Enrollment
437
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Carpinteria, CA
Carpinteria Middle
Federal NCES profile for Carpinteria Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 060756000726
👥 S:T ratio 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 56
📋 Attendance 31
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Carpinteria Middle earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 86% of California schools.
- #1 of 5
- public schools in Carpinteria · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.2:1
- small classes for California
- 62.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Carpinteria Middle has class sizes smaller than 86% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Carpinteria Middle ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Carpinteria, CA.
School address
District: Carpinteria Unified · California
NCES ID 060756000726 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.2:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
62.3%
vs 55.5% California avg
+12% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Carpinteria Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Carpinteria Middle
Carpinteria Middle is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Carpinteria, California, enrolling 437 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 16.2:1, Carpinteria Middle is leaner than roughly 86% of California schools and 25% under the state's 21.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 62.3% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 437 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 91% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 1,833 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #45, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (78%) and White (19%) (diversity index 36/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 219 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 3 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Carpinteria Unified also operates Carpinteria Senior High (593 students) and Canalino Elementary (471 students) alongside Carpinteria 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 Carpinteria Middle compares
Carpinteria 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 | 16.2:1 | ▼ 25% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 62.3% | ▲ 12% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 437 | top 55% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.2:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
437
Bigger than 53% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
62.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 12% 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
16.2:1
students per teacher
- 25% below state mean
Top 14% in California - lower ratio than 86% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
27.5%
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
$17,521
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 219 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 58 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 15.1 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
Hispanic or Latino 78.0%
White 18.5%
Two or More 1.8%
African American 0.9%
Asian 0.7%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 78.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 35.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 35.7, Carpinteria Middle is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Carpinteria Unified, which includes Carpinteria Middle.
$17,521
Per student
+6%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+6%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 72.9%
State 18.7%
Federal 8.4%
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 Carpinteria Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carpinteria Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Canalino Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Aliso Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Summerland Elementary | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Carpinteria Family | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Carpinteria Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 593
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 471
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 315
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 51
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 45
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
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 (~437 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Carpinteria Middle's federal record.
- Compare Carpinteria Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Carpinteria 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 Carpinteria Middle
How many students attend Carpinteria Middle?
Carpinteria Middle has 437 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Carpinteria, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Carpinteria Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Carpinteria Middle is 16.2:1, which is 25% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 3% 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 Carpinteria Middle?
62.3% of students at Carpinteria Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Carpinteria Middle?
The largest demographic group at Carpinteria Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 78.0% of enrollment, in Carpinteria, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Carpinteria Middle?
Carpinteria Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (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 Carpinteria Middle rank among public schools in Carpinteria?
By Resource Investment Index, Carpinteria Middle ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Carpinteria, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Carpinteria on the city page.
Is Carpinteria Middle a good school?
Carpinteria Middle earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 86% 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 Carpinteria Unified?
Besides Carpinteria Middle, Carpinteria Unified also operates Carpinteria Senior High (593 students), Canalino Elementary (471 students), and Aliso Elementary (315 students). See the Carpinteria 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.