operational schools · 2023–24
School district or education agency · NCES 0608370
Chico Unified
Chico, CA
Students12,317
Student membership reported by NCES for 2023–24.
students in linked records
federal comparable series
per student
District, state and country
How does this district compare?
State and national figures use the same measure and reporting period. They are weighted by students or staffing whenever the source provides a denominator.
MeasureDistrictCAUnited States
Academic standing2025
44th percentile42nd percentile45th percentileThis district is 2 percentile points higher than the state figure and 1 percentile points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students chronically absent2022–23
23.6%27.7%27.8%This district is 4.1 percentage points lower than the state figure and 4.2 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Revenue per studentFY 2023
$20,502$25,614$19,509This district is $5,112 per student lower than the state figure and $993 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Spending per studentFY 2023
$16,422$18,479$15,859This district is $2,057 per student lower than the state figure and $563 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Capital outlay per studentFY 2023
$796$2,019$1,964This district is $1,223 per student lower than the state figure and $1,168 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Equipment spending per studentFY 2023
$82$135$336This district is $53 per student lower than the state figure and $254 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Special-education spending per studentFY 2023
$2,934$2,978$1,793This district is $44 per student lower than the state figure and $1,141 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Salaries per studentFY 2023
$8,945$9,951$8,742This district is $1,006 per student lower than the state figure and $203 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Benefits per studentFY 2023
$4,819$4,693$3,769This district is $126 per student higher than the state figure and $1,050 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Debt outstanding per studentFY 2023
$15,915$18,517$11,715This district is $2,602 per student lower than the state figure and $4,200 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Debt retired per studentFY 2023
$719$916$869This district is $197 per student lower than the state figure and $150 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Students per teacher2023–24
22:122:115:1This district is about the same as the state figure and 7.0 students per teacher higher than the U.S. figure.
Students per counselor2023–24
453:1443:1376:1This district is 10 students per counselor higher than the state figure and 77 students per counselor higher than the U.S. figure.
District staff per 1,000 students2023–24
109.9108.2138.9This district is 1.7 staff per 1,000 students higher than the state figure and 29.0 staff per 1,000 students lower than the U.S. figure.
Instructional aides per 1,000 students2023–24
19.916.918.5This district is 3.0 aides per 1,000 students higher than the state figure and 1.4 aides per 1,000 students higher than the U.S. figure.
School psychologists per 1,000 students2023–24
1.01.30.9This district is 0.3 psychologists per 1,000 students lower than the state figure and 0.1 psychologists per 1,000 students higher than the U.S. figure.
Regular diplomas among completers2023–24
99.8%98.6%99.0%This district is 1.2 percentage points higher than the state figure and 0.8 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Annual dropouts among students in grades 9–122023–24
2.9%2.7%2.6%This district is 0.2 percentage points higher than the state figure and 0.3 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Students learning English2021–22 · reporting schools
6.1%19.3%12.0%This district is 13.1 percentage points lower than the state figure and 5.9 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students receiving IDEA services2021–22 · reporting schools
14.0%12.5%14.0%This district is 1.6 percentage points higher than the state figure and about the same as the U.S. figure.
Students with Section 504 plans2021–22 · reporting schools
1.9%2.1%3.9%This district is 0.2 percentage points lower than the state figure and 2.0 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Teachers reported as certified2021–22 · reporting schools
100.0%95.9%95.8%This district is 4.1 percentage points higher than the state figure and 4.2 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Enrollment change2021–22 to 2023–24
+2.7%-0.6%+0.5%This district is 3.3 percentage points higher than the state figure and 2.2 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Students eligible for free or reduced-price meals2021–22 · valid district records
57.4%57.8%50.6%This district is 0.4 percentage points lower than the state figure and 6.8 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students without disabilities2021–22 · matched enrollment
2.3%2.8%4.5%This district is 0.5 percentage points lower than the state figure and 2.2 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students receiving IDEA services2021–22 · matched enrollment
8.3%6.1%9.0%This district is 2.2 percentage points higher than the state figure and 0.7 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students with Section 504 plans2021–22 · matched enrollment
5.8%4.5%6.7%This district is 1.3 percentage points higher than the state figure and 0.9 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
School-age children in poverty2024 Census estimate
15.6%13.9%14.4%This district is 1.7 percentage points higher than the state figure and 1.2 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Enrollment · 2023–24
Who attends this district?
Kindergarten–grade 55,456 students
44.3%Grades 6–82,752 students
22.3%Grades 9–124,109 students
33.4%See enrollment for every grade
Kindergarten1,108
Grade 1842
Grade 2884
Grade 3886
Grade 4890
Grade 5846
Grade 6908
Grade 7911
Grade 8933
Grade 91,008
Grade 10956
Grade 111,079
Grade 121,066
Students by race and ethnicity
Final NCES Common Core of Data membership file, 2023–24. Suppressed or missing cells are not estimated.
Current staffing · 2023–24
How many staff members support students?
See detailed staffing
Kindergarten teachers55 FTE
Elementary teachers324.2 FTE
Secondary teachers189 FTE
Elementary school counselors13.4 FTE
Secondary school counselors12.3 FTE
Instructional coordinators10 FTE
District administrators3 FTE
District administrative support50 FTE
School administrative support58 FTE
Other support staff294.8 FTE
Final NCES Common Core of Data staff file, 2023–24. These are full-time-equivalent positions, not employee headcounts, vacancies or caseloads.
High-school outcomes · 2023–24
How many students completed school or dropped out?
Regular diplomas among completers
Annual dropouts among students in grades 9–12
Final NCES Common Core of Data completer and dropout files, 2023–24. The dropout rate divides the reported annual grades 9–12 dropout count by complete grades 9–12 enrollment. It is not a cohort graduation rate. The diploma share describes credentials among completers and should not be read as a graduation rate.
