Enrollment
297
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Sebastopol, CA
Hillcrest Middle
Federal NCES profile for Hillcrest Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 061584002001Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 26
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 51
📋 Attendance 57
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hillcrest Middle earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 75% of California schools.
- #1 of 14
- public schools in Sebastopol · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 18.6:1
- small classes for California
- 36.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Hillcrest Middle has class sizes smaller than 75% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hillcrest Middle ranks #1 of 14 public schools in Sebastopol, CA.
School address
District: Gravenstein Union Elementary · California
NCES ID 061584002001 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
36.3%
vs 55.5% California avg
-35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hillcrest Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hillcrest Middle
Hillcrest Middle is a mid-sized charter middle school in Sebastopol, California, enrolling 297 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.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 36.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 297 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 93% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 704 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #28, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (61%) and Hispanic or Latino (25%) (diversity index 56/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 248 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
17.2% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Sebastopol's middle schools, it stands alongside Twin Hills Charter Middle (207 students): Hillcrest Middle is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (18.6:1 vs 17.3:1).
Gravenstein Union Elementary also operates Gravenstein Elementary (464 students) and Gravenstein First (37 students) alongside Hillcrest 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 Hillcrest Middle compares
Hillcrest 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 | 36.3% | ▼ 35% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 297 | top 74% | - | - |
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.
297
Bigger than 32% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
36.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 35% 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
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
17.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$14,530
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
Counselors1.2 FTE
Per 248 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.0 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 60.8%
Hispanic or Latino 25.0%
Two or More 8.8%
Asian 4.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
African American 0.3%
Largest group: White at 60.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.8, Hillcrest Middle is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Gravenstein Union Elementary, which includes Hillcrest Middle.
$14,530
Per student
-12%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.9%
State 63.1%
Federal 6.0%
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 Hillcrest Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gravenstein Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Gravenstein First | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hillcrest Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 464
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 37
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar middle schools in Sebastopol
1 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 (~297 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hillcrest Middle's federal record.
- Compare Hillcrest Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Gravenstein 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 Hillcrest Middle
How many students attend Hillcrest Middle?
Hillcrest Middle has 297 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Sebastopol, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hillcrest Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Hillcrest 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 Hillcrest Middle?
36.3% of students at Hillcrest Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hillcrest Middle?
The largest demographic group at Hillcrest Middle is White at 60.8% of enrollment, in Sebastopol, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hillcrest Middle?
Hillcrest Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (higher 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 Hillcrest Middle rank among public schools in Sebastopol?
By Resource Investment Index, Hillcrest Middle ranks #1 of 14 public schools in Sebastopol, 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 Sebastopol on the city page.
Is Hillcrest Middle a good school?
Hillcrest Middle earns 51/100 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 Gravenstein Union Elementary?
Besides Hillcrest Middle, Gravenstein Union Elementary also operates Gravenstein Elementary (464 students) and Gravenstein First (37 students). See the Gravenstein 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.