,061 students · 67 schools · $15,921/pupil
Compare vs Pioneer Union →

Nationwide districts with similar enrollment or spending

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by per-pupil expenditure, not the same-state lists above.

Compare Pioneer Union

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 Pioneer Union?

Pioneer Union has 3 schools, including 2 elementary, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 275 students.

How much does Pioneer Union spend per student?

Pioneer Union spends $15,298 per student. The district has an equity score of 26/100, ranking #1345 in California.

What is the demographic composition of Pioneer Union?

Pioneer Union students are 67.2% White, 20.8% Hispanic or Latino, 1.9% Asian, 1.1% African American, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Pioneer Union?

Pioneer Union has an equity score of 26/100, ranking #1345 out of 1526 districts in California.