Hilmar Unified has two ranked public elementary schools, one middle school and one high school. Elim Elementary is at the 58th percentile, Merquin Elementary the 15th, Hilmar Middle the 35th and Hilmar High the 44th, each among the California schools we score at its level (spring 2026 tests; high schools, spring 2025).
Where does Hilmar Unified’s money go, and what does it plan?
Hilmar Unified spent $17,895 per student in the 2024–25 school year.
The typical California district spent $20,491. About 59 cents of every Hilmar Unified dollar went to classroom instruction.
Spending by function
Day-to-day spending per student in average daily attendance, from the district’s annual financial report (SACS) to the California Department of Education. District-wide: it includes central administration and costs never assigned to one campus.
Share by function, 2024–25
Instruction59%
Instruction support9%
Student services12%
Administration8%
Buildings & maintenance9%
Other3%
Shares of the same spending total, by the report’s spending categories, rounded so they add up to 100. Names are simplified from the report’s own categories.
What the district plans
$13.9 million
planned in its 2026–27 plan for 32 funded actions in 5 goals. That’s 34% of its $41.2 million general fund budget. These are planned amounts; the district reports what it spent in a later plan.
The plan in short
Source: the district’s yearly spending plan (Local Control and Accountability Plan, or LCAP, 125 pages), as posted to the California School Dashboard.
Where the money goes
Three actions take 58% of the money. The plan itself puts 86% of it toward staff.
Specialized Student Support Staff $4.8 million
Tier 2 Interventions and Expanded Learning Opportunities $2.5 million
Bilingual Paraprofessionals $800,000
29 other actions
Reading, math and catch-up help
9 of the plan’s 32 funded actions name reading, math, catch-up help or English learners in their titles.
Actions whose titles name reading, catch-up help or English learners
Reading $0.1 million
Catch-up help $3.1 million
English learners $1.5 million
Largest of these
Tier 2 Interventions and Expanded Learning Opportunities$2.5 million
Bilingual Paraprofessionals$800,000
Professional Development in Support of English Learners$490,000
For high-need students (English learners, low-income students and foster youth), what changed and what its goals measure
For high-need students
It plans $10.6 million in extra services for English learners, low-income students and foster youth. For 2025–26, it planned $8.7 million and estimates it spent $3.7 million, $5.0 million (57%) less than planned (our arithmetic).
$3.7 million spent (estimated)$8.7 million planned
Ask: Why did estimated spending on these services come in $5.0 million under the 2025–26 plan, and where does that money go in 2026–27?
What changed
The total is $1.9 million (16%) higher than in the 2025–26 plan. The biggest change in dollars is Tier 2 Interventions and Expanded Learning Opportunities, which went from $2.2 million to $2.5 million.
Largest increases
Tier 2 Interventions and Expanded Learning Opportunities+$300,000
Specialized Student Support Staff+$300,000
Build TK-5 Teacher Capacity to Differentiate Instruction+$200,000
New in the 2026–27 plan
Address "Red" Dashboard Academic Indicators Districtwide and at Elim and HMS with Parsec$50,000
What its goals measure
Read these state results for the district’s own schools as context for the goals they measure; results alone can’t show what the plan caused.
What its goals measure: state results, 2024–25 and 2025–26
Measure
2024–25
2025–26
Change
English, every tested grade: Proficient or Advanced in 2025–26, met or exceeded in 2024–25Goal 1
38%
41%
up 3 pts
Math, every tested grade: Proficient or Advanced in 2025–26, met or exceeded in 2024–25Goal 1
23%
24%
up 1 pt
Chronically absentCounted across all the district’s students, not averaged by schoolGoal 3
13 in 100
14 in 100
1 more in 100
Suspended at least onceGoal 3
8.0%
6.4%
down 1.6 pts
Goal 5 tracks named schools and Goals 2 and 4 track other measures, so they aren’t shown here.
