Enrollment
2,043
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Bakersfield, CA
Foothill High
Federal NCES profile for Foothill High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 061954002344
👥 S:T ratio 5
📚 AP courses 70
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 32
📋 Attendance 14
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Foothill High earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of California schools. It is also one of the largest schools in California.
- #17 of 20
- high schools in Bakersfield · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 23.8:1
- large classes for California
- 84.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Foothill High has class sizes larger than 70% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Foothill High ranks #17 of 20 high schools in Bakersfield, CA.
School address
District: Kern High · California
NCES ID 061954002344 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
86.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
84.5%
vs 55.5% California avg
+52% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Foothill High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Foothill High
Foothill High is a high-poverty, large high school in Bakersfield, California, enrolling 2,043 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 23.8:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 84.5% of students qualify for free meals, 52% 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 97% of state schools at 2,043 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 153 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #95.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (90% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 19/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 14 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 341 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 34.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Bakersfield's high schools, it stands alongside Bakersfield High (3,069 students): Foothill High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (23.8:1 vs 24.4:1).
Kern High also operates Bakersfield High (3,069 students) and Arvin High (2,653 students) alongside Foothill 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 Foothill High compares
Foothill 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 | 23.8:1 | ▲ 11% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 84.5% | ▲ 52% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,043 | top 3% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.8:1
Leaner classes than 7% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,043
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
84.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 52% 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
23.8:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 70% in California - lower ratio than 30% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
34.5%
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
$15,830
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 341 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 284 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 expulsions.
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 89.9%
White 5.6%
African American 2.4%
Two or More 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Asian 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 89.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 18.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 18.8, Foothill High is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 14
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Kern High, which includes Foothill High.
$15,830
Per student
-4%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.9%
State 63.4%
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 Foothill High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Arvin High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ridgeview High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Highland High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Stockdale High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Foothill High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,069
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 2,653
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 2,575
- Students per teacher
- 24.3:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 2,530
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 2,398
- Students per teacher
- 28.2:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar high schools in Bakersfield
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Bakersfield High
Standard public school
3,069 students 24.4:1 students per teacher
Ridgeview High
Standard public school
2,575 students 24.3:1 students per teacher
Highland High
Standard public school
2,530 students 24.6:1 students per teacher
Stockdale High
Standard public school
2,398 students 28.2:1 students per teacher
Liberty High
Standard public school
2,369 students 27.5:1 students per teacher
East Bakersfield High
Standard public school
2,331 students 23.8:1 students per teacher
Similar high 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 (~2,043 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Foothill High's federal record.
- Compare Foothill High against another school. Compare schools
- Kern 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 Foothill High
How many students attend Foothill High?
Foothill High has 2,043 students enrolled. It is a high school in Bakersfield, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Foothill High?
The student-teacher ratio at Foothill High is 23.8:1, which is 11% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 52% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Foothill High?
84.5% of students at Foothill High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Foothill High?
The largest demographic group at Foothill High is Hispanic or Latino at 89.9% of enrollment, in Bakersfield, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Foothill High?
Foothill High has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Foothill High rank among high schools in Bakersfield?
By Resource Investment Index, Foothill High ranks #17 of 20 high schools in Bakersfield, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Bakersfield on the city page.
Is Foothill High a good school?
Foothill High earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of California schools. It is also one of the largest schools in California. 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 Kern High?
Besides Foothill High, Kern High also operates Bakersfield High (3,069 students), Arvin High (2,653 students), and Ridgeview High (2,575 students). See the Kern 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.