Enrollment
1,077
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · San Diego, CA
Black Mountain Middle
Federal NCES profile for Black Mountain Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 063153004884
👥 S:T ratio 8
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 61
📋 Attendance 63
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Black Mountain Middle earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #4 of 37
- middle schools in San Diego · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 22.9:1
- students per teacher
- 18.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Black Mountain Middle has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Black Mountain Middle ranks #4 of 37 middle schools in San Diego, CA.
School address
District: Poway Unified · California
NCES ID 063153004884 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
47.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
18.1%
vs 55.5% California avg
-67% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Black Mountain Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Black Mountain Middle
Black Mountain Middle is a lower-poverty, large middle school in San Diego, California, enrolling 1,077 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 22.9:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 18.1% free-meal eligibility runs 67% below the California average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 90% of state schools at 1,077 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 619 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #173.
Its student body is led by White (35%) and Asian (28%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 74/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 196 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
14.9% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among San Diego's middle schools, it stands alongside Oak Valley Middle (1,503 students): Black Mountain Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (22.9:1 vs 24.6:1).
Poway Unified also operates Del Norte High (2,557 students) and Rancho Bernardo High (2,210 students) alongside Black Mountain 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 Black Mountain Middle compares
Black Mountain 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 | 22.9:1 | ▲ 7% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 18.1% | ▼ 67% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,077 | top 10% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.9:1
Leaner classes than 8% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,077
Bigger than 92% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
18.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 67% 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
22.9:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 61% in California - lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
14.9%
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
$13,960
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
Counselors5.5 FTE
Per 196 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 20 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 expulsions.
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 35.2%
Asian 27.8%
Hispanic or Latino 20.6%
Two or More 13.1%
African American 3.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 35.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 73.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 73.8, Black Mountain Middle is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Poway Unified, which includes Black Mountain Middle.
$13,960
Per student
-15%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 54.2%
State 39.4%
Federal 6.4%
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 Black Mountain Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Del Norte High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rancho Bernardo High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Westview High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Poway High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mt. Carmel High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Black Mountain Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,557
- Students per teacher
- 26.9:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 2,210
- Students per teacher
- 24.8:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 2,116
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 2,101
- Students per teacher
- 23.1:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,800
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar middle schools in San Diego
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Oak Valley Middle
Standard public school
1,503 students 24.6:1 students per teacher
Bernardo Heights Middle
Standard public school
1,487 students 24.4:1 students per teacher
Marshall Middle
Standard public school
1,390 students 27.3:1 students per teacher
Mesa Verde Middle
Standard public school
1,178 students 28.7:1 students per teacher
Lewis Middle
Standard public school
1,013 students 25.3:1 students per teacher
Pershing Middle
Standard public school
980 students 31.6:1 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 (~1,077 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Black Mountain Middle's federal record.
- Compare Black Mountain Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Poway 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 Black Mountain Middle
How many students attend Black Mountain Middle?
Black Mountain Middle has 1,077 students enrolled. It is a middle school in San Diego, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Black Mountain Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Black Mountain Middle is 22.9:1, which is 7% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 46% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Black Mountain Middle?
18.1% of students at Black Mountain Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Black Mountain Middle?
The largest demographic group at Black Mountain Middle is White at 35.2% of enrollment, in San Diego, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 73.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Black Mountain Middle?
Black Mountain Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (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 Black Mountain Middle rank among middle schools in San Diego?
By Resource Investment Index, Black Mountain Middle ranks #4 of 37 middle schools in San Diego, 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 Diego on the city page.
Is Black Mountain Middle a good school?
Black Mountain Middle earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Poway Unified?
Besides Black Mountain Middle, Poway Unified also operates Del Norte High (2,557 students), Rancho Bernardo High (2,210 students), and Westview High (2,116 students). See the Poway 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.