Enrollment
894
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Whittier, CA
Katherine Edwards Middle
Federal NCES profile for Katherine Edwards Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 064245006937
👥 S:T ratio 6
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 40
📋 Attendance 20
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Katherine Edwards Middle earns 34/100 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 7
- middle schools in Whittier · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 23.5:1
- students per teacher
- 57.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Katherine Edwards Middle has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Katherine Edwards Middle ranks #4 of 7 middle schools in Whittier, CA.
School address
District: Whittier City Elementary · California
NCES ID 064245006937 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.5:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
57.1%
vs 55.5% California avg
+3% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Katherine Edwards Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Katherine Edwards Middle
Katherine Edwards Middle is a higher-need, large middle school in Whittier, California, enrolling 894 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 23.5:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 57.1% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 894 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 1,083 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #208.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (93% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 13/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 298 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Whittier's middle schools, it stands alongside Granada Middle (989 students): Katherine Edwards Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (23.5:1 vs 21:1).
Whittier City Elementary also operates Walter F. Dexter Middle (610 students) and Wallen L. Andrews Elementary (542 students) alongside Katherine Edwards 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 Katherine Edwards Middle compares
Katherine Edwards 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 | 23.5:1 | ▲ 9% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 57.1% | ▲ 3% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 894 | top 14% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.5:1
Leaner classes than 7% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
894
Bigger than 89% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
57.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 3% 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
23.5:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 67% in California - lower ratio than 33% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
31.9%
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
$15,897
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 298 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.1 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 93.1%
Two or More 3.0%
White 2.6%
Asian 1.0%
African American 0.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 93.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 13.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 13.2, Katherine Edwards Middle is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Whittier City Elementary, which includes Katherine Edwards Middle.
$15,897
Per student
-4%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 23.5%
State 65.2%
Federal 11.3%
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 Katherine Edwards Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walter F. Dexter Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Wallen L. Andrews Elementary | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Daniel Phelan Elementary | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Longfellow Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Christian Sorensen Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Katherine Edwards Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 610
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 542
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 507
- Students per teacher
- 24.1:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 499
- Students per teacher
- 24.9:1
- Resource Index
- 10/100
- Enrollment
- 446
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
Similar middle schools in Whittier
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Granada Middle
Standard public school
989 students 21:1 students per teacher
East Whittier Middle
Standard public school
985 students 21.9:1 students per teacher
Rancho-Starbuck Intermediate
Standard public school
687 students 22.9:1 students per teacher
Hillview Middle
Standard public school
643 students 20.7:1 students per teacher
Walter F. Dexter Middle
Standard public school
610 students 20.3:1 students per teacher
Richard L. Graves Middle
Standard public school
484 students 19.4:1 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 (~894 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Katherine Edwards Middle's federal record.
- Compare Katherine Edwards Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Whittier 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 Katherine Edwards Middle
How many students attend Katherine Edwards Middle?
Katherine Edwards Middle has 894 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Whittier, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Katherine Edwards Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Katherine Edwards Middle is 23.5:1, which is 9% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 50% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Katherine Edwards Middle?
57.1% of students at Katherine Edwards Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Katherine Edwards Middle?
The largest demographic group at Katherine Edwards Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 93.1% of enrollment, in Whittier, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Katherine Edwards Middle?
Katherine Edwards Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (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 Katherine Edwards Middle rank among middle schools in Whittier?
By Resource Investment Index, Katherine Edwards Middle ranks #4 of 7 middle schools in Whittier, 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 Whittier on the city page.
Is Katherine Edwards Middle a good school?
Katherine Edwards Middle earns 34/100 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 Whittier City Elementary?
Besides Katherine Edwards Middle, Whittier City Elementary also operates Walter F. Dexter Middle (610 students), Wallen L. Andrews Elementary (542 students), and Daniel Phelan Elementary (507 students). See the Whittier 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.