Enrollment
942
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · El Cajon, CA
Cajon Valley Middle
Federal NCES profile for Cajon Valley 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 060681000607
👥 S:T ratio 22
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 37
📋 Attendance 13
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cajon Valley Middle earns 35/100 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 6
- middle schools in El Cajon · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.6:1
- students per teacher
- 82.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Cajon Valley Middle has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cajon Valley Middle ranks #4 of 6 middle schools in El Cajon, CA.
School address
District: Cajon Valley Union · California
NCES ID 060681000607 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
48.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
82.6%
vs 55.5% California avg
+49% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cajon Valley Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cajon Valley Middle
Cajon Valley Middle is a high-poverty, large middle school in El Cajon, California, enrolling 942 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 19.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 82.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 942 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 1,006 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #152.
Its student body is led by White (36%) and Hispanic or Latino (35%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 72/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 314 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 35.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among El Cajon's middle schools, it stands alongside Hillsdale Middle (1,481 students): Cajon Valley Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (19.6:1 vs 23.5:1).
Cajon Valley Union also operates Hillsdale Middle (1,481 students) and Naranca Elementary (985 students) alongside Cajon Valley 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 Cajon Valley Middle compares
Cajon Valley 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 | 19.6:1 | ▼ 9% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 82.6% | ▲ 49% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 942 | top 13% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.6:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
942
Bigger than 90% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
82.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 49% above the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
19.6:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 32% in California - lower ratio than 68% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
35.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$17,179
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 314 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 46 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.4 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 36.3%
Hispanic or Latino 34.7%
Asian 13.9%
African American 9.9%
Two or More 3.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 36.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 71.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 71.7, Cajon Valley Middle is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cajon Valley Union, which includes Cajon Valley Middle.
$17,179
Per student
+4%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.3%
State 58.5%
Federal 13.2%
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 Cajon Valley Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hillsdale Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Naranca Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Montgomery Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lexington Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Johnson Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cajon Valley Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,481
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 985
- Students per teacher
- 30.8:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 929
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 878
- Students per teacher
- 27.4:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
- Enrollment
- 766
- Students per teacher
- 28.4:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
Similar middle schools in El Cajon
5 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Hillsdale Middle
Standard public school
1,481 students 23.5:1 students per teacher
Montgomery Middle
Standard public school
929 students 24.4:1 students per teacher
Greenfield Middle
Standard public school
730 students 22.8:1 students per teacher
Los Coches Creek Middle
Standard public school
518 students 19.9:1 students per teacher
Eje Middle Academy
Standard public school
254 students 21.2:1 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 (~942 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cajon Valley Middle's federal record.
- Compare Cajon Valley Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Cajon Valley Union'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 Cajon Valley Middle
How many students attend Cajon Valley Middle?
Cajon Valley Middle has 942 students enrolled. It is a middle school in El Cajon, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cajon Valley Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Cajon Valley Middle is 19.6:1, which is 9% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 25% 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 Cajon Valley Middle?
82.6% of students at Cajon Valley Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cajon Valley Middle?
The largest demographic group at Cajon Valley Middle is White at 36.3% of enrollment, in El Cajon, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 71.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cajon Valley Middle?
Cajon Valley 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 Cajon Valley Middle rank among middle schools in El Cajon?
By Resource Investment Index, Cajon Valley Middle ranks #4 of 6 middle schools in El Cajon, 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 El Cajon on the city page.
Is Cajon Valley Middle a good school?
Cajon Valley Middle earns 35/100 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 Cajon Valley Union?
Besides Cajon Valley Middle, Cajon Valley Union also operates Hillsdale Middle (1,481 students), Naranca Elementary (985 students), and Montgomery Middle (929 students). See the Cajon Valley Union 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.