Enrollment
1,214
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Long Beach, CA
Hughes Middle
Federal NCES profile for Hughes Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 062250002726
👥 S:T ratio 1
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 33
📋 Attendance 34
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hughes Middle earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #8 of 14
- middle schools in Long Beach · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 24.8:1
- large classes for California
- 45.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Hughes Middle has class sizes larger than 78% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hughes Middle ranks #8 of 14 middle schools in Long Beach, CA.
School address
District: Long Beach Unified · California
NCES ID 062250002726 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
49.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
45.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
-18% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hughes Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hughes Middle
Hughes Middle is a large middle school in Long Beach, California, enrolling 1,214 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24.8:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 45.7% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 92% of state schools at 1,214 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 589 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #178.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (49%) and Asian (18%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 69/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 335 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Long Beach's middle schools, it stands alongside Stanford Middle (1,165 students): Hughes Middle is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (24.8:1 vs 25.9:1).
Long Beach Unified also operates Polytechnic High (3,890 students) and Millikan High (3,408 students) alongside Hughes 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 Hughes Middle compares
Hughes 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 | 24.8:1 | ▲ 15% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 45.7% | ▼ 18% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,214 | top 8% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.8:1
Leaner classes than 5% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,214
Bigger than 94% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
45.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 18% below the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
24.8:1
students per teacher
- 15% above state mean
Top 78% in California - lower ratio than 22% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
26.6%
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
$16,028
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors3.6 FTE
Per 335 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 37 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.7 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 48.7%
Asian 17.5%
African American 17.1%
White 8.1%
Two or More 7.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 48.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.1, Hughes Middle is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Long Beach Unified, which includes Hughes Middle.
$16,028
Per student
-3%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.5%
State 60.1%
Federal 15.4%
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 Hughes Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polytechnic High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Millikan High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Wilson High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lakewood High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Jordan High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hughes Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,890
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 3,408
- Students per teacher
- 24.7:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 3,349
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 2,305
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 2,272
- Students per teacher
- 21.8:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar middle schools in Long Beach
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Stanford Middle
Standard public school
1,165 students 25.9:1 students per teacher
Jefferson Leadership Academies
Standard public school
1,004 students 25.1:1 students per teacher
Franklin Classical Middle
Standard public school
991 students 21.1:1 students per teacher
Marshall Academy of the Arts
Standard public school
940 students 24.7:1 students per teacher
Washington Middle
Standard public school
849 students 20.7:1 students per teacher
Bancroft Middle
Standard public school
806 students 23:1 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 (~1,214 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~24.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hughes Middle's federal record.
- Compare Hughes Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Long Beach 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 Hughes Middle
How many students attend Hughes Middle?
Hughes Middle has 1,214 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Long Beach, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hughes Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Hughes Middle is 24.8:1, which is 15% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 58% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Hughes Middle?
45.7% of students at Hughes Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hughes Middle?
The largest demographic group at Hughes Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 48.7% of enrollment, in Long Beach, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hughes Middle?
Hughes Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (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 Hughes Middle rank among middle schools in Long Beach?
By Resource Investment Index, Hughes Middle ranks #8 of 14 middle schools in Long Beach, 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 Long Beach on the city page.
Is Hughes Middle a good school?
Hughes Middle earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Long Beach Unified?
Besides Hughes Middle, Long Beach Unified also operates Polytechnic High (3,890 students), Millikan High (3,408 students), and Wilson High (3,349 students). See the Long Beach 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.