An equity score of 77/100 ranks Wasco Union Elementary #135 of 1526 districts in California (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $20,518 per pupil, Wasco Union Elementary ranks #429 of 1880 California districts by per-pupil spending (California districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
3,414
Total Enrollment
6
Schools
$20,518
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Middle
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Wasco Union Elementary operates 6 public schools serving 3,414 students, placing it among the smallest districts in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 4 elementary, 2 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 Kern County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $20,518 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 16.0% local, 69.9% state, and 14.2% 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 77/100, ranked #135 of 1526 in California against a state average of 50, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
a 578.8:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 32.0% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 96.1% Hispanic or Latino, 1.8% White, 1.1% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Teresa Burke Elementary, with a diversity index of 10.1/100.
Its largest campus is Palm Avenue Middle, enrolling 631 students (18% of the district's total enrollment).
Palm Avenue Middle accounts for 18.2% of all Wasco Union Elementary student enrollment
That concentration means Wasco Union Elementary-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: middle. The share measures enrollment concentration only; it does not establish how the district allocates programs, capital, or staff. Enrollment-weighted aggregates give this entity more weight than any smaller peer, while an unweighted entity average treats every record equally.
Wasco Union Elementary reports 84.3% free-lunch eligibility
The reported share is at least 75%, indicating a high concentration of measured economic need. 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.
Wasco Union Elementary student-counselor ratio is 579:1 — 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.
Wasco Union Elementary chronic absenteeism rate is 32.0% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)
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 Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Wasco Union Elementary has 6 schools, including 2 middle, 4 elementary. Total enrollment is 3,414 students.
How much does Wasco Union Elementary spend per student?
Wasco Union Elementary spends $20,518 per student. The district has an equity score of 77/100, ranking #135 in California.
What is the demographic composition of Wasco Union Elementary?
Wasco Union Elementary students are 96.1% Hispanic or Latino, 1.8% White, 1.1% African American, 0.5% Asian, averaged across 6 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Wasco Union Elementary?
Wasco Union Elementary has an equity score of 77/100, ranking #135 out of 1526 districts in California.