Enrollment
685
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Ceres, CA
Cesar Chavez Junior High
Federal NCES profile for Cesar Chavez Junior High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 24/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 060813012670
👥 S:T ratio 12
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 54
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cesar Chavez Junior High earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #3 of 3
- middle schools in Ceres · Resource Index
- 24
- Resource Index · Lower
- 22.1:1
- students per teacher
- 76.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Cesar Chavez Junior High has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cesar Chavez Junior High ranks #3 of 3 middle schools in Ceres, CA.
School address
District: Ceres Unified · California
NCES ID 060813012670 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.1:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
76.1%
vs 55.5% California avg
+37% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cesar Chavez Junior High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cesar Chavez Junior High
Cesar Chavez Junior High is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Ceres, California, enrolling 685 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.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 76.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 685 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,954 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #953.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (80%) and Asian (10%) (diversity index 35/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 228 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 41.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 4 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Ceres's middle schools, it stands alongside Mae Hensley Junior High (636 students): Cesar Chavez Junior High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (22.1:1 vs 21.2:1).
Ceres Unified also operates Central Valley High (2,317 students) and Ceres High (1,660 students) alongside Cesar Chavez Junior High.
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 Cesar Chavez Junior High compares
Cesar Chavez Junior High 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 | 76.1% | ▲ 37% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 685 | top 25% | - | - |
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.
685
Bigger than 79% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
76.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 37% 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
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
41.6%
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
$16,252
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 228 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 13 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 4 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 79.7%
Asian 9.8%
White 7.3%
African American 1.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
Two or More 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 79.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 35.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 35.0, Cesar Chavez Junior High is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Ceres Unified, which includes Cesar Chavez Junior High.
$16,252
Per student
-2%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-2%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 14.4%
State 74.5%
Federal 11.1%
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 Cesar Chavez Junior High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Valley High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ceres High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lucas Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Caswell Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Virginia Parks Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cesar Chavez Junior High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,317
- Students per teacher
- 23.4:1
- Resource Index
- 14/100
- Enrollment
- 1,660
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 668
- Students per teacher
- 26.7:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 653
- Students per teacher
- 26.1:1
- Resource Index
- 10/100
- Enrollment
- 643
- Students per teacher
- 23.8:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
Similar middle schools in Ceres
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 (~685 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cesar Chavez Junior High's federal record.
- Compare Cesar Chavez Junior High against another school. Compare schools
- Ceres 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 Cesar Chavez Junior High
How many students attend Cesar Chavez Junior High?
Cesar Chavez Junior High has 685 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Ceres, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cesar Chavez Junior High?
The student-teacher ratio at Cesar Chavez Junior High 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 Cesar Chavez Junior High?
76.1% of students at Cesar Chavez Junior High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cesar Chavez Junior High?
The largest demographic group at Cesar Chavez Junior High is Hispanic or Latino at 79.7% of enrollment, in Ceres, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cesar Chavez Junior High?
Cesar Chavez Junior High has a Resource Investment Index of 24/100 (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 Cesar Chavez Junior High rank among middle schools in Ceres?
By Resource Investment Index, Cesar Chavez Junior High ranks #3 of 3 middle schools in Ceres, 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 Ceres on the city page.
Is Cesar Chavez Junior High a good school?
Cesar Chavez Junior High earns 24/100 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 Ceres Unified?
Besides Cesar Chavez Junior High, Ceres Unified also operates Central Valley High (2,317 students), Ceres High (1,660 students), and Lucas Elementary (668 students). See the Ceres 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.