Enrollment
533
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Davis, CA
Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Junior High
Federal NCES profile for Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Junior High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 061062011541
👥 S:T ratio 21
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 47
📋 Attendance 40
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Junior High earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #4 of 5
- schools in Davis · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.7:1
- students per teacher
- 28.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Junior High has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Junior High ranks #4 of 5 schools in Davis, CA.
School address
District: Davis Joint Unified · California
NCES ID 061062011541 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.7:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
28.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
-49% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Junior High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Junior High
Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Junior High is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Davis, California, enrolling 533 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 19.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 28.2% of students eligible for free meals.
With 533 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,380 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #169.
Its student body is led by White (39%) and Hispanic or Latino (33%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 71/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 267 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Davis's public schools, it stands alongside Oliver Wendell Holmes Junior High (588 students): Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Junior High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19.7:1 vs 19:1).
Davis Joint Unified also operates Davis Senior High (1,755 students) and Oliver Wendell Holmes Junior High (588 students) alongside Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Junior 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 Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Junior High compares
Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Junior 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 | 19.7:1 | ▼ 8% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 28.2% | ▼ 49% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 533 | top 41% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.7:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
533
Bigger than 66% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
28.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 49% 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
19.7:1
students per teacher
- 8% below state mean
Top 33% in California - lower ratio than 67% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
24.0%
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
$15,208
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 267 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
22
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.6 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
White 38.8%
Hispanic or Latino 32.5%
Asian 15.4%
Two or More 7.3%
African American 5.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 38.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 71.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 71.2, Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Junior High is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Davis Joint Unified, which includes Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Junior High.
$15,208
Per student
-8%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 52.6%
State 40.4%
Federal 7.0%
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 Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Junior High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Davis Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Oliver Wendell Holmes Junior High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Pioneer Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Birch Lane Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Da Vinci Charter Academy | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Junior High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,755
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 588
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 572
- Students per teacher
- 24.9:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 571
- Students per teacher
- 24.8:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 562
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
Similar other schools in Davis
4 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Oliver Wendell Holmes Junior High
Standard public school
588 students 19:1 students per teacher
Da Vinci Charter Academy
Standard public school
562 students 18.7:1 students per teacher
Ralph Waldo Emerson Junior High
Standard public school
524 students 17.5:1 students per teacher
Davis School for Independent Study
Alternative education program
124 students 10.3:1 students per teacher
Similar other 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 (~533 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Junior High's federal record.
- Compare Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Junior High against another school. Compare schools
- Davis Joint 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 Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Junior High
How many students attend Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Junior High?
Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Junior High has 533 students enrolled. It is a public school in Davis, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Junior High?
The student-teacher ratio at Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Junior High is 19.7:1, which is 8% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 25% higher 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 Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Junior High?
28.2% of students at Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Junior High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Junior High?
The largest demographic group at Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Junior High is White at 38.8% of enrollment, in Davis, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 71.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Junior High?
Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Junior High has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Junior High rank among schools in Davis?
By Resource Investment Index, Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Junior High ranks #4 of 5 schools in Davis, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Davis on the city page.
Is Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Junior High a good school?
Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Junior High earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also more 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 Davis Joint Unified?
Besides Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Junior High, Davis Joint Unified also operates Davis Senior High (1,755 students), Oliver Wendell Holmes Junior High (588 students), and Pioneer Elementary (572 students). See the Davis Joint 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.