Enrollment
771
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Arcadia, CA
First Avenue Middle
Federal NCES profile for First Avenue 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 060297000228
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 31
📋 Attendance 81
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
First Avenue Middle earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% of California schools.
- #1 of 3
- middle schools in Arcadia · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 27.5:1
- large classes for California
- 32.0%
- free-lunch eligible
First Avenue Middle has class sizes larger than 91% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, First Avenue Middle ranks #1 of 3 middle schools in Arcadia, CA.
School address
District: Arcadia Unified · California
NCES ID 060297000228 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
27.5:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+28% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
32.0%
vs 55.5% California avg
-42% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How First Avenue Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at First Avenue Middle
First Avenue Middle is a mid-sized middle school in Arcadia, California, enrolling 771 students.
Class loads run heavy: 27.5:1 is larger than about 91% of California schools and 28% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 32.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 771 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.
Against 1,239 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #410.
Its student body is led by Asian (70%) and Hispanic or Latino (17%) (diversity index 48/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 343 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance holds up well here: only 7.5% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Arcadia's middle schools, it stands alongside Richard Henry Dana Middle (710 students): First Avenue Middle is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (27.5:1 vs 25.4:1).
Arcadia Unified also operates Arcadia High (2,939 students) and Holly Avenue Elementary (789 students) alongside First Avenue 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 First Avenue Middle compares
First Avenue 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 | 27.5:1 | ▲ 28% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 32.0% | ▼ 42% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 771 | top 19% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
27.5:1
Leaner classes than 3% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
771
Bigger than 84% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
32.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 42% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
27.5:1
students per teacher
- 28% above state mean
Top 91% in California - lower ratio than 9% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
7.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$14,868
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
Counselors2.3 FTE
Per 343 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 13 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.9 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
Asian 69.6%
Hispanic or Latino 16.9%
White 8.0%
Two or More 3.1%
African American 2.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: Asian at 69.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.9, First Avenue Middle is about as mixed as the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Arcadia Unified, which includes First Avenue Middle.
$14,868
Per student
-10%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-10%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 54.7%
State 36.2%
Federal 9.1%
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 First Avenue Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arcadia High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Holly Avenue Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Richard Henry Dana Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Camino Grove Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Baldwin Stocker Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to First Avenue Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,939
- Students per teacher
- 24.3:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 789
- Students per teacher
- 28.2:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 710
- Students per teacher
- 25.4:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 695
- Students per teacher
- 25.7:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 664
- Students per teacher
- 27.7:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
Similar middle schools in Arcadia
2 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
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 (~771 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~27.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on First Avenue Middle's federal record.
- Compare First Avenue Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Arcadia 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 First Avenue Middle
How many students attend First Avenue Middle?
First Avenue Middle has 771 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Arcadia, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at First Avenue Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at First Avenue Middle is 27.5:1, which is 28% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 75% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at First Avenue Middle?
32.0% of students at First Avenue Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of First Avenue Middle?
The largest demographic group at First Avenue Middle is Asian at 69.6% of enrollment, in Arcadia, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for First Avenue Middle?
First Avenue 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 First Avenue Middle rank among middle schools in Arcadia?
By Resource Investment Index, First Avenue Middle ranks #1 of 3 middle schools in Arcadia, 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 Arcadia on the city page.
Is First Avenue Middle a good school?
First Avenue Middle earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% of 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 Arcadia Unified?
Besides First Avenue Middle, Arcadia Unified also operates Arcadia High (2,939 students), Holly Avenue Elementary (789 students), and Richard Henry Dana Middle (710 students). See the Arcadia 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.