Sierra-Plumas Joint Unified

Loyalton, California — 5 schools

400
Total Enrollment
5
Schools
$17,122
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Other
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Sierra-Plumas Joint Unified operates 5 public schools serving 400 students, placing it among the smaller districts in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 elementary, 2 other, 1 high schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 414 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Sierra County County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $17,122 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 38.5% local, 52.2% state, and 9.3% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $80,673 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 55/100, ranked #642 of 1547 in California against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 5 schools offering Advanced Placement (8 AP courses district-wide), and 15.6% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 66.6% White, 24.2% Hispanic or Latino, 0.2% African American across the district's schools.

Loyalton Elementary accounts for 48.1% of all Sierra-Plumas Joint Unified student enrollment

That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Sierra-Plumas Joint 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

Sierra-Plumas Joint Unified school enrollment varies 40× across entities

Sierra-Plumas Joint Unified school enrollment ranges from 5 students (lowest) to 199 students (highest), a spread of 194 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

Sierra-Plumas Joint Unified chronic absenteeism rate is 15.6% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism

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 Variation between sub-units within Sierra-Plumas Joint Unified is typically wider than the Sierra-Plumas Joint Unified-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

9.3%
Federal
52.2%
State
38.5%
Local

Funding Equity

55
Equity Score
642 / 1547
State Rank
50
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Local Rent Costs

Fair Market Rents in Sierra County county, where this district is located.

$1,068
Studio/mo
$1,165
1 BR/mo
$1,529
2 BR/mo
$2,126
3 BR/mo
$2,527
4 BR/mo

Average Teacher Salary

$80,673
Average annual teacher salary

Source: NCES CCD F-33 (Finance Survey).

Teacher salary data from NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 5 schools in Sierra-Plumas Joint Unified.

White 66.6%
Hispanic or Latino 24.2%
Multiracial 8.2%
Other 0.7%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

1 / 5
Schools with AP
8 AP courses total
15.6%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Sierra-Plumas Joint Unified

School Enrollment
Loyalton Elementary
199
Loyalton High
165
Downieville Elementary
26
Downieville Junior-Senior High
19
Sierra Pass (Continuation)
5

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 · $25,877/pupil
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San Diego Unified
93,893 students · 175 schools · $26,901/pupil
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Fresno Unified
69,668 students · 101 schools · $20,737/pupil
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Long Beach Unified
65,554 students · 84 schools · $19,558/pupil
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Elk Grove Unified
62,061 students · 67 schools · $16,975/pupil
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Compare Sierra-Plumas Joint Unified

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Sierra-Plumas Joint Unified?

Sierra-Plumas Joint Unified has 5 schools, including 2 elementary, 2 other, 1 high. Total enrollment is 400 students.

How much does Sierra-Plumas Joint Unified spend per student?

Sierra-Plumas Joint Unified spends $17,122 per student. The district has an equity score of 55/100, ranking #642 in California.

What is the average teacher salary in Sierra-Plumas Joint Unified?

The average teacher salary in Sierra-Plumas Joint Unified is $80,673 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

What is the average rent near Sierra-Plumas Joint Unified?

The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Sierra County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.

What is the demographic composition of Sierra-Plumas Joint Unified?

Sierra-Plumas Joint Unified students are 66.6% White, 24.2% Hispanic or Latino, 0.2% African American, averaged across 5 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Sierra-Plumas Joint Unified?

Sierra-Plumas Joint Unified has an equity score of 55/100, ranking #642 out of 1547 districts in California. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.

Federal data Last updated 2026 Free public data

Coverage

50 states + DC

Full national footprint

Update cadence

Quarterly

Refreshed within 30 days of upstream release

Source agency

Federal

Authoritative data, no third-party aggregation

Page reliability score 94.0%
Industry baseline

Composite score weighing source authority, update freshness, and methodological transparency. 1.0 = full federal-source coverage with documented methodology and recent update.