Enrollment
485
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Garden Grove, CA
Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate
Federal NCES profile for Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 061488001856
👥 S:T ratio 12
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 3
📋 Attendance 44
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #5 of 8
- middle schools in Garden Grove · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 22:1
- students per teacher
- 73.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate ranks #5 of 8 middle schools in Garden Grove, CA.
School address
District: Garden Grove Unified · California
NCES ID 061488001856 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
73.0%
vs 55.5% California avg
+32% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate
Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Garden Grove, California, enrolling 485 students.
At 22:1, 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 73.0% of students eligible for free meals.
With 485 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.
Against 2,160 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #495.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (53%) and Asian (38%) (diversity index 57/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 485 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.5% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Garden Grove's middle schools, it stands alongside Hilton D. Bell Intermediate (632 students): Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (22:1 vs 24.3:1).
Garden Grove Unified also operates Garden Grove High (2,148 students) and La Quinta High (2,041 students) alongside Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate.
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 Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate compares
Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate 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 | ▲ 2% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 73.0% | ▲ 32% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 485 | top 48% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22:1
Leaner classes than 10% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
485
Bigger than 60% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
73.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 32% 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
students per teacher
- 2% above state mean
Top 53% in California - lower ratio than 47% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
22.5%
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
$16,783
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 485 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 41 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.5 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 53.0%
Asian 38.1%
White 4.7%
Two or More 2.7%
African American 0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 53.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.1, Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Garden Grove Unified, which includes Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate.
$16,783
Per student
+2%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+1%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.3%
State 56.8%
Federal 12.9%
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 Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garden Grove High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| La Quinta High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bolsa Grande High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Santiago High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Pacifica High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,148
- Students per teacher
- 23.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 2,041
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,701
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,664
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,634
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar middle schools in Garden Grove
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Hilton D. Bell Intermediate
Standard public school
632 students 24.3:1 students per teacher
Alamitos Intermediate
Standard public school
581 students 23.2:1 students per teacher
Leroy L. Doig Intermediate
Standard public school
557 students 23.2:1 students per teacher
Donald S. Jordan Intermediate
Standard public school
551 students 24:1 students per teacher
James Irvine Intermediate
Standard public school
532 students 18.3:1 students per teacher
Izaak Walton Intermediate
Standard public school
458 students 20.8:1 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 (~485 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate's federal record.
- Compare Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate against another school. Compare schools
- Garden Grove 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 Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate
How many students attend Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate?
Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate has 485 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Garden Grove, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate?
The student-teacher ratio at Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate is 22:1, which is 2% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 40% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate?
73.0% of students at Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate?
The largest demographic group at Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate is Hispanic or Latino at 53.0% of enrollment, in Garden Grove, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate?
Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (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 Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate rank among middle schools in Garden Grove?
By Resource Investment Index, Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate ranks #5 of 8 middle schools in Garden Grove, 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 Garden Grove on the city page.
Is Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate a good school?
Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate earns 32/100 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 Garden Grove Unified?
Besides Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate, Garden Grove Unified also operates Garden Grove High (2,148 students), La Quinta High (2,041 students), and Bolsa Grande High (1,701 students). See the Garden Grove 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.