Figures from CDE’s state test, chronic absence and suspension files. Test figures cover every grade the district tests (California tests grades 3–8 and 11), so they differ from a profile’s rated grades. We combined the district’s schools ourselves, weighted by students and leaving out charter schools. Chronically absent means a student missed 10% or more of school days.
The plan’s own titles and amounts
Specialized Student Support Staff · $4,820,000
Tier 2 Interventions and Expanded Learning Opportunities · $2,500,000
Bilingual Paraprofessionals · $800,000
The full plan5 goals, 51 measures and where the money goes
We calculate each action’s share of the plan by dividing its planned amount by the total of the plan’s funded actions ($13.9 million).
Where does the money go?
41% to Goal 3. Each box is one action, sized by its planned dollars and coloured by its change since last year’s plan. Tap a box to open its goal.
not compared: unconfirmed, or repeated across goals
Every goal, in the plan’s order
Goal 1All students, and particularly low-income and English learner students, will have access to quality academic…$5.5 million40% of action budgets
“All students, and particularly low-income and English learner students, will have access to quality academic content and performance standards instruction TK-12 and Career Technical Education (CTE) pathway standards instruction 9-12, delivered by appropriately-certified teachers in order to achieve proficiency on these standards and be college and-career ready upon graduation” p. 19 ↗
14 funded actions · 2025–26 plan: $4.5 million (+$980,000)
Largest funded actions
Tier 2 Interventions and Expanded Learning Opportunities$2.5 millionaction 1.8 · p. 82 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services · of which $2.3 million is state funding counted toward those services
Build TK-5 Teacher Capacity to Differentiate Instruction$0.7 millionaction 1.1 · p. 82 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services
K-5 & Alt Ed. ClassSize Reduction$0.6 millionaction 1.12 · p. 83 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services
Professional Development on State Adopted Content Standards and Research-Based Practices$0.4 millionaction 1.4 · p. 82 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services · of which $400,000 is state funding counted toward those services
Assessment & Data Management Systems to Identify At Risk Students (TK-8)$0.3 millionaction 1.7 · p. 82 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services
9 more funded actions in this goal
Supplemental Instructional Materials for MTSS · action 1.6 · p. 82 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services$0.2 million
Teacher Collaboration Days for Improved Instruction · action 1.3 · p. 82 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services · of which $185,000 is state funding counted toward those services$0.2 million
Access to Base Instructional Materials · action 1.5 · p. 82 ↗$0.2 million
AVID · action 1.9 · p. 82 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services$0.2 million
Extra Reading & Language Support for 6-8 Students to Address Red Academic Indicators · action 1.13 · p. 83 ↗$0.1 million
CTE Pathways Development · action 1.10 · p. 83 ↗$0.1 million
Teacher Induction Program (TIP) · action 1.2 · p. 82 ↗under $0.1 million
Address "Red" Dashboard Academic Indicators Districtwide and at Elim and HMS with Parsec · action 1.14 · p. 83 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need servicesunder $0.1 million
Co-Curricular and Extra-Curricular Activities · action 1.11 · p. 83 ↗under $0.1 million
Changes from last year’s plan, same title
Tier 2 Interventions and Expanded Learning Opportunities+$0.3 million$2.2 million → $2.5 million · p. 82 ↗
Build TK-5 Teacher Capacity to Differentiate Instruction+$200,000$520,000 → $720,000 · p. 82 ↗
K-5 & Alt Ed. ClassSize Reduction+$150,000$415,000 → $565,000 · p. 83 ↗
Every other line in this goal, against last year’s plan
Professional Development on State Adopted Content Standards and Research-Based Practices · $325,000 → $425,000 · p. 82 ↗+$100,000
Assessment & Data Management Systems to Identify At Risk Students (TK-8) · $185,000 → $260,000 · p. 82 ↗+$75,000
Supplemental Instructional Materials for MTSS · $205,000 → $230,000 · p. 82 ↗+$25,000
Teacher Collaboration Days for Improved Instruction · $120,000 → $200,000 · p. 82 ↗+$80,000
Access to Base Instructional Materials · $200,000 → $200,000 · p. 82 ↗unchanged
Extra Reading & Language Support for 6-8 Students to Address Red Academic Indicators · $85,000 → $85,000 · p. 83 ↗unchanged
CTE Pathways Development · $60,000 → $60,000 · p. 83 ↗unchanged
Teacher Induction Program (TIP) · $50,000 → $50,000 · p. 82 ↗unchanged
Address "Red" Dashboard Academic Indicators Districtwide and at Elim and HMS with Parsec · $50,000 · p. 83 ↗new or renamed
Co-Curricular and Extra-Curricular Activities · $20,000 → $20,000 · p. 83 ↗unchanged
A reworded title counts as new.
