Enrollment
490
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Ridgecrest, CA
James Monroe Middle
Federal NCES profile for James Monroe 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 063680006235
👥 S:T ratio 25
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 51
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
James Monroe Middle earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 74% of California schools.
- #3 of 10
- public schools in Ridgecrest · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.8:1
- small classes for California
- 46.0%
- free-lunch eligible
James Monroe Middle has class sizes smaller than 74% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, James Monroe Middle ranks #3 of 10 public schools in Ridgecrest, CA.
School address
District: Sierra Sands Unified · California
NCES ID 063680006235 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
46.0%
vs 55.5% California avg
-17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How James Monroe Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at James Monroe Middle
James Monroe Middle is a mid-sized middle school in Ridgecrest, California, enrolling 490 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 18.8:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 46.0% of students eligible for free meals.
With 490 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,380 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #292.
Its student body is led by White (47%) and Hispanic or Latino (34%) (diversity index 65/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 245 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 43.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 110 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 490 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Ridgecrest's middle schools, it stands alongside Murray Middle (643 students): James Monroe Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (18.8:1 vs 21.4:1).
Sierra Sands Unified also operates Burroughs High (1,536 students) and Murray Middle (643 students) alongside James Monroe 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 Monroe Middle compares
James Monroe 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 | 18.8:1 | ▼ 13% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 46.0% | ▼ 17% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 490 | top 47% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.8:1
Leaner classes than 21% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
490
Bigger than 60% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
46.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 17% 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
18.8:1
students per teacher
- 13% below state mean
Top 26% in California - lower ratio than 74% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
43.5%
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
$14,502
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 245 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 110 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 22.4 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
White 46.5%
Hispanic or Latino 34.3%
African American 8.4%
Two or More 7.1%
Asian 3.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: White at 46.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.3, James Monroe Middle is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sierra Sands Unified, which includes James Monroe Middle.
$14,502
Per student
-12%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 17.0%
State 69.4%
Federal 13.6%
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 Monroe Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burroughs High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Murray Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Las Flores Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Faller Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Richmond Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to James Monroe Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,536
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 643
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 526
- Students per teacher
- 25:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
- Enrollment
- 516
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 364
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
Similar middle schools in Ridgecrest
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 (~490 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on James Monroe Middle's federal record.
- Compare James Monroe Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Sierra Sands 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 James Monroe Middle
How many students attend James Monroe Middle?
James Monroe Middle has 490 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Ridgecrest, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at James Monroe Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at James Monroe Middle is 18.8:1, which is 13% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 20% 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 Monroe Middle?
46.0% of students at James Monroe Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of James Monroe Middle?
The largest demographic group at James Monroe Middle is White at 46.5% of enrollment, in Ridgecrest, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for James Monroe Middle?
James Monroe 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 Monroe Middle rank among public schools in Ridgecrest?
By Resource Investment Index, James Monroe Middle ranks #3 of 10 public schools in Ridgecrest, 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 Ridgecrest on the city page.
Is James Monroe Middle a good school?
James Monroe Middle earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 74% of 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 Sierra Sands Unified?
Besides James Monroe Middle, Sierra Sands Unified also operates Burroughs High (1,536 students), Murray Middle (643 students), and Las Flores Elementary (526 students). See the Sierra Sands 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.