Enrollment
579
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Fowler, CA
John Sutter Middle
Federal NCES profile for John Sutter Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 061425007496
👥 S:T ratio 14
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 25
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
John Sutter Middle earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #3 of 6
- public schools in Fowler · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21.4:1
- students per teacher
- 75.7%
- free-lunch eligible
John Sutter Middle has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, John Sutter Middle ranks #3 of 6 public schools in Fowler, CA.
School address
District: Fowler Unified · California
NCES ID 061425007496 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-0% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
75.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
+36% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How John Sutter Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at John Sutter Middle
John Sutter Middle is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Fowler, California, enrolling 579 students.
At 21.4:1, 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 75.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 579 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 2,161 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #827.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (83% of enrollment) (diversity index 30/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 579 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Fowler Unified also operates Fowler High (807 students) and Marshall Elementary (486 students) alongside John Sutter 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 John Sutter Middle compares
John Sutter 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 | 21.4:1 | ▼ 0% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 75.7% | ▲ 36% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 579 | top 35% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.4:1
Leaner classes than 12% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
579
Bigger than 71% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
75.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 36% 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
21.4:1
students per teacher
- 0% below state mean
Top 47% in California - lower ratio than 53% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
30.2%
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
$15,455
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 579 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 23 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.0 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 83.1%
Asian 7.3%
White 6.7%
Two or More 1.6%
African American 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 83.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 29.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 29.9, John Sutter Middle is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fowler Unified, which includes John Sutter Middle.
$15,455
Per student
-6%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-7%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 27.6%
State 59.6%
Federal 12.8%
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 John Sutter Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fowler High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Marshall Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fremont Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Malaga Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Fowler Academy Continuation | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to John Sutter Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 807
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 486
- Students per teacher
- 23.1:1
- Resource Index
- 14/100
- Enrollment
- 473
- Students per teacher
- 26.3:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 192
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 22
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
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 (~579 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on John Sutter Middle's federal record.
- Compare John Sutter Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Fowler 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 John Sutter Middle
How many students attend John Sutter Middle?
John Sutter Middle has 579 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Fowler, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at John Sutter Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at John Sutter Middle is 21.4:1, which is 0% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 36% 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 John Sutter Middle?
75.7% of students at John Sutter Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of John Sutter Middle?
The largest demographic group at John Sutter Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 83.1% of enrollment, in Fowler, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for John Sutter Middle?
John Sutter Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (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 John Sutter Middle rank among public schools in Fowler?
By Resource Investment Index, John Sutter Middle ranks #3 of 6 public schools in Fowler, 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 Fowler on the city page.
Is John Sutter Middle a good school?
John Sutter Middle earns 27/100 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 Fowler Unified?
Besides John Sutter Middle, Fowler Unified also operates Fowler High (807 students), Marshall Elementary (486 students), and Fremont Elementary (473 students). See the Fowler 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.