Enrollment
542
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Grass Valley, CA
Union Hill Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Union Hill Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 22/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 064038006681Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 17
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 40
📋 Attendance 3
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Union Hill Elementary earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #4 of 12
- elementary schools in Grass Valley · Resource Index
- 22
- Resource Index · Lower
- 20.8:1
- students per teacher
- 41.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Union Hill Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Union Hill Elementary ranks #4 of 12 elementary schools in Grass Valley, CA.
School address
District: Union Hill Elementary · California
NCES ID 064038006681 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
41.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
-25% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Union Hill Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Union Hill Elementary
Union Hill Elementary is a mid-sized charter elementary school in Grass Valley, California, enrolling 542 students.
At 20.8:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 41.4% of students eligible for free meals.
With 542 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 1,402 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,005, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (79%) and Two or More (11%) (diversity index 35/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 301 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 38.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Union Hill Elementary spends $11,948 per pupil, 28% below the California average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Grass Valley's elementary schools, it stands alongside Grass Valley Charter (546 students): Union Hill Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (20.8:1 vs 24.8:1).
Its district, Union Hill Elementary, also runs Union Hill Middle (146 students).
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Union Hill Elementary compares
Union Hill Elementary on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 20.8:1 | ▼ 3% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 41.4% | ▼ 25% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 542 | top 39% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.8:1
Leaner classes than 13% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
542
Bigger than 67% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
41.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 25% below the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
20.8:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 42% in California - lower ratio than 58% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
38.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$11,948
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.8 FTE
Per 301 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 16 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 79.2%
Two or More 11.1%
Hispanic or Latino 9.0%
Asian 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 79.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 35.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 35.2, Union Hill Elementary is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Union Hill Elementary, which includes Union Hill Elementary.
$11,948
Per student
-28%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 31.6%
State 61.6%
Federal 6.9%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Union Hill Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Union Hill Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Union Hill Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 146
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar elementary schools in Grass Valley
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Grass Valley Charter
Standard public school
546 students 24.8:1 students per teacher
Cottage Hill Elementary
Standard public school
485 students 24.3:1 students per teacher
Lyman Gilmore Middle
Standard public school
464 students 17.2:1 students per teacher
Margaret G. Scotten Elementary
Standard public school
357 students 19.8:1 students per teacher
Alta Sierra Elementary
Standard public school
338 students 22.5:1 students per teacher
Yuba River Charter
Standard public school
323 students 23.1:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of California, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~542 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Union Hill Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Union Hill Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Union Hill Elementary's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Union Hill Elementary
How many students attend Union Hill Elementary?
Union Hill Elementary has 542 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Grass Valley, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Union Hill Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Union Hill Elementary is 20.8:1, which is 3% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 32% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Union Hill Elementary?
41.4% of students at Union Hill Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Union Hill Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Union Hill Elementary is White at 79.2% of enrollment, in Grass Valley, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Union Hill Elementary?
Union Hill Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 22/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Union Hill Elementary rank among elementary schools in Grass Valley?
By Resource Investment Index, Union Hill Elementary ranks #4 of 12 elementary schools in Grass Valley, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Grass Valley on the city page.
Is Union Hill Elementary a good school?
Union Hill Elementary earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Union Hill Elementary?
Besides Union Hill Elementary, Union Hill Elementary also operates Union Hill Middle (146 students). See the Union Hill Elementary district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.