Enrollment
1,067
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Salinas, CA
El Sausal Middle
Federal NCES profile for El Sausal Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 063398005333
👥 S:T ratio 9
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 47
📋 Attendance 57
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
El Sausal Middle earns 36/100 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 8
- middle schools in Salinas · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 22.7:1
- students per teacher
- 83.8%
- free-lunch eligible
El Sausal Middle has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, El Sausal Middle ranks #3 of 8 middle schools in Salinas, CA.
School address
District: Salinas Union High · California
NCES ID 063398005333 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
47.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.7:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
83.8%
vs 55.5% California avg
+51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How El Sausal Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at El Sausal Middle
El Sausal Middle is a high-poverty, large middle school in Salinas, California, enrolling 1,067 students.
At 22.7:1, 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 is high: 83.8% of students qualify for free meals, 51% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 90% of state schools at 1,067 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 690 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #112.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (99% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 3/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 267 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
17.4% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Salinas's middle schools, it stands alongside Harden Middle (1,101 students): El Sausal Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (22.7:1 vs 22:1).
Salinas Union High also operates Alisal High (2,742 students) and Salinas High (2,380 students) alongside El Sausal 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 El Sausal Middle compares
El Sausal 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 | 22.7:1 | ▲ 6% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 83.8% | ▲ 51% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,067 | top 10% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.7:1
Leaner classes than 9% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,067
Bigger than 92% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
83.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 51% 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
22.7:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 59% in California - lower ratio than 41% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
17.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$14,795
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
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 267 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 59 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.5 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 98.6%
White 0.9%
Asian 0.4%
Two or More 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 98.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 2.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 2.8, El Sausal Middle is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Salinas Union High, which includes El Sausal Middle.
$14,795
Per student
-10%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-11%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 23.3%
State 65.8%
Federal 11.0%
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 Sausal Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alisal High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Salinas High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| North Salinas High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Everett Alvarez High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Rancho San Juan High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to El Sausal Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,742
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 2,380
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 2,106
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,978
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,600
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
Similar middle schools in Salinas
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Harden Middle
Standard public school
1,101 students 22:1 students per teacher
La Paz Middle
Standard public school
1,099 students 21.5:1 students per teacher
Washington Middle
Standard public school
1,082 students 24.6:1 students per teacher
John Gutierrez Middle
Standard public school
568 students 21.8:1 students per teacher
Gavilan View Middle
Standard public school
556 students 19.9:1 students per teacher
Buena Vista Middle
Standard public school
321 students 16.9:1 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 (~1,067 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on El Sausal Middle's federal record.
- Compare El Sausal Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Salinas Union High'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 Sausal Middle
How many students attend El Sausal Middle?
El Sausal Middle has 1,067 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Salinas, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at El Sausal Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at El Sausal Middle is 22.7:1, which is 6% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 45% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at El Sausal Middle?
83.8% of students at El Sausal Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of El Sausal Middle?
The largest demographic group at El Sausal Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 98.6% of enrollment, in Salinas, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for El Sausal Middle?
El Sausal Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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 Sausal Middle rank among middle schools in Salinas?
By Resource Investment Index, El Sausal Middle ranks #3 of 8 middle schools in Salinas, 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 Salinas on the city page.
Is El Sausal Middle a good school?
El Sausal Middle earns 36/100 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 Salinas Union High?
Besides El Sausal Middle, Salinas Union High also operates Alisal High (2,742 students), Salinas High (2,380 students), and North Salinas High (2,106 students). See the Salinas Union High 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.