Enrollment
558
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · San Pablo, CA
Helms Middle
Federal NCES profile for Helms Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 063255005034
👥 S:T ratio 26
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 67
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Helms Middle earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 75% of California schools.
- #2 of 10
- public schools in San Pablo · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.6:1
- small classes for California
- 57.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Helms Middle has class sizes smaller than 75% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Helms Middle ranks #2 of 10 public schools in San Pablo, CA.
School address
District: West Contra Costa Unified · California
NCES ID 063255005034 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
57.9%
vs 55.5% California avg
+4% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Helms Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Helms Middle
Helms Middle is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in San Pablo, California, enrolling 558 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 18.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 57.9% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 558 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.
Among 1,754 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #130, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (87% of enrollment) (diversity index 24/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 164 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 59.0% 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.
West Contra Costa Unified also operates El Cerrito High (1,460 students) and Richmond High (1,280 students) alongside Helms 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 Helms Middle compares
Helms 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 | 18.6:1 | ▼ 13% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 57.9% | ▲ 4% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 558 | top 37% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.6:1
Leaner classes than 22% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
558
Bigger than 69% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
57.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 4% above the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
18.6:1
students per teacher
- 13% below state mean
Top 25% in California - lower ratio than 75% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
59.0%
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
$17,537
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors3.4 FTE
Per 164 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 67 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 12.2 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 86.9%
African American 5.0%
Asian 5.0%
White 1.6%
Two or More 1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 86.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 23.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 23.9, Helms Middle is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for West Contra Costa Unified, which includes Helms Middle.
$17,537
Per student
+6%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+6%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.1%
State 46.9%
Federal 11.0%
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 Helms Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Cerrito High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Richmond High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Pinole Valley High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| De Anza High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hercules High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Helms Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,460
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,280
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,245
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,047
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 767
- Students per teacher
- 27.4:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
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 (~558 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Helms Middle's federal record.
- Compare Helms Middle against another school. Compare schools
- West Contra Costa 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 Helms Middle
How many students attend Helms Middle?
Helms Middle has 558 students enrolled. It is a middle school in San Pablo, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Helms Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Helms Middle is 18.6:1, which is 13% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 18% 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 Helms Middle?
57.9% of students at Helms Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Helms Middle?
The largest demographic group at Helms Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 86.9% of enrollment, in San Pablo, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Helms Middle?
Helms Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 Helms Middle rank among public schools in San Pablo?
By Resource Investment Index, Helms Middle ranks #2 of 10 public schools in San Pablo, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in San Pablo on the city page.
Is Helms Middle a good school?
Helms Middle earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 75% 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 West Contra Costa Unified?
Besides Helms Middle, West Contra Costa Unified also operates El Cerrito High (1,460 students), Richmond High (1,280 students), and Pinole Valley High (1,245 students). See the West Contra Costa 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.