Learning support · 2021–22 federal snapshot
How many students may need specialized support?
Counts and shares use only schools with a usable value for that measure. The reporting-school denominator prevents missing schools from being counted as zero.
6.1%Students learning English739 students · 20 of 23 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
14.0%Students receiving IDEA special-education services1,692 students · 22 of 23 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
1.9%Students with Section 504 plans225 students · 19 of 23 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
1.2%English learners also receiving IDEA services146 students · 22 of 23 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
U.S. Department of Education Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021–22. Public-use counts are privacy-protected. These figures describe the reporting year, not current enrollment, diagnoses, service quality or unmet need.
Teacher quality and early learning · 2021–22
What did the district report about teachers and preschool?
Teacher certification comparison
U.S. Department of Education Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021–22. Certification status is district-reported and may not match current staffing. Preschool counts cover the federal reporting year and are not a measure of available seats.
Community context · 2024
How many school-age children live in poverty?
This Census estimate provides context about families in the district. It does not measure school quality or describe every student enrolled in the district.
U.S. Census Bureau Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024. The estimate covers related children ages 5 to 17 in families in poverty and uses 2024–25 district boundaries.
Comparable districts
Districts of a similar size in CA
These are the five closest state peers by enrollment. Open any profile to compare academics, attendance, spending and student support.
Lynwood UnifiedLynwood, CA12,175 students19 schools · View profile →Rowland UnifiedRowland Heights, CA12,196 students23 schools · View profile →Fullerton ElementaryFullerton, CA11,676 students20 schools · View profile →Vacaville UnifiedVacaville, CA12,422 students18 schools · View profile →Victor ElementaryVictorville, CA12,463 students19 schools · View profile →
Academic results · 2025
How do results differ among student groups?
Students not economically disadvantaged3,698 assessments
63 out of 100White students4,145 assessments
54 out of 100Asian students427 assessments
46 out of 100Fem4,592 assessments
44 out of 100Mal4,351 assessments
44 out of 100Economically disadvantaged students5,216 assessments
32 out of 100Hispanic students3,028 assessments
29 out of 100Black students163 assessments
17 out of 100A score of 50 marks the national 2019 midpoint. Higher numbers indicate stronger results on the comparable Stanford research scale. This is not a state proficiency rate.
District makeup
What kinds of schools are in the district?
School levels, settings and types use the NCES 2021–22 directory matched to the federal civil-rights collection.
District finances
How is the district funded, and how does it spend?
Sources of funds
Where the money comes from
Share of district revenue supplied by each level of government.
Uses of funds
Where the money goes
Annual spending for each enrolled student.
Revenue by source: percentages and dollars
How operating money was used
People costs
Equipment, buildings and debt
Selected federal program revenue
What changed since FY 2022
FY 2022$15,280
→FY 2023$16,422
FY 2022$1,537
→FY 2023$796
FY 2022$16,762
→FY 2023$15,915
Revenue shares and spending categories answer different questions and should not be added together. Source: NCES F-33 district finance, FY 2023.
Attendance
How has chronic absence changed?
3,359 of 11,909 students
3,786 of 11,996 students
2,851 of 12,087 students
Specialized support and security · 2021–22
What specialized roles were reported?
Staffing is reported as full-time equivalents in the 2021–22 CRDC collection.
Learning opportunities
What do district schools offer?
Algebra I8 reporting schools
75%
Calculus8 reporting schools
50%
Biology8 reporting schools
50%
Chemistry8 reporting schools
50%
Physics8 reporting schools
38%
Computer science8 reporting schools
25%
Advanced Placement8 reporting schools
38%
Dual enrollment8 reporting schools
25%
Gifted programs23 reporting schools
39%
International Baccalaureate8 reporting schools
0%
Athletics8 reporting schools
25%
Shares use only schools for which the program was applicable and reported. A districtwide percentage does not guarantee availability at every grade or campus. Source: 2021–22 CRDC.
Safety and discipline
What was reported across district schools?
393Out-of-school suspensions23 reporting schoolsSee schools →157In-school suspensions23 reporting schoolsSee schools →0Law-enforcement referrals23 reporting schoolsSee schools →0School-related arrests23 reporting schoolsSee schools →
Counts are from the 2021–22 CRDC collection. Open a measure to see the schools behind the district total.
Technology and safety · 2021–22
What access and incident data is available?
Technology and incident figures are from the 2021–22 CRDC collection. Device counts describe the reporting year, not current inventory.
Six questions parents ask
What the available data says
Each answer shows its reporting year and opens a deeper comparison. Missing and suppressed results are never shown as zero.
Are students making academic progress?5 years of resultsLatest research estimate: 2025Explore and compare →Are students missing too much school?23.6% chronically absent2022–23 · 12,087 students measuredExplore and compare →Is the district improving?Declined overallCompare the earliest and latest available yearsExplore and compare →Where are student-group gaps largest?8 student groups2025 research estimatesExplore and compare →How much does the district spend?$16,422current spending per studentExplore and compare →Does the district have enough support staff?453:1 counselor ratioStudents per counselor in the 2023–24 federal staffing fileExplore and compare →
8 of 8 national data layers are matched to this NCES district ID. Identity and school counts use NCES records. Academic estimates use SEDA, attendance uses EDFacts, finance uses NCES F-33, staffing and enrollment use 2023–24 NCES CCD where available, teacher certification, preschool and policy fields use the 2021–22 CRDC, and community poverty context uses Census SAIPE. Every detailed view preserves its reporting year.
See all sources →