Western Placer Unified

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, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Lincoln, California - 14 schools

An equity score of 18/100 ranks Western Placer Unified #1446 of 1517 districts in California (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $12,666 per pupil, Western Placer Unified ranks #1482 of 1862 California districts by per-pupil spending (California districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

7,593
Total Enrollment
14
Schools
$12,666
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Western Placer Unified operates 14 public schools serving 7,593 students, placing it among the smaller districts in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 8 elementary, 3 high, 2 middle, 1 combined schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly 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 Placer County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,666 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 1862 California districts by per-pupil spending. See how California compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 60.2% local, 31.5% state, and 8.2% federal, a local-revenue-heavy mix that leaves the district more exposed to property-tax swings and local ballot measures than state-funded peers. The district's equity score is 18/100, ranked #1446 of 1517 in California against a state average of 50, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 2 of 14 schools offering Advanced Placement (19 AP courses district-wide), a 452.7:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 25.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 47.7% White, 35.4% Hispanic or Latino, 5.3% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Foskett Ranch Elementary, with a diversity index of 64.9/100.

Its largest campus is Twelve Bridges High, enrolling 1,317 students (16% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Sheridan Elementary, at 62 students, a 21x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Twelve Bridges High accounts for 16.4% of all Western Placer Unified student enrollment

That concentration means Western Placer Unified-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

Western Placer Unified school enrollment varies 21× across entities

Western Placer Unified school enrollment ranges from 62 students (lowest) to 1,317 students (highest), a spread of 1,255 students. That spread is wider than typical and predicts noticeable gaps in service quality between the highest and lowest areas. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Western Placer Unified student-counselor ratio is 453:1 — 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

Western Placer Unified chronic absenteeism rate is 25.8% — 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 Western Placer Unified is typically wider than the Western Placer Unified-aggregate figure suggests.

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

Where does the funding come from?

8.2%
Federal
31.5%
State
60.2%
Local

Funding Equity

18
Equity Score
1446 / 1517
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores below average on funding equity. High reliance on local revenue or lower spending may contribute.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 14 schools in Western Placer Unified.

White 47.7%
Hispanic or Latino 35.4%
African American 1.7%
Asian 5.3%
Multiracial 9.4%
Other 0.7%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 59.8/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Western Placer Unified's schools, above the California average of 46.0.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Foskett Ranch Elementary 64.9
  2. 2 Scott M. Leaman 64.6
  3. 3 Lincoln Crossing Elementary 62.8
  4. 4 Sheridan Elementary 62.8
  5. 5 Glen Edwards Middle 62.4

Programs & Resources

2 / 14
Schools with AP
19 AP courses total
452.7:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
25.8%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Western Placer Unified

School Enrollment
Twelve Bridges High
1,317
Lincoln High
1,184
Twelve Bridges Middle
931
Glen Edwards Middle
815
Twelve Bridges Elementary
744
Creekside Oaks Elementary
557
Scott M. Leaman
513
Lincoln Crossing Elementary
484
Carlin C. Coppin Elementary
442
Foskett Ranch Elementary
415
First Street Elementary
381
Phoenix High (Continuation)
105
Atlas Learning Academy
80
Sheridan Elementary
62

How Western Placer Unified Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The California districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
San Luis Coastal Unified Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Alum Rock Union Elementary Similar size Higher spending Less locally funded
Lammersville Joint Unified Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Alisal Union Similar size Higher spending Less locally funded
East Whittier City Elementary Similar size Higher spending Less locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Western Placer Unified'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 · $21,940/pupil
Compare vs Western Placer Unified →
San Diego Unified
93,893 students · 175 schools · $18,665/pupil
Compare vs Western Placer Unified →
Fresno Unified
69,668 students · 101 schools · $18,783/pupil
Compare vs Western Placer Unified →
Long Beach Unified
65,554 students · 84 schools · $16,028/pupil
Compare vs Western Placer Unified →
Elk Grove Unified
62,061 students · 67 schools · $14,134/pupil
Compare vs Western Placer Unified →

Compare Western Placer Unified

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 Western Placer Unified?

Western Placer Unified has 14 schools, including 3 high, 2 middle, 8 elementary, 1 combined. Total enrollment is 7,593 students.

How much does Western Placer Unified spend per student?

Western Placer Unified spends $12,666 per student. The district has an equity score of 18/100, ranking #1446 in California.

What is the demographic composition of Western Placer Unified?

Western Placer Unified students are 47.7% White, 35.4% Hispanic or Latino, 5.3% Asian, 1.7% African American, averaged across 14 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Western Placer Unified?

Western Placer Unified has an equity score of 18/100, ranking #1446 out of 1517 districts in California.