Enrollment
857
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Los Angeles, CA
El Sereno Middle
Federal NCES profile for El Sereno Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 062271002982
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 43
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
El Sereno Middle earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 88% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #17 of 67
- middle schools in Los Angeles · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.6:1
- small classes for California
- 87.2%
- free-lunch eligible
El Sereno Middle has class sizes smaller than 88% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, El Sereno Middle ranks #17 of 67 middle schools in Los Angeles, CA.
School address
District: Los Angeles Unified · California
NCES ID 062271002982 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
55.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
87.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
+57% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How El Sereno Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at El Sereno Middle
El Sereno Middle is a high-poverty, large middle school in Los Angeles, California, enrolling 857 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 15.6:1, El Sereno Middle is leaner than roughly 88% of California schools and 27% under the state's 21.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 87.2% of students qualify for free meals, 57% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 857 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 1,034 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #87, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (92% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 16/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 286 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 42.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Los Angeles Unified spends $21,940 per pupil, 33% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 19.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Los Angeles's middle schools, it stands alongside Paul Revere Charter Middle (1,715 students): El Sereno Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.6:1 vs 24.5:1).
Los Angeles Unified also operates Grover Cleveland Charter High (2,719 students) and North Hollywood Senior High (2,444 students) alongside El Sereno 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 Sereno Middle compares
El Sereno 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 | 15.6:1 | ▼ 27% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 87.2% | ▲ 57% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 857 | top 15% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.6:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
857
Bigger than 88% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
87.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 57% 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
15.6:1
students per teacher
- 27% below state mean
Top 12% in California - lower ratio than 88% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
42.4%
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
$21,940
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 286 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 91.8%
Asian 3.6%
White 1.6%
African American 1.4%
Two or More 1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 91.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 15.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 15.5, El Sereno Middle is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Los Angeles Unified, which includes El Sereno Middle.
$21,940
Per student
+33%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.3%
State 54.5%
Federal 19.2%
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 Sereno Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grover Cleveland Charter High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Hollywood Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Phineas Banning Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| San Pedro Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Venice Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to El Sereno Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,719
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,444
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,422
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 2,398
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 2,293
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar middle schools in Los Angeles
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Paul Revere Charter Middle
Standard public school
1,715 students 24.5:1 students per teacher
Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet
Alternative education program
1,547 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
John Burroughs Middle
Standard public school
1,302 students 19.7:1 students per teacher
Palms Middle
Standard public school
1,081 students 19.3:1 students per teacher
Griffith Middle
Alternative education program
1,070 students 17:1 students per teacher
Virgil Middle
Standard public school
975 students 17.4:1 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 (~857 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on El Sereno Middle's federal record.
- Compare El Sereno Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Los Angeles 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 El Sereno Middle
How many students attend El Sereno Middle?
El Sereno Middle has 857 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Los Angeles, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at El Sereno Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at El Sereno Middle is 15.6:1, which is 27% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 1% lower 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 Sereno Middle?
87.2% of students at El Sereno Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of El Sereno Middle?
The largest demographic group at El Sereno Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 91.8% of enrollment, in Los Angeles, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for El Sereno Middle?
El Sereno Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 Sereno Middle rank among middle schools in Los Angeles?
By Resource Investment Index, El Sereno Middle ranks #17 of 67 middle schools in Los Angeles, 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 Los Angeles on the city page.
Is El Sereno Middle a good school?
El Sereno Middle earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 88% 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 Los Angeles Unified?
Besides El Sereno Middle, Los Angeles Unified also operates Grover Cleveland Charter High (2,719 students), North Hollywood Senior High (2,444 students), and Phineas Banning Senior High (2,422 students). See the Los Angeles 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.