Enrollment
828
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Fallbrook, CA
James E. Potter Intermediate
Federal NCES profile for James E. Potter Intermediate, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 061350001540
👥 S:T ratio 15
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 17
📋 Attendance 12
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
James E. Potter Intermediate earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #7 of 11
- public schools in Fallbrook · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21.2:1
- students per teacher
- 69.5%
- free-lunch eligible
James E. Potter Intermediate has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, James E. Potter Intermediate ranks #7 of 11 public schools in Fallbrook, CA.
School address
District: Fallbrook Union Elementary · California
NCES ID 061350001540 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
39.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.2:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
69.5%
vs 55.5% California avg
+25% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How James E. Potter Intermediate compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at James E. Potter Intermediate
James E. Potter Intermediate is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Fallbrook, California, enrolling 828 students.
At 21.2:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 69.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 828 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 1,492 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #496.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (78%) and White (16%) (diversity index 36/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 414 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 35.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 28.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Fallbrook Union Elementary also operates Mary Fay Pendleton Elementary (820 students) and Live Oak Elementary (717 students) alongside James E. Potter Intermediate.
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 E. Potter Intermediate compares
James E. Potter Intermediate on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 21.2:1 | ▼ 1% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 69.5% | ▲ 25% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 828 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.2:1
Leaner classes than 12% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
828
Bigger than 87% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
69.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 25% 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
21.2:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 45% in California - lower ratio than 55% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
35.4%
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
$18,460
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 414 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
36
in-school suspensions + 46 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.9 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 78.4%
White 16.1%
Two or More 3.1%
Asian 1.3%
African American 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 78.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 35.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 35.8, James E. Potter Intermediate is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fallbrook Union Elementary, which includes James E. Potter Intermediate.
$18,460
Per student
+12%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+11%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.7%
State 45.1%
Federal 28.2%
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 E. Potter Intermediate Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mary Fay Pendleton Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Live Oak Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fallbrook Stem Academy | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Maie Ellis Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| William H. Frazier Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to James E. Potter Intermediate's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 820
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 717
- Students per teacher
- 23.1:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 600
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 560
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 514
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
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 (~828 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on James E. Potter Intermediate's federal record.
- Compare James E. Potter Intermediate against another school. Compare schools
- Fallbrook 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 James E. Potter Intermediate
How many students attend James E. Potter Intermediate?
James E. Potter Intermediate has 828 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Fallbrook, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at James E. Potter Intermediate?
The student-teacher ratio at James E. Potter Intermediate is 21.2:1, which is 1% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 35% 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 E. Potter Intermediate?
69.5% of students at James E. Potter Intermediate are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of James E. Potter Intermediate?
The largest demographic group at James E. Potter Intermediate is Hispanic or Latino at 78.4% of enrollment, in Fallbrook, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for James E. Potter Intermediate?
James E. Potter Intermediate has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (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 James E. Potter Intermediate rank among public schools in Fallbrook?
By Resource Investment Index, James E. Potter Intermediate ranks #7 of 11 public schools in Fallbrook, 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 Fallbrook on the city page.
Is James E. Potter Intermediate a good school?
James E. Potter Intermediate earns 28/100 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 Fallbrook Union Elementary?
Besides James E. Potter Intermediate, Fallbrook Union Elementary also operates Mary Fay Pendleton Elementary (820 students), Live Oak Elementary (717 students), and Fallbrook Stem Academy (600 students). See the Fallbrook 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.