Enrollment
870
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Colton, CA
Colton Middle
Federal NCES profile for Colton Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 060939000947
👥 S:T ratio 8
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 42
📋 Attendance 21
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Colton Middle earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #3 of 15
- public schools in Colton · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 22.9:1
- students per teacher
- 75.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Colton Middle has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Colton Middle ranks #3 of 15 public schools in Colton, CA.
School address
District: Colton Joint Unified · California
NCES ID 060939000947 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
75.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Colton Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Colton Middle
Colton Middle is a high-poverty, large middle school in Colton, California, enrolling 870 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 22.9:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 75.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 870 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,352 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #177.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (95% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 9/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 290 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Colton's middle schools, it stands alongside William G. Jehue Middle (1,444 students): Colton Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (22.9:1 vs 25.8:1).
Colton Joint Unified also operates Bloomington High (1,794 students) and Colton High (1,729 students) alongside Colton 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 Colton Middle compares
Colton 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 | 22.9:1 | ▲ 7% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 75.2% | ▲ 35% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 870 | top 15% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.9:1
Leaner classes than 8% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
870
Bigger than 88% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
75.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 35% 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
22.9:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 61% in California - lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
31.5%
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
$16,590
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 290 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 69 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 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 95.4%
White 1.8%
African American 1.8%
Asian 0.5%
Two or More 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 95.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 8.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 8.9, Colton Middle is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Colton Joint Unified, which includes Colton Middle.
$16,590
Per student
+0%
vs California
Avg $16,509
0%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.0%
State 68.2%
Federal 11.8%
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 Colton Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bloomington High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Colton High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Grand Terrace High Sch at the Ray Abril Jr. Edal Complex | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Terrace Hills Middle | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Joe Baca | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Colton Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,794
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,729
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,647
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 852
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 705
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar middle schools in Colton
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 (~870 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Colton Middle's federal record.
- Compare Colton Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Colton Joint 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 Colton Middle
How many students attend Colton Middle?
Colton Middle has 870 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Colton, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Colton Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Colton Middle is 22.9:1, which is 7% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 46% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Colton Middle?
75.2% of students at Colton Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Colton Middle?
The largest demographic group at Colton Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 95.4% of enrollment, in Colton, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Colton Middle?
Colton Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (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 Colton Middle rank among public schools in Colton?
By Resource Investment Index, Colton Middle ranks #3 of 15 public schools in Colton, 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 Colton on the city page.
Is Colton Middle a good school?
Colton Middle earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Colton Joint Unified?
Besides Colton Middle, Colton Joint Unified also operates Bloomington High (1,794 students), Colton High (1,729 students), and Grand Terrace High Sch at the Ray Abril Jr. Edal Complex (1,647 students). See the Colton Joint 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.