Enrollment
51
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Eureka, CA
Freshwater Charter Middle
Federal NCES profile for Freshwater Charter Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 061452007974Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 87
📋 Attendance 76
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Freshwater Charter Middle earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of California schools.
- #1 of 3
- middle schools in Eureka · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 25.5:1
- large classes for California
- 39.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Freshwater Charter Middle has class sizes larger than 82% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Freshwater Charter Middle ranks #1 of 3 middle schools in Eureka, CA.
School address
District: Freshwater Elementary · California
NCES ID 061452007974 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
2.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.5:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
39.5%
vs 55.5% California avg
-29% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Freshwater Charter Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Freshwater Charter Middle
Freshwater Charter Middle is a small charter middle school in Eureka, California, enrolling 51 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 25.5:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 39.5% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 94% of California schools, with 51 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 91% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Against 114 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #35.
Its student body is led by White (63%) and Hispanic or Latino (28%) (diversity index 53/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 64 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.8% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Eureka's middle schools, it stands alongside Catherine L. Zane Middle (417 students): Freshwater Charter Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (25.5:1 vs 19:1).
Its district, Freshwater Elementary, also runs Freshwater Elementary (283 students).
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 Freshwater Charter Middle compares
Freshwater Charter 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 | 25.5:1 | ▲ 19% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 39.5% | ▼ 29% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 51 | top 94% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25.5:1
Leaner classes than 4% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
51
Bigger than 6% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
39.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 29% 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
25.5:1
students per teacher
- 19% above state mean
Top 82% in California - lower ratio than 18% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
9.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$14,407
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
Counselors0.8 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.8 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
White 62.7%
Hispanic or Latino 27.5%
Two or More 7.8%
Asian 2.0%
Largest group: White at 62.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 52.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 52.5, Freshwater Charter Middle is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Freshwater Elementary, which includes Freshwater Charter Middle.
$14,407
Per student
-13%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.6%
State 59.5%
Federal 13.9%
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 Freshwater Charter Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freshwater Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Freshwater Charter Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 283
- Students per teacher
- 25.7:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar middle schools in Eureka
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 (~51 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~25.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Freshwater Charter Middle's federal record.
- Compare Freshwater Charter Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Freshwater Elementary'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 Freshwater Charter Middle
How many students attend Freshwater Charter Middle?
Freshwater Charter Middle has 51 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Eureka, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Freshwater Charter Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Freshwater Charter Middle is 25.5:1, which is 19% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 62% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Freshwater Charter Middle?
39.5% of students at Freshwater Charter Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Freshwater Charter Middle?
The largest demographic group at Freshwater Charter Middle is White at 62.7% of enrollment, in Eureka, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 52.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Freshwater Charter Middle?
Freshwater Charter Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (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 Freshwater Charter Middle rank among middle schools in Eureka?
By Resource Investment Index, Freshwater Charter Middle ranks #1 of 3 middle schools in Eureka, 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 Eureka on the city page.
Is Freshwater Charter Middle a good school?
Freshwater Charter Middle earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger 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 Freshwater Elementary?
Besides Freshwater Charter Middle, Freshwater Elementary also operates Freshwater Elementary (283 students). See the Freshwater Elementary 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.