Enrollment
587
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Aptos, CA
Aptos Junior High
Federal NCES profile for Aptos Junior High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 062949004536
👥 S:T ratio 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 10
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Aptos Junior High earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #6 of 6
- public schools in Aptos · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 22.6:1
- students per teacher
- 41.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Aptos Junior High has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Aptos Junior High ranks #6 of 6 public schools in Aptos, CA.
School address
District: Pajaro Valley Unified · California
NCES ID 062949004536 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
41.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
-25% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Aptos Junior High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Aptos Junior High
Aptos Junior High is a mid-sized middle school in Aptos, California, enrolling 587 students.
At 22.6:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 41.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 587 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 1,404 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #589.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (50%) and White (43%) (diversity index 56/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 35.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Pajaro Valley Unified also operates Watsonville High (2,215 students) and Pajaro Valley High (1,293 students) alongside Aptos Junior High.
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 Aptos Junior High compares
Aptos Junior High on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 22.6:1 | ▲ 5% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 41.4% | ▼ 25% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 587 | top 34% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.6:1
Leaner classes than 9% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
587
Bigger than 71% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
41.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 25% below the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
22.6:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 59% in California - lower ratio than 41% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
35.9%
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
$17,011
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
67
in-school suspensions + 42 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 11.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 18.6 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 50.3%
White 43.3%
Two or More 4.1%
Asian 1.7%
African American 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 50.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.8, Aptos Junior High is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Pajaro Valley Unified, which includes Aptos Junior High.
$17,011
Per student
+3%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.6%
State 56.5%
Federal 12.9%
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 Aptos Junior High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watsonville High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Pajaro Valley High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Aptos High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Alianza Charter | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Rolling Hills Middle | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Aptos Junior High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,215
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,293
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,274
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 626
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 588
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
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 (~587 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Aptos Junior High's federal record.
- Compare Aptos Junior High against another school. Compare schools
- Pajaro Valley 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 Aptos Junior High
How many students attend Aptos Junior High?
Aptos Junior High has 587 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Aptos, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Aptos Junior High?
The student-teacher ratio at Aptos Junior High is 22.6:1, which is 5% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 44% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Aptos Junior High?
41.4% of students at Aptos Junior High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Aptos Junior High?
The largest demographic group at Aptos Junior High is Hispanic or Latino at 50.3% of enrollment, in Aptos, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Aptos Junior High?
Aptos Junior High has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Aptos Junior High rank among public schools in Aptos?
By Resource Investment Index, Aptos Junior High ranks #6 of 6 public schools in Aptos, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Aptos on the city page.
Is Aptos Junior High a good school?
Aptos Junior High earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. 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 Pajaro Valley Unified?
Besides Aptos Junior High, Pajaro Valley Unified also operates Watsonville High (2,215 students), Pajaro Valley High (1,293 students), and Aptos High (1,274 students). See the Pajaro Valley 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.