Enrollment
329
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
Arroyo Vista Middle
Federal NCES profile for Arroyo Vista Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 060744011701
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 68
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Arroyo Vista Middle earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of California schools.
- #5 of 8
- public schools in Rancho Santa Margarita · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 25.3:1
- large classes for California
- 14.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Arroyo Vista Middle has class sizes larger than 81% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Arroyo Vista Middle ranks #5 of 8 public schools in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA.
School address
District: Capistrano Unified · California
NCES ID 060744011701 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
13.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.3:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
14.3%
vs 55.5% California avg
-74% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Arroyo Vista Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Arroyo Vista Middle
Arroyo Vista Middle is a lower-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, enrolling 329 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 25.3:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 14.3% free-meal eligibility runs 74% below the California average.
Enrollment of 329 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 548 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #283.
Its student body is led by White (60%) and Asian (15%) (diversity index 59/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 658 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
12.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Rancho Santa Margarita's middle schools, it stands alongside Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate (1,153 students): Arroyo Vista Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (25.3:1 vs 25.6:1).
Capistrano Unified also operates San Clemente High (2,740 students) and San Juan Hills High (2,641 students) alongside Arroyo Vista 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 Arroyo Vista Middle compares
Arroyo Vista 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 | 25.3:1 | ▲ 18% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 14.3% | ▼ 74% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 329 | top 70% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25.3:1
Leaner classes than 5% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
329
Bigger than 37% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
14.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 74% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
25.3:1
students per teacher
- 18% above state mean
Top 81% in California - lower ratio than 19% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
12.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$14,421
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.7 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
White 59.6%
Asian 14.6%
Two or More 13.1%
Hispanic or Latino 12.5%
African American 0.3%
Largest group: White at 59.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.1, Arroyo Vista Middle is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Capistrano Unified, which includes Arroyo Vista Middle.
$14,421
Per student
-13%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 61.2%
State 31.0%
Federal 7.7%
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 Arroyo Vista Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Clemente High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| San Juan Hills High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Aliso Niguel High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Tesoro High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Capistrano Valley High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Arroyo Vista Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,740
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 2,641
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 2,563
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 2,030
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,991
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
Similar middle schools in Rancho Santa Margarita
1 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 (~329 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~25.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Arroyo Vista Middle's federal record.
- Compare Arroyo Vista Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Capistrano 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 Arroyo Vista Middle
How many students attend Arroyo Vista Middle?
Arroyo Vista Middle has 329 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Arroyo Vista Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Arroyo Vista Middle is 25.3:1, which is 18% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 61% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Arroyo Vista Middle?
14.3% of students at Arroyo Vista Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Arroyo Vista Middle?
The largest demographic group at Arroyo Vista Middle is White at 59.6% of enrollment, in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Arroyo Vista Middle?
Arroyo Vista Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (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 Arroyo Vista Middle rank among public schools in Rancho Santa Margarita?
By Resource Investment Index, Arroyo Vista Middle ranks #5 of 8 public schools in Rancho Santa Margarita, 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 Rancho Santa Margarita on the city page.
Is Arroyo Vista Middle a good school?
Arroyo Vista Middle earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% 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 Capistrano Unified?
Besides Arroyo Vista Middle, Capistrano Unified also operates San Clemente High (2,740 students), San Juan Hills High (2,641 students), and Aliso Niguel High (2,563 students). See the Capistrano 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.