Enrollment
714
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Bakersfield, CA
Fred L. Thompson Junior High
Federal NCES profile for Fred L. Thompson Junior High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 15/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 060639009328
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Fred L. Thompson Junior High earns 15/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 82% of California schools.
- #23 of 25
- middle schools in Bakersfield · Resource Index
- 15
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17.4:1
- small classes for California
- 85.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Fred L. Thompson Junior High has class sizes smaller than 82% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Fred L. Thompson Junior High ranks #23 of 25 middle schools in Bakersfield, CA.
School address
District: Panama-Buena Vista Union · California
NCES ID 060639009328 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
85.3%
vs 55.5% California avg
+54% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Fred L. Thompson Junior High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Fred L. Thompson Junior High
Fred L. Thompson Junior High is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Bakersfield, California, enrolling 714 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 17.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 85.3% of students qualify for free meals, 54% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 714 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 91% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 1,523 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,240, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (74%) and African American (13%) (diversity index 43/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 714 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 51.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 18.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Bakersfield's middle schools, it stands alongside Leon H. Ollivier Middle (1,152 students): Fred L. Thompson Junior High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.4:1 vs 24:1).
Panama-Buena Vista Union also operates Dolores S. Whitley Tk-8 (1,151 students) and Douglas J. Miller Elementary (994 students) alongside Fred L. Thompson 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 Fred L. Thompson Junior High compares
Fred L. Thompson 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 | 17.4:1 | ▼ 19% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 85.3% | ▲ 54% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 714 | top 23% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.4:1
Leaner classes than 28% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
714
Bigger than 81% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
85.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 54% 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
17.4:1
students per teacher
- 19% below state mean
Top 18% in California - lower ratio than 82% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
51.0%
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
$14,357
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 714 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 73 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.2 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 73.8%
African American 13.3%
White 7.0%
Two or More 2.8%
Asian 2.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 73.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 43.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 43.1, Fred L. Thompson Junior High is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Panama-Buena Vista Union, which includes Fred L. Thompson Junior High.
$14,357
Per student
-13%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 10.2%
State 71.3%
Federal 18.5%
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 Fred L. Thompson Junior High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dolores S. Whitley Tk-8 | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Douglas J. Miller Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Stonecreek Junior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Earl Warren Junior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Berkshire Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Fred L. Thompson Junior High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,151
- Students per teacher
- 25.6:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 994
- Students per teacher
- 29.2:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 986
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
- Enrollment
- 965
- Students per teacher
- 24.1:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 932
- Students per teacher
- 28.2:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
Similar middle schools in Bakersfield
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Leon H. Ollivier Middle
Standard public school
1,152 students 24:1 students per teacher
Standard Middle
Standard public school
1,005 students 20.1:1 students per teacher
Norris Middle
Standard public school
992 students 26.1:1 students per teacher
Stonecreek Junior High
Standard public school
986 students 20.5:1 students per teacher
Curran Middle
Standard public school
973 students 22.6:1 students per teacher
Earl Warren Junior High
Standard public school
965 students 24.1:1 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 (~714 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Fred L. Thompson Junior High's federal record.
- Compare Fred L. Thompson Junior High against another school. Compare schools
- Panama-Buena Vista Union'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 Fred L. Thompson Junior High
How many students attend Fred L. Thompson Junior High?
Fred L. Thompson Junior High has 714 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Bakersfield, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Fred L. Thompson Junior High?
The student-teacher ratio at Fred L. Thompson Junior High is 17.4:1, which is 19% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 11% 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 Fred L. Thompson Junior High?
85.3% of students at Fred L. Thompson Junior High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Fred L. Thompson Junior High?
The largest demographic group at Fred L. Thompson Junior High is Hispanic or Latino at 73.8% of enrollment, in Bakersfield, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Fred L. Thompson Junior High?
Fred L. Thompson Junior High has a Resource Investment Index of 15/100 (lower 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 Fred L. Thompson Junior High rank among middle schools in Bakersfield?
By Resource Investment Index, Fred L. Thompson Junior High ranks #23 of 25 middle 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 middle schools in Bakersfield on the city page.
Is Fred L. Thompson Junior High a good school?
Fred L. Thompson Junior High earns 15/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 82% 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 Panama-Buena Vista Union?
Besides Fred L. Thompson Junior High, Panama-Buena Vista Union also operates Dolores S. Whitley Tk-8 (1,151 students), Douglas J. Miller Elementary (994 students), and Stonecreek Junior High (986 students). See the Panama-Buena Vista Union 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.