Enrollment
830
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Santa Maria, CA
El Camino Junior High
Federal NCES profile for El Camino Junior High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 060558009315
👥 S:T ratio 26
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 17
📋 Attendance 56
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
El Camino Junior High earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 77% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #1 of 6
- middle schools in Santa Maria · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.4:1
- small classes for California
- 86.1%
- free-lunch eligible
El Camino Junior High has class sizes smaller than 77% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, El Camino Junior High ranks #1 of 6 middle schools in Santa Maria, CA.
School address
District: Santa Maria-Bonita · California
NCES ID 060558009315 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
45.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
86.1%
vs 55.5% California avg
+55% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How El Camino Junior High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at El Camino Junior High
El Camino Junior High is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Santa Maria, California, enrolling 830 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 18.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 86.1% of students qualify for free meals, 55% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 830 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 1,164 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #269.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (99% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 2/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 415 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
17.6% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Santa Maria's middle schools, it stands alongside Fesler (Isaac) Junior High (974 students): El Camino Junior High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (18.4:1 vs 19.1:1).
Santa Maria-Bonita also operates Jimenez Roberto and Dr. Francisco Elementary (1,177 students) and Bruce (Robert) Elementary (1,050 students) alongside El Camino 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 El Camino Junior High compares
El Camino 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 | 18.4:1 | ▼ 14% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 86.1% | ▲ 55% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 830 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.4:1
Leaner classes than 22% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
830
Bigger than 87% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
86.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 55% above the California average of 55.5%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
18.4:1
students per teacher
- 14% below state mean
Top 23% in California - lower ratio than 77% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
17.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$14,410
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 415 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 58 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 98.8%
White 0.5%
Asian 0.5%
African American 0.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 98.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 2.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 2.4, El Camino Junior High is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Santa Maria-Bonita, which includes El Camino Junior High.
$14,410
Per student
-13%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.7%
State 68.7%
Federal 11.6%
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 El Camino Junior High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jimenez Roberto and Dr. Francisco Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bruce (Robert) Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Alvin Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fesler (Isaac) Junior High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Tunnell (Martin Luther) Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to El Camino Junior High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,177
- Students per teacher
- 29.4:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,050
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 998
- Students per teacher
- 25.6:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 974
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 917
- Students per teacher
- 25.5:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
Similar middle schools in Santa Maria
5 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Fesler (Isaac) Junior High
Standard public school
974 students 19.1:1 students per teacher
Kunst (Tommie) Junior High
Standard public school
912 students 16.3:1 students per teacher
Arellanes Junior High
Standard public school
668 students 22.3:1 students per teacher
Orcutt Junior High
Standard public school
464 students 21.1:1 students per teacher
Lakeview Junior High
Standard public school
463 students 24.4:1 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 (~830 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on El Camino Junior High's federal record.
- Compare El Camino Junior High against another school. Compare schools
- Santa Maria-Bonita'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 El Camino Junior High
How many students attend El Camino Junior High?
El Camino Junior High has 830 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Santa Maria, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at El Camino Junior High?
The student-teacher ratio at El Camino Junior High is 18.4:1, which is 14% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 17% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at El Camino Junior High?
86.1% of students at El Camino Junior High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of El Camino Junior High?
The largest demographic group at El Camino Junior High is Hispanic or Latino at 98.8% of enrollment, in Santa Maria, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for El Camino Junior High?
El Camino Junior High 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 El Camino Junior High rank among middle schools in Santa Maria?
By Resource Investment Index, El Camino Junior High ranks #1 of 6 middle schools in Santa Maria, 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 Santa Maria on the city page.
Is El Camino Junior High a good school?
El Camino Junior High earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 77% of California schools. 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 Santa Maria-Bonita?
Besides El Camino Junior High, Santa Maria-Bonita also operates Jimenez Roberto and Dr. Francisco Elementary (1,177 students), Bruce (Robert) Elementary (1,050 students), and Alvin Elementary (998 students). See the Santa Maria-Bonita 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.