Enrollment
838
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Madera, CA
Jack G. Desmond Middle
Federal NCES profile for Jack G. Desmond Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 062334010953
👥 S:T ratio 18
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 66
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Jack G. Desmond Middle earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #4 of 5
- middle schools in Madera · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 20.4:1
- students per teacher
- 81.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Jack G. Desmond Middle has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Jack G. Desmond Middle ranks #4 of 5 middle schools in Madera, CA.
School address
District: Madera Unified · California
NCES ID 062334010953 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
81.1%
vs 55.5% California avg
+46% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Jack G. Desmond Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Jack G. Desmond Middle
Jack G. Desmond Middle is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Madera, California, enrolling 838 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 20.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 81.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 838 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,348 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #440.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (96% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 8/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 168 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 44.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Madera's middle schools, it stands alongside Thomas Jefferson Middle (948 students): Jack G. Desmond Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (20.4:1 vs 19.3:1).
Madera Unified also operates Matilda Torres High (2,017 students) and Madera High (1,869 students) alongside Jack G. Desmond 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 Jack G. Desmond Middle compares
Jack G. Desmond 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 | 20.4:1 | ▼ 5% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 81.1% | ▲ 46% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 838 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.4:1
Leaner classes than 15% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
838
Bigger than 87% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
81.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 46% 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
20.4:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 38% in California - lower ratio than 62% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
44.7%
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
$15,587
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
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 168 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
12
in-school suspensions + 27 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 95.8%
White 2.5%
African American 0.7%
Asian 0.4%
Two or More 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 95.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 8.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 8.2, Jack G. Desmond Middle is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Madera Unified, which includes Jack G. Desmond Middle.
$15,587
Per student
-6%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-6%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 13.4%
State 70.9%
Federal 15.7%
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 Jack G. Desmond Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matilda Torres High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Madera High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Madera South High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Thomas Jefferson Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Jack G. Desmond Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,017
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 1,869
- Students per teacher
- 23.7:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 1,859
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 948
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 865
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar middle schools in Madera
4 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Thomas Jefferson Middle
Standard public school
948 students 19.3:1 students per teacher
Martin Luther King Jr. Middle
Standard public school
865 students 18.8:1 students per teacher
Ranchos Middle
Standard public school
452 students 30.1:1 students per teacher
Sherman Thomas Stem Academy
Standard public school
75 students 37.5:1 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 (~838 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Jack G. Desmond Middle's federal record.
- Compare Jack G. Desmond Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Madera 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 Jack G. Desmond Middle
How many students attend Jack G. Desmond Middle?
Jack G. Desmond Middle has 838 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Madera, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Jack G. Desmond Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Jack G. Desmond Middle is 20.4:1, which is 5% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 30% 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 Jack G. Desmond Middle?
81.1% of students at Jack G. Desmond Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Jack G. Desmond Middle?
The largest demographic group at Jack G. Desmond Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 95.8% of enrollment, in Madera, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Jack G. Desmond Middle?
Jack G. Desmond Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (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 Jack G. Desmond Middle rank among middle schools in Madera?
By Resource Investment Index, Jack G. Desmond Middle ranks #4 of 5 middle schools in Madera, 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 Madera on the city page.
Is Jack G. Desmond Middle a good school?
Jack G. Desmond Middle earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. 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 Madera Unified?
Besides Jack G. Desmond Middle, Madera Unified also operates Matilda Torres High (2,017 students), Madera High (1,869 students), and Madera South High (1,859 students). See the Madera 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.