How the plan measures it · 22 measures · 2 quoted
Student access to CCSS materials, as measured by annual "Sufficiency of Instructional Materials" reportp. 21 ↗
Baseline
2023-2024 100%
Target for year 3
100%
Percentage of teacher interns who are provided a mentor, as measured by staff reports and meeting logsp. 21 ↗
Baseline
2023-2024 100%
Target for year 3
100%
20 more measures in the plan’s table.
Goal 2As a means to improve academic achievement and digital literacy, all students will access and use…$1.0 million7% of action budgets
“As a means to improve academic achievement and digital literacy, all students will access and use age-appropriate technology as an integral part of the implementation of CCSS” p. 37 ↗
3 funded actions · 2025–26 plan: $1.0 million (unchanged)
Largest funded actions
Technology Support Staff$600,000action 2.2 · p. 83 ↗
Technology Devices & Auxiliary Components$400,000action 2.3 · p. 83 ↗
Technology Professional Development$5,000action 2.1 · p. 83 ↗
Every other line in this goal, against last year’s plan
Technology Support Staff · $600,000 → $600,000 · p. 83 ↗unchanged
Technology Professional Development · $5,000 → $5,000 · p. 83 ↗unchanged
How the plan measures it · 4 measures
None of these has an all-students line we can quote; the plan’s table lists them from p. 37 ↗.
Goal 3Foster a safe and positive learning environment that is welcoming to all students and families, provides…$5.8 million41% of action budgets
“Foster a safe and positive learning environment that is welcoming to all students and families, provides appropriate physical, mental, social, and academic support, and connects students to school” p. 42 ↗
8 funded actions · 2025–26 plan: $5.2 million (+$550,000)
Largest funded actions
Specialized Student Support Staff$4.8 millionaction 3.1 · p. 83 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services · of which $3.8 million is state funding counted toward those services
Professional Development on SEL,Trauma, and MTSS$0.3 millionaction 3.2 · p. 83 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services
Inviting School Libraries$0.2 millionaction 3.5 · p. 83 ↗
Build Student Resiliency Skills and School Connectedness$0.2 millionaction 3.3 · p. 83 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services
Restorative Practices Training to Address Suspension Rates$0.1 millionaction 3.10 · p. 84 ↗
3 more funded actions in this goal
Attention2Attendance (A2A) (Now called SchoolStatus Attend) · action 3.9 · p. 84 ↗under $0.1 million
Parent and Family Engagement · action 3.4 · p. 83 ↗under $0.1 million
Engagement and Support of Foster Youth · action 3.7 · p. 83 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need servicesunder $0.1 million
Changes from last year’s plan, same title
Specialized Student Support Staff+$0.3 million$4.5 million → $4.8 million · p. 83 ↗
Professional Development on SEL,Trauma, and MTSS+$150,000$190,000 → $340,000 · p. 83 ↗
Build Student Resiliency Skills and School Connectedness+$100,000$116,000 → $216,000 · p. 83 ↗
Every other line in this goal, against last year’s plan
Inviting School Libraries · $250,000 → $250,000 · p. 83 ↗unchanged
Restorative Practices Training to Address Suspension Rates · $60,000 → $60,000 · p. 84 ↗unchanged
Attention2Attendance (A2A) (Now called SchoolStatus Attend) · $40,000 → $40,000 · p. 84 ↗unchanged
Parent and Family Engagement · $25,000 → $25,000 · p. 83 ↗unchanged
Engagement and Support of Foster Youth · $1,000 → $1,000 · p. 83 ↗unchanged
How the plan measures it · 14 measures · 3 quoted
Increase in school attendance rate, as measured by ADA to Enrollment report (P2)p. 44 ↗
Baseline
2023-2024 95.11%
Target for year 3
98%
Maintain the suspension rate below 5%, as measured by the local data queryp. 44 ↗
Baseline
2023-2024 4.96%
Target for year 3
5% or less
Maintain the expulsion rate below 1%, as measured by local data queryp. 44 ↗
Baseline
2023-2024 0.04%
Target for year 3
1% or less
11 more measures in the plan’s table.
