Enrollment
639
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Cerritos, CA
Carmenita Middle
Federal NCES profile for Carmenita Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 060162000007
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 81
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Carmenita Middle earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of California schools.
- #1 of 3
- middle schools in Cerritos · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 27.8:1
- large classes for California
- 27.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Carmenita Middle has class sizes larger than 92% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Carmenita Middle ranks #1 of 3 middle schools in Cerritos, CA.
School address
District: Abc Unified · California
NCES ID 060162000007 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
27.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
27.3%
vs 55.5% California avg
-51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Carmenita Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Carmenita Middle
Carmenita Middle is a mid-sized middle school in Cerritos, California, enrolling 639 students.
Class loads run heavy: 27.8:1 is larger than about 92% of California schools and 29% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 27.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 639 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 92% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 1,379 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #47, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Asian (56%) and Hispanic or Latino (28%) (diversity index 60/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 7.5% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Cerritos's middle schools, it stands alongside Tetzlaff (Martin B.) Middle (542 students): Carmenita Middle is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (27.8:1 vs 21.7:1).
Abc Unified also operates Cerritos High (1,996 students) and Gahr (Richard) High (1,631 students) alongside Carmenita 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 Carmenita Middle compares
Carmenita 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 | 27.8:1 | ▲ 29% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 27.3% | ▼ 51% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 639 | top 28% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
27.8:1
Leaner classes than 3% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
639
Bigger than 76% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
27.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 51% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
27.8:1
students per teacher
- 29% above state mean
Top 92% in California - lower ratio than 8% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
7.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$15,031
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints 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 + 11 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.7 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 56.2%
Hispanic or Latino 28.3%
White 5.8%
African American 5.5%
Two or More 4.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Asian at 56.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.6, Carmenita Middle is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Abc Unified, which includes Carmenita Middle.
$15,031
Per student
-9%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.1%
State 68.2%
Federal 9.7%
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 Carmenita Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cerritos High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Gahr (Richard) High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Artesia High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Whitney (Gretchen) High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Leal (Frank C.) Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Carmenita Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,996
- Students per teacher
- 22.2:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,631
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 1,384
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,024
- Students per teacher
- 26.3:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 774
- Students per teacher
- 28.7:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar middle schools in Cerritos
2 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
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 (~639 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~27.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Carmenita Middle's federal record.
- Compare Carmenita Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Abc 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 Carmenita Middle
How many students attend Carmenita Middle?
Carmenita Middle has 639 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Cerritos, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Carmenita Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Carmenita Middle is 27.8:1, which is 29% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 77% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Carmenita Middle?
27.3% of students at Carmenita Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Carmenita Middle?
The largest demographic group at Carmenita Middle is Asian at 56.2% of enrollment, in Cerritos, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Carmenita Middle?
Carmenita Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (higher 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 Carmenita Middle rank among middle schools in Cerritos?
By Resource Investment Index, Carmenita Middle ranks #1 of 3 middle schools in Cerritos, 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 Cerritos on the city page.
Is Carmenita Middle a good school?
Carmenita Middle earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% 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 Abc Unified?
Besides Carmenita Middle, Abc Unified also operates Cerritos High (1,996 students), Gahr (Richard) High (1,631 students), and Artesia High (1,384 students). See the Abc 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.