Policy & legislation
District profile / California
Empire Union Elementary
2,803
Students
2024-25 school year
6
Schools
2024-25 school year
$14,714
Spending per student
FY2020-21 · 7% above the California median
24.0
Students per teacher
2024-25 · California median 21.7
Empire Union Elementary is a public school district based in Modesto, California, serving 2,803 students in 6 schools. By enrollment it ranks #371 of the 554 California districts with 1,000 or more students, larger than about 33% of them. Its schools average 467 students each, fewer than the California median of 533. Its superintendent is C.W. Smith. It spends about $14,714 per student on day-to-day operations, 7% more than the California median. It has roughly 24.0 students per teacher. We've matched 1 news story to the district.
How Empire Union Elementary compares
Empire Union ElementaryCalifornia median, districts with 1,000+ students
Spending and staffing
Where the money comes from$52.0 million in revenue · FY2020-21
Federal 12%State 58%Local 30%
| Measure | Empire Union Elementary | California median | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current spending per student | $14,714 | $13,724 | FY2020-21 |
| Instruction spending per student | $9,310 | $8,321 | FY2020-21 |
| Total spending | $42.8 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Total revenue | $52.0 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 117 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Total staff (full-time equivalent) | 362 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Students per teacher | 24.0 | 21.7 | 2024-25 |
| Students per counselor | 561 | 474 | 2024-25 |
Spending: NCES school district finance survey (F-33), FY2020-21. Staffing and enrollment: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25. Via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal. The California median compares districts with 1,000 or more students.
Leadership
Moves tracker →C.W. Smith
Source: California Department of Education, School Directory, checked 2026-10-19. Report a change
In the news
1 story matchedPeer districts in California
Compare side by side →| District | Students | Schools | Spending per student | Students per teacher | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loomis Union ElementaryLoomis | 2,831 | 7 | $9,697 | 22.1 | #370 |
| Empire Union ElementaryModesto · this district | 2,803 | 6 | $14,714 | 24.0 | #371 |
| Arvin UnionArvin | 2,801 | 4 | $13,975 | 20.6 | #372 |
| Bassett UnifiedLa Puente | 2,801 | 7 | $14,113 | 21.1 | #373 |
| Los Gatos Union ElementaryLos Gatos | 2,776 | 5 | $16,677 | 20.9 | #374 |
Similar-size districts nationally
| District | Students | Spending per student | Students per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harborfields Central School DistrictGreenlawn, NY | 2,804 | $26,999 | 10.8 |
| Alleghany Highlands Public SchoolsLow Moor, VA | 2,804 | $13,011 | 12.9 |
| Rye City School DistrictRye, NY | 2,803 | $47,904 | 10.0 |
| Katonah-Lewisboro Union Free School DistrictCross River, NY | 2,802 | $34,807 | 11.1 |
Peers are the districts closest in enrollment, so they can still differ in many other ways. Enrollment, school counts and phone numbers are from the NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25.
Printed from Superintendent's Corner: https://superintendentscorner.com/district-ca-empire-union-elementary