Wasco Union Elementary

Wasco, California — 6 schools

3,414
Total Enrollment
6
Schools
$19,330
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 smaller districts in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 4 elementary, 2 middle schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 3,473 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Kern County County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $19,330 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 16.0% local, 69.9% state, and 14.2% 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 $83,580 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 77/100, ranked #120 of 1547 in California against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.

a 578.8:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, 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.

Palm Avenue Middle accounts for 18.2% of all Wasco Union Elementary student enrollment

That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Wasco Union Elementary-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: middle. 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

Wasco Union Elementary has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 84.5% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch

free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility — including this one — receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

Wasco Union Elementary student-counselor ratio is 579:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)

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 Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

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.

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

Where does the funding come from?

14.2%
Federal
69.9%
State
16.0%
Local

Funding Equity

77
Equity Score
120 / 1547
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores well on funding equity, with balanced funding sources and good resource allocation.

Local Rent Costs

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

$1,132
Studio/mo
$1,140
1 BR/mo
$1,483
2 BR/mo
$2,062
3 BR/mo
$2,488
4 BR/mo

Average Teacher Salary

$83,580
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 6 schools in Wasco Union Elementary.

White 1.8%
Hispanic or Latino 96.1%
African American 1.1%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

578.8:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
32.0%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Wasco Union Elementary

School Enrollment
Palm Avenue Middle
631
John L. Prueitt Elementary
621
Thomas Jefferson Middle
591
James a. Forrest Elementary
576
Karl F. Clemens Elementary
551
Teresa Burke Elementary
503

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 Wasco Union Elementary

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 Wasco Union Elementary?

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 $19,330 per student. The district has an equity score of 77/100, ranking #120 in California.

What is the average teacher salary in Wasco Union Elementary?

The average teacher salary in Wasco Union Elementary is $83,580 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

What is the average rent near Wasco Union Elementary?

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

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 #120 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

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50 states + DC

Full national footprint

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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.