Enrollment
434
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · El Centro, CA
Kennedy Middle
Federal NCES profile for Kennedy 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 061203001336
👥 S:T ratio 24
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 13
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Kennedy Middle earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 74% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #14 of 24
- public schools in El Centro · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.9:1
- small classes for California
- 81.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Kennedy Middle has class sizes smaller than 74% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Kennedy Middle ranks #14 of 24 public schools in El Centro, CA.
School address
District: El Centro Elementary · California
NCES ID 061203001336 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
81.9%
vs 55.5% California avg
+48% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Kennedy Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Kennedy Middle
Kennedy Middle is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in El Centro, California, enrolling 434 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 18.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 81.9% of students eligible for free meals.
With 434 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,908 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #877.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (97% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 6/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1085 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 34.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 23.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among El Centro's middle schools, it stands alongside Wilson Jr. High (605 students): Kennedy Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (18.9:1 vs 18.9:1).
El Centro Elementary also operates Wilson Jr. High (605 students) and Harding Elementary (601 students) alongside Kennedy 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 Kennedy Middle compares
Kennedy 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 | 18.9:1 | ▼ 12% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 81.9% | ▲ 48% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 434 | top 55% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.9:1
Leaner classes than 20% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
434
Bigger than 53% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
81.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 48% 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
18.9:1
students per teacher
- 12% 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
34.6%
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
$17,691
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
Counselors0.4 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.1 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 97.2%
White 0.9%
African American 0.7%
Two or More 0.7%
Asian 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 97.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 5.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 5.5, Kennedy Middle is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for El Centro Elementary, which includes Kennedy Middle.
$17,691
Per student
+7%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+7%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 9.4%
State 67.6%
Federal 23.1%
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 Kennedy Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilson Jr. High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Harding Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| De Anza Magnet | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mckinley Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Margaret Hedrick Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Kennedy Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 605
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 601
- Students per teacher
- 26.1:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 504
- Students per teacher
- 25.2:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 456
- Students per teacher
- 25.3:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 446
- Students per teacher
- 21.2:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar middle schools in El Centro
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 (~434 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Kennedy Middle's federal record.
- Compare Kennedy Middle against another school. Compare schools
- El Centro 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 Kennedy Middle
How many students attend Kennedy Middle?
Kennedy Middle has 434 students enrolled. It is a middle school in El Centro, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Kennedy Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Kennedy Middle is 18.9:1, which is 12% 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 Kennedy Middle?
81.9% of students at Kennedy Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Kennedy Middle?
The largest demographic group at Kennedy Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 97.2% of enrollment, in El Centro, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Kennedy Middle?
Kennedy 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 Kennedy Middle rank among public schools in El Centro?
By Resource Investment Index, Kennedy Middle ranks #14 of 24 public schools in El Centro, 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 El Centro on the city page.
Is Kennedy Middle a good school?
Kennedy Middle earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 74% of California schools. 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 El Centro Elementary?
Besides Kennedy Middle, El Centro Elementary also operates Wilson Jr. High (605 students), Harding Elementary (601 students), and De Anza Magnet (504 students). See the El Centro 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.