Amador County Unified, CA

Original Research by School Decision on Amador County Unified

Amador County Unified serves a mid-sized enrollment across kindergarten through twelfth grade within Amador County, a rural foothill region in the Sierra Nevada. The district spans multiple small towns, including Jackson, Ione, Sutter Creek, Plymouth, Pioneer, and others, creating a geographically dispersed but close-knit community. The enrollment is distributed fairly evenly across grades, with slightly higher numbers in early elementary and high school. The student population is predominantly white, with a substantial share who are Hispanic. The district does not report free-or-reduced-price-lunch eligibility counts or English learner population size, so a parent looking for detail on economic disadvantage or language support availability would need to contact the district directly.

Academic performance across the district shows persistent challenge in mathematics and moderate performance in English language arts. In mathematics across tested grades, proficiency rates cluster below a third, with middle school grades seven through eight at particularly low levels. English language arts results are somewhat stronger, with fourth and fifth grades in the mid-range for the district and higher grades holding steady. Science proficiency in fifth and eighth grades sits in the low-to-mid range. These patterns suggest that students are meeting grade-level standards at lower rates than many California districts, with a steeper gap appearing as students advance into seventh grade across both core subjects. A parent evaluating academic fit would want to discuss with the district what supports or interventions exist for students struggling with math, particularly in the middle school years.

The district operates traditional schools alongside some specialized offerings. Two elementary schools carry magnet designations: Pine Grove Elementary, which focuses on STEM, and Pioneer Magnet School for the Visual and Performing Arts. This gives families some choice in educational approach within the district. The high school includes Independence High as a continuation option, presumably serving students who benefit from an alternative program structure. Housing values across the county's towns where the district operates vary modestly, ranging from lower-priced communities to higher ones, reflecting the mix of historic foothill towns and property types. The local housing market has seen slight contraction, and mortgage costs remain substantial relative to median local income, making affordability a real consideration for families relocating to the area.

The district serves a genuinely rural environment, not a suburb, which shapes both daily life and school operations. Enrollment data were the most recent available; state testing results are from the current school year. A four-year graduation rate for the district was not available in the provided data, so a parent with a high school student would want to request that metric directly. The district brief found no recent major operational or policy changes worth flagging to families, so the character and capacity of the schools appear stable.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

4,075

Grades

KG–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 25%

Black 0%

White 62%

Asian 1%

Two+ 8%

Am. Indian / AK Native 2%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 0%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr ALL

28%

—

Gr 3

23%

43%

Gr 4

33%

41%

Gr 5

26%

42%

Gr 6

27%

32%

Gr 7

23%

28%

Gr 8

19%

42%

Gr 11

44%

—

Math

Gr ALL

18%

—

Gr 3

24%

40%

Gr 4

27%

38%

Gr 5

17%

28%

Gr 6

16%

27%

Gr 7

14%

16%

Gr 8

15%

26%

Gr 11

11%

—

Science

Gr ALL

24%

—

Gr 5

24%

32%

Gr 8

24%

31%

Gr 11

25%

—

Gr HS

24%

—

Gr UG_SEC

23%

—

Schools in this District

12 schools are officially reported under this district.

North Star Academy

Independence High (Continuation)

Pine Grove Elementary STEM Magnet

Pioneer Magnet School for the Visual and Performing Arts

Plymouth Elementary

Sutter Creek Elementary

Jackson Junior High

Ione Junior High

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

6 grades reported

32%

Grade 3

33%

Grade 4

24%

Grade 5

23%

Grade 6

15%

Grade 7

22%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

33%

Grade 3

37%

Grade 4

36%

Grade 5

30%

Grade 6

26%

Grade 7

33%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

29%

Grade 5

28%

Grade 8

Social Studies

1 grade reported

54%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$450,834

Year-over-year change-2.1%

Range across 10 ZIP codes$229K to $568K

vs. state typical0.58x

vs. national typical1.22x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (10 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
95640	Ione	$466K	-1.0%	27.0%
95666	Pioneer	$343K	-3.7%	17.3%
95669	Plymouth	$568K	+0.1%	15.6%
95642	Jackson	$436K	-2.7%	13.7%
95685	Sutter Creek	$471K	-3.0%	8.3%
95629	Fiddletown	$473K	-3.6%	7.2%
95689	Volcano	$396K	-4.5%	5.2%
95665	Pine Grove	$404K	-2.4%	4.2%
95601	Amador City	$483K	+0.0%	0.4%
95675	River Pines	$229K	-6.3%	0.0%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$2,275/mo

Home price / national median income5.4x

Comparison

State typical home value$776,233 (-1.1% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.