Enrollment
859
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Lancaster, CA
Amargosa Creek Middle
Federal NCES profile for Amargosa Creek Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 062088008717
👥 S:T ratio 27
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 14
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Amargosa Creek Middle earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 77% of California schools.
- #5 of 7
- middle schools in Lancaster · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.3:1
- small classes for California
- 76.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Amargosa Creek Middle has class sizes smaller than 77% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Amargosa Creek Middle ranks #5 of 7 middle schools in Lancaster, CA.
School address
District: Lancaster Elementary · California
NCES ID 062088008717 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
47.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.3:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
76.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
+37% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Amargosa Creek Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Amargosa Creek Middle
Amargosa Creek Middle is a high-poverty, large middle school in Lancaster, California, enrolling 859 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 18.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 76.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 859 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,373 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #472.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (57%) and African American (26%) (diversity index 60/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 430 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 56.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Lancaster's middle schools, it stands alongside New Vista Middle (835 students): Amargosa Creek Middle is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (18.3:1 vs 20.4:1).
Lancaster Elementary also operates New Vista Middle (835 students) and Endeavour Middle (805 students) alongside Amargosa Creek 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 Amargosa Creek Middle compares
Amargosa Creek 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 | 18.3:1 | ▼ 15% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 76.2% | ▲ 37% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 859 | top 15% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.3:1
Leaner classes than 23% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
859
Bigger than 88% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
76.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 37% above the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
18.3:1
students per teacher
- 15% below state mean
Top 23% in California - lower ratio than 77% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
56.1%
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
$16,048
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 430 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 134 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 15.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 56.5%
African American 25.6%
White 9.1%
Two or More 4.6%
Asian 3.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 56.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.4, Amargosa Creek Middle is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lancaster Elementary, which includes Amargosa Creek Middle.
$16,048
Per student
-3%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 16.4%
State 64.4%
Federal 19.3%
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 Amargosa Creek Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Vista Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Endeavour Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Monte Vista Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| El Dorado Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Wind Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Amargosa Creek Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 835
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 805
- Students per teacher
- 21.2:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 788
- Students per teacher
- 26.3:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 766
- Students per teacher
- 26.4:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
- Enrollment
- 757
- Students per teacher
- 29.1:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
Similar middle schools in Lancaster
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
New Vista Middle
Standard public school
835 students 20.4:1 students per teacher
Endeavour Middle
Standard public school
805 students 21.2:1 students per teacher
Joe Walker Middle
Standard public school
781 students 25.2:1 students per teacher
Piute Middle
Standard public school
729 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Gifford C. Cole Middle
Standard public school
697 students 20.5:1 students per teacher
Fulton and Alsbury Academy of Arts and Engineering
Standard public school
414 students 31.8:1 students per teacher
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 (~859 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Amargosa Creek Middle's federal record.
- Compare Amargosa Creek Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Lancaster Elementary'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 Amargosa Creek Middle
How many students attend Amargosa Creek Middle?
Amargosa Creek Middle has 859 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Lancaster, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Amargosa Creek Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Amargosa Creek Middle is 18.3:1, which is 15% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 17% 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 Amargosa Creek Middle?
76.2% of students at Amargosa Creek Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Amargosa Creek Middle?
The largest demographic group at Amargosa Creek Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 56.5% of enrollment, in Lancaster, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Amargosa Creek Middle?
Amargosa Creek Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (lower 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 Amargosa Creek Middle rank among middle schools in Lancaster?
By Resource Investment Index, Amargosa Creek Middle ranks #5 of 7 middle schools in Lancaster, 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 Lancaster on the city page.
Is Amargosa Creek Middle a good school?
Amargosa Creek Middle earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 77% 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 Lancaster Elementary?
Besides Amargosa Creek Middle, Lancaster Elementary also operates New Vista Middle (835 students), Endeavour Middle (805 students), and Monte Vista Elementary (788 students). See the Lancaster Elementary 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.