Enrollment
443
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · San Carlos, CA
Central Middle
Federal NCES profile for Central Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 063429005402
👥 S:T ratio 12
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 80
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Middle earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #9 of 9
- public schools in San Carlos · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 22.1:1
- students per teacher
- 10.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Central Middle has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central Middle ranks #9 of 9 public schools in San Carlos, CA.
School address
District: San Carlos Elementary · California
NCES ID 063429005402 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.1:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
10.5%
vs 55.5% California avg
-81% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central Middle
Central Middle is a lower-poverty, mid-sized middle school in San Carlos, California, enrolling 443 students.
At 22.1:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 10.5% free-meal eligibility runs 81% below the California average.
With 443 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 819 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #609, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (52%) and Two or More (16%) (diversity index 65/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 738 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.1% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among San Carlos's middle schools, it stands alongside Tierra Linda Middle (451 students): Central Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (22.1:1 vs 20.5:1).
San Carlos Elementary also operates Tierra Linda Middle (451 students) and Brittan Acres Elementary (411 students) alongside Central 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 Central Middle compares
Central 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 | 22.1:1 | ▲ 3% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 10.5% | ▼ 81% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 443 | top 54% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.1:1
Leaner classes than 10% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
443
Bigger than 54% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
10.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 81% 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
22.1:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 54% in California - lower ratio than 46% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
8.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$17,313
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.6 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.9 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 52.4%
Two or More 16.3%
Asian 15.6%
Hispanic or Latino 15.1%
African American 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 52.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.2, Central Middle is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for San Carlos Elementary, which includes Central Middle.
$17,313
Per student
+5%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 86.6%
State 12.0%
Federal 1.4%
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 Central Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tierra Linda Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Brittan Acres Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Arundel Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mariposa | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Heather Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Central Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 451
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 411
- Students per teacher
- 24.2:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 388
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 322
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 320
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar middle schools in San Carlos
1 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 (~443 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Middle's federal record.
- Compare Central Middle against another school. Compare schools
- San Carlos 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 Central Middle
How many students attend Central Middle?
Central Middle has 443 students enrolled. It is a middle school in San Carlos, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Middle is 22.1:1, which is 3% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 41% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Central Middle?
10.5% of students at Central Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central Middle?
The largest demographic group at Central Middle is White at 52.4% of enrollment, in San Carlos, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Middle?
Central Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (lower 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 Central Middle rank among public schools in San Carlos?
By Resource Investment Index, Central Middle ranks #9 of 9 public schools in San Carlos, 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 San Carlos on the city page.
Is Central Middle a good school?
Central Middle earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California 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 San Carlos Elementary?
Besides Central Middle, San Carlos Elementary also operates Tierra Linda Middle (451 students), Brittan Acres Elementary (411 students), and Arundel Elementary (388 students). See the San Carlos 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.