Trinidad Union Elementary

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.

Trinidad, California - 1 schools

At $17,722 per pupil, Trinidad Union Elementary ranks #866 of 1880 California districts by per-pupil spending (California districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

169
Total Enrollment
1
Schools
$17,722
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Trinidad Union Elementary operates 1 public schools serving 169 students, placing it among the smallest districts in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 elementary 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 Humboldt County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $17,722 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 1880 California districts by per-pupil spending. See how California compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 32.7% local, 54.4% state, and 12.9% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles.

a 142.5:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 26.7% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 65.6% White, 11.9% Hispanic or Latino, 1.9% African American across the district's schools.

Its largest campus is Trinidad Union, enrolling 161 students (100% of the district's total enrollment).

Enrollment across the district's NCES-reporting campuses held roughly steady from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (169 to 168 students, -0.6%), per the NCES Common Core of Data annual universe files.

Of the district's $3,063,000 in reported FY2023 expenditures, 61.6% went to instruction, 31.3% to support services, and 0% to capital outlay, a fairly typical instruction/support/capital split for a public school district. Figures come from the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey's function-level breakdown, not the aggregate per-pupil figure above.

Trinidad Union accounts for 95.3% of all Trinidad Union Elementary student enrollment

That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Trinidad Union Elementary a distant remainder — means Trinidad Union Elementary-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

Trinidad Union Elementary reports 55.6% free-lunch eligibility

The reported share clears the 50% majority mark. Title I operates under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015), but its statutory allocation uses additional LEA-level counts and rules not represented by this average. This percentage is an economic-need context measure; it does not establish a Title I award, show dollars received, or describe how funds are distributed among campuses.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Trinidad Union Elementary student-counselor ratio is 143:1 — 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

Trinidad Union Elementary chronic absenteeism rate is 26.7% — 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 Trinidad Union Elementary is typically wider than the Trinidad Union Elementary-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

12.9%
Federal
54.4%
State
32.7%
Local

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 1 schools in Trinidad Union Elementary.

White 65.6%
Hispanic or Latino 11.9%
African American 1.9%
Multiracial 10.0%
Other 10.6%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

142.5:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
26.7%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Trinidad Union Elementary

School Enrollment
Trinidad Union
161

How Trinidad Union Elementary Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The California districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Monroe Elementary Similar size Higher spending Less locally funded
Montague Elementary Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Valley Home Joint Elementary Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Aspire Capitol Heights Academy District Similar size Higher spending Less locally funded
Ballington Acad for Arts & Scis - San Bernardino District Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded

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

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 Trinidad Union Elementary

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 Trinidad Union Elementary?

Trinidad Union Elementary has 1 school, including 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 169 students.

How much does Trinidad Union Elementary spend per student?

Trinidad Union Elementary spends $17,722 per student.

What is the demographic composition of Trinidad Union Elementary?

Trinidad Union Elementary students are 65.6% White, 11.9% Hispanic or Latino, 1.9% African American, averaged across 1 school. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.