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Richmond, California - 52 schools
An equity score of 55/100 ranks West Contra Costa Unified #625 of 1517 districts in California (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $17,537 per pupil, West Contra Costa Unified ranks #452 of 1862 California districts by per-pupil spending (California districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
25,737
Total Enrollment
52
Schools
$17,537
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
West Contra Costa Unified operates 52 public schools serving 25,737 students, placing it among the larger districts in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 37 elementary, 8 high, 6 middle, 1 combined schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage across a sizeable portfolio before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Contra Costa County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $17,537 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 1862 California districts by per-pupil spending. See how California compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 42.1% local, 46.9% state, and 11.0% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 55/100, ranked #625 of 1517 in California against a state average of 50, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 7 of 52 schools offering Advanced Placement (59 AP courses district-wide), a 277.7:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 47.5% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 55.9% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 11.2% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Fred T. Korematsu Middle, with a diversity index of 76.9/100.
Its largest campus is El Cerrito High, enrolling 1,460 students (6% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Greenwood Academy, at 200 students, a 7x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
West Contra Costa Unified school enrollment varies 7.3× across entities
West Contra Costa Unified school enrollment ranges from 200 students (lowest) to 1,460 students (highest), a spread of 1,260 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio, most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
West Contra Costa Unified student-counselor ratio is 278:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts
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 Variation between sub-units within West Contra Costa Unified is typically wider than the West Contra Costa Unified-aggregate figure suggests.
West Contra Costa Unified chronic absenteeism rate is 47.5% — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)
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 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.
How many schools are in West Contra Costa Unified?
West Contra Costa Unified has 52 schools, including 8 high, 6 middle, 37 elementary, 1 combined. Total enrollment is 25,737 students.
How much does West Contra Costa Unified spend per student?
West Contra Costa Unified spends $17,537 per student. The district has an equity score of 55/100, ranking #625 in California.
What is the demographic composition of West Contra Costa Unified?
West Contra Costa Unified students are 55.9% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 11.2% African American, 9.6% White, averaged across 52 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for West Contra Costa Unified?
West Contra Costa Unified has an equity score of 55/100, ranking #625 out of 1517 districts in California.