Enrollment
652
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · South San Francisco, CA
Alta Loma Middle
Federal NCES profile for Alta Loma Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 063753006339
👥 S:T ratio 23
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 50
📋 Attendance 42
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Alta Loma Middle earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 71% of California schools.
- #2 of 3
- middle schools in South San Francisco · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.2:1
- small classes for California
- 31.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Alta Loma Middle has class sizes smaller than 71% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Alta Loma Middle ranks #2 of 3 middle schools in South San Francisco, CA.
School address
District: South San Francisco Unified · California
NCES ID 063753006339 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.2:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
31.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
-43% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Alta Loma Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Alta Loma Middle
Alta Loma Middle is a mid-sized middle school in South San Francisco, California, enrolling 652 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 19.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 31.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 652 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,390 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #465.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (43%) and Asian (39%) (diversity index 65/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 251 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.3% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among South San Francisco's middle schools, it stands alongside Parkway Heights Middle (573 students): Alta Loma Middle is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19.2:1 vs 16.9:1).
South San Francisco Unified also operates South San Francisco High (1,239 students) and El Camino High (1,053 students) alongside Alta Loma Middle.
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 Alta Loma Middle compares
Alta Loma Middle on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19.2:1 | ▼ 11% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 31.7% | ▼ 43% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 652 | top 27% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.2:1
Leaner classes than 19% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
652
Bigger than 77% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
31.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 43% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
19.2:1
students per teacher
- 11% below state mean
Top 29% in California - lower ratio than 71% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
23.3%
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
$17,183
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors2.6 FTE
Per 251 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 30 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.1 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
Hispanic or Latino 43.1%
Asian 39.4%
White 7.4%
Two or More 7.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
African American 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 43.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.8, Alta Loma Middle is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for South San Francisco Unified, which includes Alta Loma Middle.
$17,183
Per student
+4%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 76.0%
State 16.7%
Federal 7.3%
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 Alta Loma Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| South San Francisco High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| El Camino High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Buri Buri Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Parkway Heights Middle | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Monte Verde Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Alta Loma Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,239
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,053
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 584
- Students per teacher
- 23.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 573
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 517
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar middle schools in South San Francisco
2 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle 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 (~652 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Alta Loma Middle's federal record.
- Compare Alta Loma Middle against another school. Compare schools
- South San Francisco Unified'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 Alta Loma Middle
How many students attend Alta Loma Middle?
Alta Loma Middle has 652 students enrolled. It is a middle school in South San Francisco, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Alta Loma Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Alta Loma Middle is 19.2:1, which is 11% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 22% 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 Alta Loma Middle?
31.7% of students at Alta Loma Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Alta Loma Middle?
The largest demographic group at Alta Loma Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 43.1% of enrollment, in South San Francisco, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Alta Loma Middle?
Alta Loma Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (typical 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 Alta Loma Middle rank among middle schools in South San Francisco?
By Resource Investment Index, Alta Loma Middle ranks #2 of 3 middle schools in South San Francisco, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in South San Francisco on the city page.
Is Alta Loma Middle a good school?
Alta Loma Middle earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 71% of California schools. 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 South San Francisco Unified?
Besides Alta Loma Middle, South San Francisco Unified also operates South San Francisco High (1,239 students), El Camino High (1,053 students), and Buri Buri Elementary (584 students). See the South San Francisco Unified 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.