Wasco Union High

Wasco, California — 2 schools

1,854
Total Enrollment
2
Schools
$16,637
Per-Pupil Spending
High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Wasco Union High operates 2 public schools serving 1,854 students, placing it among the smaller districts in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 high schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 1,781 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 $16,637 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 36.5% local, 54.3% state, and 9.2% 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 $70,197 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 54/100, ranked #660 of 1547 in California against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 2 schools offering Advanced Placement (6 AP courses district-wide), a 221.7:1 student-counselor ratio that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 62.1% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 94.9% Hispanic or Latino, 2.5% White, 2.3% African American across the district's schools.

Wasco High accounts for 93.9% of all Wasco Union High student enrollment

That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Wasco Union High-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. 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 High has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 79.2% 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 High student-counselor ratio is 222:1 — low (typically associated with meeting or exceeding the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommended 250:1 benchmark, which correlates with stronger college and career counseling capacity)

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 Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.

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

Wasco Union High chronic absenteeism rate is 62.1% — 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?

9.2%
Federal
54.3%
State
36.5%
Local

Funding Equity

54
Equity Score
660 / 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 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

$70,197
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 2 schools in Wasco Union High.

White 2.5%
Hispanic or Latino 94.9%
African American 2.3%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

1 / 2
Schools with AP
6 AP courses total
221.7:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
62.1%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Wasco Union High

School Enrollment
Wasco High
1,672
Wasco Independence High
109

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 High

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 High?

Wasco Union High has 2 schools, including 2 high. Total enrollment is 1,854 students.

How much does Wasco Union High spend per student?

Wasco Union High spends $16,637 per student. The district has an equity score of 54/100, ranking #660 in California.

What is the average teacher salary in Wasco Union High?

The average teacher salary in Wasco Union High is $70,197 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

What is the average rent near Wasco Union High?

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 High?

Wasco Union High students are 94.9% Hispanic or Latino, 2.5% White, 2.3% African American, 0.3% Asian, averaged across 2 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Wasco Union High?

Wasco Union High has an equity score of 54/100, ranking #660 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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Full national footprint

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Quarterly

Refreshed within 30 days of upstream release

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Federal

Authoritative data, no third-party aggregation

Page reliability score 94.0%
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Composite score weighing source authority, update freshness, and methodological transparency. 1.0 = full federal-source coverage with documented methodology and recent update.