Enrollment
158
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Coal Center, PA
California Area Ms
Federal NCES profile for California Area Ms, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 57/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 420471006939
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 79
📋 Attendance 35
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
California Area Ms earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Pennsylvania median.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Coal Center · Resource Index
- 57
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.4:1
- students per teacher
- 58.0%
- free-lunch eligible
California Area Ms has class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, California Area Ms ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Coal Center, PA.
School address
District: California Area Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 420471006939 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
11.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.4:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
58.0%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
-0% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How California Area Ms compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at California Area Ms
California Area Ms is a higher-need, small middle school in Coal Center, Pennsylvania, enrolling 158 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Pennsylvania schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 58.0% lands close to the Pennsylvania typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 94% of Pennsylvania schools, with 158 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,889 scored Pennsylvania schools.
Against 67 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #14.
Its student body is predominantly White (83% of enrollment) (diversity index 30/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 105 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding California Area Sd spends $14,332 per pupil, 20% below the Pennsylvania average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
California Area Sd also operates California Area El Sch (485 students) and California Area Shs (290 students) alongside California Area Ms.
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 California Area Ms compares
California Area Ms on the metrics families compare, against Pennsylvania and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.4:1 | ▲ 6% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 58.0% | ▼ 0% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 158 | top 94% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.4:1
Leaner classes than 53% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
158
Bigger than 15% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
58.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 0% below the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.4:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 68% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 32% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
25.9%
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
$14,332
per pupil, district-wide
- below Pennsylvania avg of $17,970
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 105 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.5 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 82.9%
Two or More 10.1%
Hispanic or Latino 3.8%
African American 2.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: White at 82.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 30.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 30.0, California Area Ms is less mixed than the Pennsylvania school average of 37.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for California Area Sd, which includes California Area Ms.
$14,332
Per student
-20%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.9%
State 56.6%
Federal 7.4%
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 California Area Ms Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| California Area El Sch | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| California Area Shs | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to California Area Ms's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 485
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 290
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Pennsylvania, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~158 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on California Area Ms's federal record.
- Compare California Area Ms against another school. Compare schools
- California Area Sd'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 California Area Ms
How many students attend California Area Ms?
California Area Ms has 158 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Coal Center, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at California Area Ms?
The student-teacher ratio at California Area Ms is 14.4:1, which is 6% higher than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 8% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at California Area Ms?
58.0% of students at California Area Ms are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of California Area Ms?
The largest demographic group at California Area Ms is White at 82.9% of enrollment, in Coal Center, PA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for California Area Ms?
California Area Ms has a Resource Investment Index of 57/100 (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 California Area Ms rank among public schools in Coal Center?
By Resource Investment Index, California Area Ms ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Coal Center, PA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Coal Center on the city page.
Is California Area Ms a good school?
California Area Ms earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Pennsylvania 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 California Area Sd?
Besides California Area Ms, California Area Sd also operates California Area El Sch (485 students) and California Area Shs (290 students). See the California Area Sd 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.