Enrollment
697
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Lancaster, CA
Gifford C. Cole Middle
Federal NCES profile for Gifford C. Cole Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 26/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 061191009533
👥 S:T ratio 18
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 30
📋 Attendance 27
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Gifford C. Cole Middle earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #6 of 7
- middle schools in Lancaster · Resource Index
- 26
- Resource Index · Lower
- 20.5:1
- students per teacher
- 86.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Gifford C. Cole Middle has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Gifford C. Cole Middle ranks #6 of 7 middle schools in Lancaster, CA.
School address
District: Eastside Union Elementary · California
NCES ID 061191009533 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.5:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
86.9%
vs 55.5% California avg
+57% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Gifford C. Cole Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Gifford C. Cole Middle
Gifford C. Cole Middle is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Lancaster, California, enrolling 697 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 20.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 86.9% of students qualify for free meals, 57% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 697 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,482 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #692.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (68%) and African American (22%) (diversity index 49/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 349 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 29.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 17.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Lancaster's middle schools, it stands alongside Amargosa Creek Middle (859 students): Gifford C. Cole Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (20.5:1 vs 18.3:1).
Eastside Union Elementary also operates Enterprise Elementary (646 students) and Tierra Bonita Elementary (636 students) alongside Gifford C. Cole 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 Gifford C. Cole Middle compares
Gifford C. Cole 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 | 20.5:1 | ▼ 5% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 86.9% | ▲ 57% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 697 | top 24% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.5:1
Leaner classes than 14% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
697
Bigger than 80% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
86.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 57% 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
20.5:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 39% in California - lower ratio than 61% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
29.3%
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
$17,290
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 349 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 91 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.2 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 67.6%
African American 22.4%
White 4.4%
Two or More 4.3%
Asian 0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 67.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.9, Gifford C. Cole Middle is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Eastside Union Elementary, which includes Gifford C. Cole Middle.
$17,290
Per student
+5%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 14.0%
State 68.5%
Federal 17.5%
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 Gifford C. Cole Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enterprise Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Tierra Bonita Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Columbia Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Eastside Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Eastside Academy/Transitional Learning Center | Smaller | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Gifford C. Cole Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 646
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 11/100
- Enrollment
- 636
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 9/100
- Enrollment
- 620
- Students per teacher
- 23.8:1
- Resource Index
- 9/100
- Enrollment
- 423
- Students per teacher
- 28.2:1
- Resource Index
- 11/100
- Enrollment
- 10
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 64/100
Similar middle schools in Lancaster
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Amargosa Creek Middle
Standard public school
859 students 18.3:1 students per teacher
New Vista Middle
Standard public school
835 students 20.4:1 students per teacher
Endeavour Middle
Standard public school
805 students 21.2:1 students per teacher
Joe Walker Middle
Standard public school
781 students 25.2:1 students per teacher
Piute Middle
Standard public school
729 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Fulton and Alsbury Academy of Arts and Engineering
Standard public school
414 students 31.8:1 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 (~697 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Gifford C. Cole Middle's federal record.
- Compare Gifford C. Cole Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Eastside Union 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 Gifford C. Cole Middle
How many students attend Gifford C. Cole Middle?
Gifford C. Cole Middle has 697 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Lancaster, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Gifford C. Cole Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Gifford C. Cole Middle is 20.5:1, which is 5% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 31% 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 Gifford C. Cole Middle?
86.9% of students at Gifford C. Cole Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Gifford C. Cole Middle?
The largest demographic group at Gifford C. Cole Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 67.6% of enrollment, in Lancaster, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Gifford C. Cole Middle?
Gifford C. Cole Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (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 Gifford C. Cole Middle rank among middle schools in Lancaster?
By Resource Investment Index, Gifford C. Cole Middle ranks #6 of 7 middle schools in Lancaster, 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 Lancaster on the city page.
Is Gifford C. Cole Middle a good school?
Gifford C. Cole Middle earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. 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 Eastside Union Elementary?
Besides Gifford C. Cole Middle, Eastside Union Elementary also operates Enterprise Elementary (646 students), Tierra Bonita Elementary (636 students), and Columbia Elementary (620 students). See the Eastside Union 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.