Enrollment
634
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Santa Paula, CA
Isbell Middle
Federal NCES profile for Isbell 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 060142106109
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 75
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Isbell Middle earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 92% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #1 of 13
- public schools in Santa Paula · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.5:1
- small classes for California
- 72.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Isbell Middle has class sizes smaller than 92% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Isbell Middle ranks #1 of 13 public schools in Santa Paula, CA.
School address
District: Santa Paula Unified · California
NCES ID 060142106109 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
47.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.5:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-37% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
72.0%
vs 55.5% California avg
+30% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Isbell Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Isbell Middle
Isbell Middle is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Santa Paula, California, enrolling 634 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 13.5:1, Isbell Middle is leaner than roughly 92% of California schools and 37% under the state's 21.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 72.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 634 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 91% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 2,065 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #32, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (95% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 9/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 127 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 51.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 134 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 634 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 10 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Santa Paula Unified also operates Santa Paula High (1,494 students) and Glen City Elementary (675 students) alongside Isbell 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 Isbell Middle compares
Isbell 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 | 13.5:1 | ▼ 37% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 72.0% | ▲ 30% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 634 | top 29% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.5:1
Leaner classes than 62% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
634
Bigger than 76% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
72.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 30% 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
13.5:1
students per teacher
- 37% below state mean
Top 8% in California - lower ratio than 92% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
51.6%
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
$17,587
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
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 127 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 134 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 21.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 10 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 95.1%
White 3.9%
African American 0.3%
Two or More 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 95.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 9.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 9.4, Isbell Middle is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Santa Paula Unified, which includes Isbell Middle.
$17,587
Per student
+7%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+6%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.4%
State 68.9%
Federal 10.7%
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 Isbell Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Paula High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Glen City Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Grace Thille Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Barbara Webster Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Blanchard Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Isbell Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,494
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 675
- Students per teacher
- 27:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 358
- Students per teacher
- 25.6:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 325
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 317
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
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 (~634 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Isbell Middle's federal record.
- Compare Isbell Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Santa Paula 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 Isbell Middle
How many students attend Isbell Middle?
Isbell Middle has 634 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Santa Paula, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Isbell Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Isbell Middle is 13.5:1, which is 37% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 14% lower 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 Isbell Middle?
72.0% of students at Isbell Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Isbell Middle?
The largest demographic group at Isbell Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 95.1% of enrollment, in Santa Paula, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Isbell Middle?
Isbell 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 Isbell Middle rank among public schools in Santa Paula?
By Resource Investment Index, Isbell Middle ranks #1 of 13 public schools in Santa Paula, 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 Santa Paula on the city page.
Is Isbell Middle a good school?
Isbell Middle earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 92% of California schools. It is also less 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 Santa Paula Unified?
Besides Isbell Middle, Santa Paula Unified also operates Santa Paula High (1,494 students), Glen City Elementary (675 students), and Grace Thille Elementary (358 students). See the Santa Paula 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.