Enrollment
929
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Foster City, CA
Bowditch Middle
Federal NCES profile for Bowditch Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 063492005902
👥 S:T ratio 19
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 38
📋 Attendance 75
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bowditch Middle earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #2 of 5
- public schools in Foster City · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 20.2:1
- students per teacher
- 7.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Bowditch Middle has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bowditch Middle ranks #2 of 5 public schools in Foster City, CA.
School address
District: San Mateo-Foster City · California
NCES ID 063492005902 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
46.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.2:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
7.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
-87% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bowditch Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bowditch Middle
Bowditch Middle is a lower-poverty, large middle school in Foster City, California, enrolling 929 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 20.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 7.2% free-meal eligibility runs 87% below the California average.
Enrollment of 929 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 93% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 458 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #21, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Asian (54%) and White (17%) (diversity index 64/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 310 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.9% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
San Mateo-Foster City also operates Borel Middle (903 students) and Bayside Academy (840 students) alongside Bowditch 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 Bowditch Middle compares
Bowditch 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 | 20.2:1 | ▼ 6% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 7.2% | ▼ 87% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 929 | top 13% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.2:1
Leaner classes than 15% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
929
Bigger than 90% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
7.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 87% 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
20.2:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 36% in California - lower ratio than 64% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
9.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$17,395
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 310 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
18
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.9 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
Asian 53.9%
White 16.6%
Hispanic or Latino 15.5%
Two or More 12.0%
African American 1.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Asian at 53.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.3, Bowditch Middle is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for San Mateo-Foster City, which includes Bowditch Middle.
$17,395
Per student
+5%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 79.9%
State 14.6%
Federal 5.4%
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 Bowditch Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Borel Middle | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bayside Academy | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Abbott Middle | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Foster City Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Baywood Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bowditch Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 903
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 840
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 721
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 624
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 489
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
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 (~929 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bowditch Middle's federal record.
- Compare Bowditch Middle against another school. Compare schools
- San Mateo-Foster City'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 Bowditch Middle
How many students attend Bowditch Middle?
Bowditch Middle has 929 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Foster City, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bowditch Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Bowditch Middle is 20.2:1, which is 6% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 29% 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 Bowditch Middle?
7.2% of students at Bowditch Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bowditch Middle?
The largest demographic group at Bowditch Middle is Asian at 53.9% of enrollment, in Foster City, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bowditch Middle?
Bowditch Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (higher 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 Bowditch Middle rank among public schools in Foster City?
By Resource Investment Index, Bowditch Middle ranks #2 of 5 public schools in Foster City, 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 Foster City on the city page.
Is Bowditch Middle a good school?
Bowditch Middle earns 51/100 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 San Mateo-Foster City?
Besides Bowditch Middle, San Mateo-Foster City also operates Borel Middle (903 students), Bayside Academy (840 students), and Abbott Middle (721 students). See the San Mateo-Foster City 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.