Enrollment
1,052
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · San Rafael, CA
James B. Davidson Middle
Federal NCES profile for James B. Davidson Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 063509005936
👥 S:T ratio 21
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 30
📋 Attendance 64
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
James B. Davidson Middle earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #6 of 19
- public schools in San Rafael · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.8:1
- students per teacher
- 66.2%
- free-lunch eligible
James B. Davidson Middle has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, James B. Davidson Middle ranks #6 of 19 public schools in San Rafael, CA.
School address
District: San Rafael City Elementary · California
NCES ID 063509005936 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
53.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
66.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
+19% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How James B. Davidson Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at James B. Davidson Middle
James B. Davidson Middle is a higher-need, large middle school in San Rafael, California, enrolling 1,052 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 19.8:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 66.2% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 90% of state schools at 1,052 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 848 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #111.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (73%) and White (21%) (diversity index 43/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 351 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
14.6% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among San Rafael's middle schools, it stands alongside Miller Creek Middle (620 students): James B. Davidson Middle is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19.8:1 vs 18.2:1).
San Rafael City Elementary also operates Venetia Valley K-8 (748 students) and Bahia Vista Elementary (552 students) alongside James B. Davidson 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 James B. Davidson Middle compares
James B. Davidson 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 | 19.8:1 | ▼ 8% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 66.2% | ▲ 19% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,052 | top 10% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.8:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,052
Bigger than 92% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
66.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 19% 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
19.8:1
students per teacher
- 8% below state mean
Top 33% in California - lower ratio than 67% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
14.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$16,402
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 351 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
14
in-school suspensions + 24 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.6 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 72.8%
White 20.7%
Two or More 2.9%
Asian 1.8%
African American 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 72.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 42.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 42.6, James B. Davidson Middle is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for San Rafael City Elementary, which includes James B. Davidson Middle.
$16,402
Per student
-1%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-1%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 45.6%
State 43.9%
Federal 10.5%
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 James B. Davidson Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Venetia Valley K-8 | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bahia Vista Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sun Valley Elementary | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| San Pedro Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Coleman Elementary | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to James B. Davidson Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 748
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 552
- Students per teacher
- 23:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 523
- Students per teacher
- 24.9:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 469
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 378
- Students per teacher
- 27:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
Similar middle schools in San Rafael
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 (~1,052 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on James B. Davidson Middle's federal record.
- Compare James B. Davidson Middle against another school. Compare schools
- San Rafael City 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 James B. Davidson Middle
How many students attend James B. Davidson Middle?
James B. Davidson Middle has 1,052 students enrolled. It is a middle school in San Rafael, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at James B. Davidson Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at James B. Davidson Middle is 19.8:1, which is 8% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 26% 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 James B. Davidson Middle?
66.2% of students at James B. Davidson Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of James B. Davidson Middle?
The largest demographic group at James B. Davidson Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 72.8% of enrollment, in San Rafael, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for James B. Davidson Middle?
James B. Davidson Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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 James B. Davidson Middle rank among public schools in San Rafael?
By Resource Investment Index, James B. Davidson Middle ranks #6 of 19 public schools in San Rafael, 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 Rafael on the city page.
Is James B. Davidson Middle a good school?
James B. Davidson Middle earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. 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 San Rafael City Elementary?
Besides James B. Davidson Middle, San Rafael City Elementary also operates Venetia Valley K-8 (748 students), Bahia Vista Elementary (552 students), and Sun Valley Elementary (523 students). See the San Rafael City 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.