Goal 4All English Learners (EL) will become proficient in English and reach high academic standards, and all…$1.5 million11% of action budgets
“All English Learners (EL) will become proficient in English and reach high academic standards, and all Redesignated Fluent English Proficient (RFEP) students will maintain academic success” p. 55 ↗
5 funded actions · 2025–26 plan: $1.1 million (+$370,000)
Largest funded actions
Bilingual Paraprofessionals$800,000action 4.2 · p. 84 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services · of which $650,000 is state funding counted toward those services
Professional Development in Support of English Learners$490,000action 4.1 · p. 84 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services
EL and RFEP Monitoring$220,000action 4.3 · p. 84 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services
LTEL and AR-LTEL Monitoring$1,000action 4.4 · p. 84 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services
Addressing ELPI "Red" Dashboard Indicator at HHS$1,000action 4.5 · p. 84 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services
Changes from last year’s plan, same title
Professional Development in Support of English Learners+$200,000$290,000 → $490,000 · p. 84 ↗
Bilingual Paraprofessionals+$100,000$700,000 → $800,000 · p. 84 ↗
EL and RFEP Monitoring+$70,000$150,000 → $220,000 · p. 84 ↗
Every other line in this goal, against last year’s plan
LTEL and AR-LTEL Monitoring · $1,000 → $1,000 · p. 84 ↗unchanged
Addressing ELPI "Red" Dashboard Indicator at HHS · $1,000 → $1,000 · p. 84 ↗unchanged
How the plan measures it · 5 measures · 2 quoted
Increase in English Language Progress Indicators (ELPI) on the California School Dashboardp. 56 ↗
Baseline
2022-2023 44.1% making progress towards English language proficiency (Dashboard indicator = Yellow)
Target for year 3
65% (Status= Very High)
Increase in HHS' English Language Progress Indicators (ELPI) on the California School Dashboardp. 57 ↗
Baseline
2022-2023 26.6% making progress towards English language proficiency (Dashboard indicator = Red)
Target for year 3
65% (Status= Very High)
3 more measures in the plan’s table.
Goal 5 · Equity Multiplier Focus GoalThrough a "case manager" instructional delivery model, tailor instruction to better meet each student's…$100,0001% of action budgets
“Through a "case manager" instructional delivery model, tailor instruction to better meet each student's unique academic, career pathway, social-emotional, and mental health needs at Irwin Continuation High School in order to increase credit accrual rates and graduation rates by the end of 2026-2027” p. 61 ↗
2 funded actions · reworded since the 2025–26 plan
Largest funded actions
Reduce Student to Teacher Ratio$50,000action 5.1 · p. 84 ↗
Implement Restorative Practices within the MTSS model$50,000action 5.2 · p. 85 ↗
Every other line in this goal, against last year’s plan
Reduce Student to Teacher Ratio · $50,000 → $50,000 · p. 84 ↗unchanged
Implement Restorative Practices within the MTSS model · $50,000 → $50,000 · p. 85 ↗unchanged
How the plan measures it · 6 measures
None of these has an all-students line we can quote; the plan’s table lists them from p. 61 ↗.
