Enrollment
1,076
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Chatsworth, CA
Ernest Lawrence Middle
Federal NCES profile for Ernest Lawrence Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 062271003128
👥 S:T ratio 14
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 28
📋 Attendance 25
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ernest Lawrence Middle earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #5 of 10
- public schools in Chatsworth · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 21.5:1
- students per teacher
- 63.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Ernest Lawrence Middle has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ernest Lawrence Middle ranks #5 of 10 public schools in Chatsworth, CA.
School address
District: Los Angeles Unified · California
NCES ID 062271003128 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
50.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.5:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+0% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
63.8%
vs 55.5% California avg
+15% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ernest Lawrence Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ernest Lawrence Middle
Ernest Lawrence Middle is a higher-need, large middle school in Chatsworth, California, enrolling 1,076 students.
At 21.5:1, 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.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 63.8% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 90% of state schools at 1,076 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 777 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #149.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (57%) and Asian (21%) (diversity index 61/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 359 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.2% 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.
Los Angeles Unified also operates Grover Cleveland Charter High (2,719 students) and North Hollywood Senior High (2,444 students) alongside Ernest Lawrence 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 Ernest Lawrence Middle compares
Ernest Lawrence 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 | 21.5:1 | ▼ 0% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 63.8% | ▲ 15% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,076 | top 10% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.5:1
Leaner classes than 12% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,076
Bigger than 92% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
63.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 15% 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
21.5:1
students per teacher
- 0% above state mean
Top 48% in California - lower ratio than 52% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
30.2%
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 359 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 51 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.8 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 57.3%
Asian 20.6%
White 12.9%
Two or More 4.6%
African American 4.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 57.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.9, Ernest Lawrence Middle is more 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 Ernest Lawrence 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 Ernest Lawrence Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grover Cleveland Charter High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| North Hollywood Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Phineas Banning Senior High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| San Pedro Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Venice Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ernest Lawrence 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 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 (~1,076 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ernest Lawrence Middle's federal record.
- Compare Ernest Lawrence 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 Ernest Lawrence Middle
How many students attend Ernest Lawrence Middle?
Ernest Lawrence Middle has 1,076 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Chatsworth, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ernest Lawrence Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Ernest Lawrence Middle is 21.5:1, which is 0% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 37% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ernest Lawrence Middle?
63.8% of students at Ernest Lawrence Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ernest Lawrence Middle?
The largest demographic group at Ernest Lawrence Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 57.3% of enrollment, in Chatsworth, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ernest Lawrence Middle?
Ernest Lawrence Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (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 Ernest Lawrence Middle rank among public schools in Chatsworth?
By Resource Investment Index, Ernest Lawrence Middle ranks #5 of 10 public schools in Chatsworth, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Chatsworth on the city page.
Is Ernest Lawrence Middle a good school?
Ernest Lawrence Middle earns 34/100 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 Los Angeles Unified?
Besides Ernest Lawrence 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.