Enrollment
1,451
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Murrieta, CA
Dorothy Mcelhinney Middle
Federal NCES profile for Dorothy Mcelhinney Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 18/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 060002912243
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 3
📋 Attendance 38
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Dorothy Mcelhinney Middle earns 18/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #3 of 5
- middle schools in Murrieta · Resource Index
- 18
- Resource Index · Lower
- 27.9:1
- large classes for California
- 29.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Dorothy Mcelhinney Middle has class sizes larger than 92% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Dorothy Mcelhinney Middle ranks #3 of 5 middle schools in Murrieta, CA.
School address
District: Murrieta Valley Unified · California
NCES ID 060002912243 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
52.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
27.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+30% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
29.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
-46% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Dorothy Mcelhinney Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Dorothy Mcelhinney Middle
Dorothy Mcelhinney Middle is a large middle school in Murrieta, California, enrolling 1,451 students.
Class loads run heavy: 27.9:1 is larger than about 92% of California schools and 30% 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 29.7% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 93% of state schools at 1,451 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 435 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #406, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (37%) and White (35%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 72/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 484 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.8% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Murrieta's middle schools, it stands alongside Thompson Middle (1,565 students): Dorothy Mcelhinney Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (27.9:1 vs 27.5:1).
Murrieta Valley Unified also operates Vista Murrieta High (3,328 students) and Murrieta Valley High (2,104 students) alongside Dorothy Mcelhinney 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 Dorothy Mcelhinney Middle compares
Dorothy Mcelhinney 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 | 27.9:1 | ▲ 30% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 29.7% | ▼ 46% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,451 | top 7% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
27.9:1
Leaner classes than 3% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,451
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
29.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 46% 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
27.9:1
students per teacher
- 30% 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
24.8%
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
$13,483
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 484 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 37 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 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
Hispanic or Latino 36.7%
White 35.1%
Two or More 10.8%
Asian 10.6%
African American 6.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 36.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 71.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 71.5, Dorothy Mcelhinney Middle is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Murrieta Valley Unified, which includes Dorothy Mcelhinney Middle.
$13,483
Per student
-18%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.5%
State 57.2%
Federal 9.3%
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 Dorothy Mcelhinney Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vista Murrieta High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Murrieta Valley High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Murrieta Mesa High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Thompson Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Shivela Middle | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Dorothy Mcelhinney Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,328
- Students per teacher
- 23.4:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
- Enrollment
- 2,104
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 10/100
- Enrollment
- 2,066
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 1,565
- Students per teacher
- 27.5:1
- Resource Index
- 14/100
- Enrollment
- 1,282
- Students per teacher
- 26.2:1
- Resource Index
- 13/100
Similar middle schools in Murrieta
4 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Thompson Middle
Standard public school
1,565 students 27.5:1 students per teacher
Shivela Middle
Standard public school
1,282 students 26.2:1 students per teacher
Bella Vista Middle
Standard public school
1,249 students 22.7:1 students per teacher
Warm Springs Middle
Standard public school
755 students 21:1 students per teacher
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 (~1,451 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~27.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Dorothy Mcelhinney Middle's federal record.
- Compare Dorothy Mcelhinney Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Murrieta Valley 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 Dorothy Mcelhinney Middle
How many students attend Dorothy Mcelhinney Middle?
Dorothy Mcelhinney Middle has 1,451 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Murrieta, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dorothy Mcelhinney Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Dorothy Mcelhinney Middle is 27.9:1, which is 30% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 78% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Dorothy Mcelhinney Middle?
29.7% of students at Dorothy Mcelhinney Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Dorothy Mcelhinney Middle?
The largest demographic group at Dorothy Mcelhinney Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 36.7% of enrollment, in Murrieta, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 71.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dorothy Mcelhinney Middle?
Dorothy Mcelhinney Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 18/100 (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 Dorothy Mcelhinney Middle rank among middle schools in Murrieta?
By Resource Investment Index, Dorothy Mcelhinney Middle ranks #3 of 5 middle schools in Murrieta, 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 Murrieta on the city page.
Is Dorothy Mcelhinney Middle a good school?
Dorothy Mcelhinney Middle earns 18/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of California schools. It is also more 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 Murrieta Valley Unified?
Besides Dorothy Mcelhinney Middle, Murrieta Valley Unified also operates Vista Murrieta High (3,328 students), Murrieta Valley High (2,104 students), and Murrieta Mesa High (2,066 students). See the Murrieta Valley 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.