Enrollment
321
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Salinas, CA
Buena Vista Middle
Federal NCES profile for Buena Vista Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 063771007565
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 74
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Buena Vista Middle earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 84% of California schools.
- #1 of 8
- middle schools in Salinas · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.9:1
- small classes for California
- 14.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Buena Vista Middle has class sizes smaller than 84% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Buena Vista Middle ranks #1 of 8 middle schools in Salinas, CA.
School address
District: Spreckels Union Elementary · California
NCES ID 063771007565 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
14.6%
vs 55.5% California avg
-74% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Buena Vista Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Buena Vista Middle
Buena Vista Middle is a lower-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Salinas, California, enrolling 321 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 16.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 14.6% free-meal eligibility runs 74% below the California average.
Enrollment of 321 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 520 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #77.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (51%) and White (38%) (diversity index 59/100).
10.6% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Spreckels Union Elementary spends $11,072 per pupil, 33% below the California average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Salinas's middle schools, it stands alongside Harden Middle (1,101 students): Buena Vista Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.9:1 vs 22:1).
Its district, Spreckels Union Elementary, also runs Spreckels Elementary (529 students).
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 Buena Vista Middle compares
Buena 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 | 16.9:1 | ▼ 21% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 14.6% | ▼ 74% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 321 | top 71% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.9:1
Leaner classes than 31% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
321
Bigger than 35% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
14.6%
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
16.9:1
students per teacher
- 21% below state mean
Top 16% in California - lower ratio than 84% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
10.6%
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
$11,072
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.8 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
Hispanic or Latino 50.8%
White 37.7%
Two or More 6.5%
Asian 5.0%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 50.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.3, Buena Vista Middle is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Spreckels Union Elementary, which includes Buena Vista Middle.
$11,072
Per student
-33%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.4%
State 55.5%
Federal 2.2%
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 Buena Vista Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spreckels Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Buena Vista Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 529
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar middle schools in Salinas
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Harden Middle
Standard public school
1,101 students 22:1 students per teacher
La Paz Middle
Standard public school
1,099 students 21.5:1 students per teacher
Washington Middle
Standard public school
1,082 students 24.6:1 students per teacher
El Sausal Middle
Standard public school
1,067 students 22.7:1 students per teacher
John Gutierrez Middle
Standard public school
568 students 21.8:1 students per teacher
Gavilan View Middle
Standard public school
556 students 19.9:1 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 (~321 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Buena Vista Middle's federal record.
- Compare Buena Vista Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Spreckels Union Elementary'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 Buena Vista Middle
How many students attend Buena Vista Middle?
Buena Vista Middle has 321 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Salinas, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Buena Vista Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Buena Vista Middle is 16.9:1, which is 21% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 8% 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 Buena Vista Middle?
14.6% of students at Buena Vista Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Buena Vista Middle?
The largest demographic group at Buena Vista Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 50.8% of enrollment, in Salinas, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Buena Vista Middle?
Buena Vista Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Buena Vista Middle rank among middle schools in Salinas?
By Resource Investment Index, Buena Vista Middle ranks #1 of 8 middle schools in Salinas, 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 Salinas on the city page.
Is Buena Vista Middle a good school?
Buena Vista Middle earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 84% 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 Spreckels Union Elementary?
Besides Buena Vista Middle, Spreckels Union Elementary also operates Spreckels Elementary (529 students). See the Spreckels Union Elementary 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.