Enrollment
919
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · San Clemente, CA
Bernice Ayer Middle
Federal NCES profile for Bernice Ayer 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 060744007587
👥 S:T ratio 14
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 55
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bernice Ayer Middle earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #3 of 3
- middle schools in San Clemente · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 21.4:1
- students per teacher
- 30.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Bernice Ayer Middle has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bernice Ayer Middle ranks #3 of 3 middle schools in San Clemente, CA.
School address
District: Capistrano Unified · California
NCES ID 060744007587 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
43.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-0% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
30.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
-45% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bernice Ayer Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bernice Ayer Middle
Bernice Ayer Middle is a large middle school in San Clemente, California, enrolling 919 students.
At 21.4:1, 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 30.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 919 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 989 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #388.
Its student body is led by White (59%) and Hispanic or Latino (30%) (diversity index 55/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 919 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among San Clemente's middle schools, it stands alongside Shorecliffs Middle (634 students): Bernice Ayer Middle is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (21.4:1 vs 17.1:1).
Capistrano Unified also operates San Clemente High (2,740 students) and San Juan Hills High (2,641 students) alongside Bernice Ayer 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 Bernice Ayer Middle compares
Bernice Ayer 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 | 21.4:1 | ▼ 0% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 30.7% | ▼ 45% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 919 | top 13% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.4:1
Leaner classes than 12% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
919
Bigger than 89% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
30.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 45% 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
21.4:1
students per teacher
- 0% below state mean
Top 47% in California - lower ratio than 53% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
18.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 919 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 36 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.6 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
White 58.9%
Hispanic or Latino 30.1%
Two or More 9.1%
Asian 1.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 58.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.4, Bernice Ayer 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 Bernice Ayer 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 Bernice Ayer Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Clemente High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| San Juan Hills High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Aliso Niguel High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Tesoro High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Capistrano Valley High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bernice Ayer 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 San Clemente
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 (~919 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bernice Ayer Middle's federal record.
- Compare Bernice Ayer 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 Bernice Ayer Middle
How many students attend Bernice Ayer Middle?
Bernice Ayer Middle has 919 students enrolled. It is a middle school in San Clemente, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bernice Ayer Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Bernice Ayer Middle is 21.4:1, which is 0% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 36% 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 Bernice Ayer Middle?
30.7% of students at Bernice Ayer Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bernice Ayer Middle?
The largest demographic group at Bernice Ayer Middle is White at 58.9% of enrollment, in San Clemente, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bernice Ayer Middle?
Bernice Ayer 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 Bernice Ayer Middle rank among middle schools in San Clemente?
By Resource Investment Index, Bernice Ayer Middle ranks #3 of 3 middle schools in San Clemente, 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 San Clemente on the city page.
Is Bernice Ayer Middle a good school?
Bernice Ayer Middle earns 35/100 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 Capistrano Unified?
Besides Bernice Ayer 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.