Enrollment
862
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · San Jose, CA
Bret Harte Middle
Federal NCES profile for Bret Harte Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 063459005703
👥 S:T ratio 18
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 43
📋 Attendance 73
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bret Harte Middle earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #6 of 31
- middle schools in San Jose · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 20.5:1
- students per teacher
- 10.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Bret Harte Middle has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bret Harte Middle ranks #6 of 31 middle schools in San Jose, CA.
School address
District: San Jose Unified · California
NCES ID 063459005703 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
42.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.5:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
10.3%
vs 55.5% California avg
-81% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bret Harte Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bret Harte Middle
Bret Harte Middle is a lower-poverty, large middle school in San Jose, California, enrolling 862 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 20.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 10.3% free-meal eligibility runs 81% below the California average.
Enrollment of 862 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 672 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #205.
Its student body is led by Asian (53%) and White (23%) (diversity index 64/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 287 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
10.8% 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 3 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among San Jose's middle schools, it stands alongside Willow Glen Middle (1,180 students): Bret Harte Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (20.5:1 vs 25.1:1).
San Jose Unified also operates Abraham Lincoln High (1,590 students) and Willow Glen High (1,543 students) alongside Bret Harte 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 Bret Harte Middle compares
Bret Harte 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 | 20.5:1 | ▼ 5% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 10.3% | ▼ 81% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 862 | top 15% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.5:1
Leaner classes than 14% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
862
Bigger than 88% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
10.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 81% 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
20.5:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 39% in California - lower ratio than 61% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
10.8%
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
$16,122
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 287 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
9
in-school suspensions + 63 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 3 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
Asian 52.8%
White 23.4%
Hispanic or Latino 13.6%
Two or More 8.6%
African American 1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: Asian at 52.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.0, Bret Harte Middle is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for San Jose Unified, which includes Bret Harte Middle.
$16,122
Per student
-2%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 67.7%
State 23.6%
Federal 8.7%
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 Bret Harte Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abraham Lincoln High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Willow Glen High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Leland High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pioneer High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Willow Glen Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bret Harte Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,590
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 1,543
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,471
- Students per teacher
- 26.3:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,393
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,180
- Students per teacher
- 25.1:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
Similar middle schools in San Jose
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Willow Glen Middle
Standard public school
1,180 students 25.1:1 students per teacher
Union Middle
Standard public school
1,068 students 25.4:1 students per teacher
Joaquin Miller Middle
Standard public school
1,067 students 21.8:1 students per teacher
Price Charter Middle
Standard public school
959 students 24.6:1 students per teacher
Herbert Hoover Middle
Standard public school
910 students 20.7:1 students per teacher
Dartmouth Middle
Standard public school
903 students 25.1:1 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 (~862 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bret Harte Middle's federal record.
- Compare Bret Harte Middle against another school. Compare schools
- San Jose 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 Bret Harte Middle
How many students attend Bret Harte Middle?
Bret Harte Middle has 862 students enrolled. It is a middle school in San Jose, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bret Harte Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Bret Harte Middle is 20.5:1, which is 5% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 31% 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 Bret Harte Middle?
10.3% of students at Bret Harte Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bret Harte Middle?
The largest demographic group at Bret Harte Middle is Asian at 52.8% of enrollment, in San Jose, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bret Harte Middle?
Bret Harte Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 Bret Harte Middle rank among middle schools in San Jose?
By Resource Investment Index, Bret Harte Middle ranks #6 of 31 middle schools in San Jose, 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 Jose on the city page.
Is Bret Harte Middle a good school?
Bret Harte Middle earns 41/100 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 Jose Unified?
Besides Bret Harte Middle, San Jose Unified also operates Abraham Lincoln High (1,590 students), Willow Glen High (1,543 students), and Leland High (1,471 students). See the San Jose 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.