All amounts are planned. We read them from the PDF and added up each goal’s actions ourselves. Page links open the plan at that page.
Who goes to the district’s schools
Who attends
Student mix
2024–25 · October enrollment count, 2,284 students
1White50%
2Hispanic or Latino48%
3Two or more races<1%
4American Indian or Alaska Native<1%
5Asian<1%
6Black or African American<1%
7Pacific Islander<1%
8Not reported<1%
9Filipino<1%
Shares use the district's own October enrollment counts from the CDE, including its charter schools.
Free or reduced-price meals
64%
Across California, 63% of students qualify.
2024–25 · 1,165 of 1,817 students qualify, summed from the CDE’s meal counts for every school it lists under the district, charters included. It comes from a different CDE file than the student mix, so the two totals differ.
The district’s state records
Is the state giving the district extra help?
The state is giving Hilmar Unified extra help in 2026, the second year after it qualified on the 2025 Dashboard.
How English learners moved up on the state’s English test
From spring 2025 to spring 2026, 46% of the district’s English learners moved up at least one level on the state’s English test (ELPAC), or stayed at the top (163 of 355 students). California: 47%. It counts students moving up the test’s levels, so a student can count here before becoming fluent.
Which public schools in Hilmar Unified rank highest?
Elementary: Elim Elementary, 58th percentile (Solid). Middle: Hilmar Middle, 35th percentile (Developing). High: Hilmar High, 44th percentile (Developing). Each percentile is among the California schools at the same level we score. A rank doesn’t decide fit or whether a child can enroll.
Does living in the Hilmar Unified district decide which school my child attends?
Not by itself. Attendance boundaries, programs, transfers and space all matter. Confirm the school for your address, grade and program with the district.
More questions (4)
Are the public schools in Hilmar Unified good?
Hilmar Unified’s 2 public elementary schools run from the 15th to the 58th percentile among the 5,726 California elementary schools we score (spring 2026 tests). By band: 1 Solid and 1 Needs Support. Hilmar Unified has one public middle school we score, Hilmar Middle, at the 35th percentile among the 2,529 California middle schools we score (spring 2026 tests). By band: 1 Developing. Hilmar Unified has one public high school we score, Hilmar High, at the 44th percentile among the 1,498 California high schools we score (spring 2025 tests). By band: 1 Developing. A percentile compares a school with California public schools at the same level that we score. How we score schools.
How much does Hilmar Unified spend per student?
Hilmar Unified spent $17,895 per student in the 2024–25 school year. The typical California district spent $20,491. About 59 cents of every Hilmar Unified dollar went to classroom instruction. Day-to-day spending per student in average daily attendance, from its annual financial report to the California Department of Education. The district’s spending, by function.
What is in Hilmar Unified’s 2026–27 spending plan?
The district’s 2026–27 spending plan puts $13.9 million into 32 funded actions in 5 goals, 34% of its $41.2 million general fund budget. Its largest goal holds $5.8 million, 41% of the action budgets. The 2026–27 plan, goal by goal.
Where do these results come from?
California’s state tests (CAASPP): spring 2026 for elementary and middle schools, spring 2025 for high schools, and chronic-absence rates for 2025–26, published by the California Department of Education. Percentiles, bands and Scope Scores are SchoolScope’s calculations. How we score schools.
Sources and methodology
This page lists the public schools governed and funded by Hilmar Unified, with the district’s spending and state accountability records.
Data source: California Department of Education · CAASPP 2025–26 elementary and middle school; 2024–25 high school
Percentiles, bands and Scope Scores are SchoolScope’s own calculations from these state files.