Enrollment
727
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Visalia, CA
La Joya Middle
Federal NCES profile for La Joya Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 25/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 064116004211
👥 S:T ratio 24
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 27
📋 Attendance 18
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
La Joya Middle earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 72% of California schools.
- #1 of 5
- middle schools in Visalia · Resource Index
- 25
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.1:1
- small classes for California
- 57.8%
- free-lunch eligible
La Joya Middle has class sizes smaller than 72% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, La Joya Middle ranks #1 of 5 middle schools in Visalia, CA.
School address
District: Visalia Unified · California
NCES ID 064116004211 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.1:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
57.8%
vs 55.5% California avg
+4% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How La Joya Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at La Joya Middle
La Joya Middle is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Visalia, California, enrolling 727 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 19.1:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 57.8% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 727 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,472 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #690.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (75%) and White (17%) (diversity index 40/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 364 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 4 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Visalia's middle schools, it stands alongside Ridgeview Middle (975 students): La Joya Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (19.1:1 vs 28.7:1).
Visalia Unified also operates Redwood High (2,490 students) and Golden West High (2,059 students) alongside La Joya 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 La Joya Middle compares
La Joya 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 | 19.1:1 | ▼ 11% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 57.8% | ▲ 4% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 727 | top 22% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.1:1
Leaner classes than 19% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
727
Bigger than 82% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
57.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 4% 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
19.1:1
students per teacher
- 11% below state mean
Top 28% in California - lower ratio than 72% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
33.0%
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
$14,150
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 364 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 74 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 4 expulsions.
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 75.4%
White 17.3%
Asian 2.9%
Two or More 2.5%
African American 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 75.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 40.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 40.0, La Joya Middle is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Visalia Unified, which includes La Joya Middle.
$14,150
Per student
-14%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 18.1%
State 69.0%
Federal 12.9%
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 La Joya Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Redwood High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Golden West High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| El Diamante High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mt. Whitney High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ridgeview Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to La Joya Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,490
- Students per teacher
- 24.2:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 2,059
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 1,890
- Students per teacher
- 21.2:1
- Resource Index
- 14/100
- Enrollment
- 1,637
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 975
- Students per teacher
- 28.7:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
Similar middle schools in Visalia
4 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Ridgeview Middle
Standard public school
975 students 28.7:1 students per teacher
Valley Oak Middle
Standard public school
952 students 23.8:1 students per teacher
Divisadero Middle
Standard public school
769 students 22.6:1 students per teacher
Green Acres Middle
Standard public school
761 students 23.1:1 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 (~727 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on La Joya Middle's federal record.
- Compare La Joya Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Visalia 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 La Joya Middle
How many students attend La Joya Middle?
La Joya Middle has 727 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Visalia, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at La Joya Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at La Joya Middle is 19.1:1, which is 11% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 22% 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 La Joya Middle?
57.8% of students at La Joya Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of La Joya Middle?
The largest demographic group at La Joya Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 75.4% of enrollment, in Visalia, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for La Joya Middle?
La Joya Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (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 La Joya Middle rank among middle schools in Visalia?
By Resource Investment Index, La Joya Middle ranks #1 of 5 middle schools in Visalia, 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 Visalia on the city page.
Is La Joya Middle a good school?
La Joya Middle earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 72% 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 Visalia Unified?
Besides La Joya Middle, Visalia Unified also operates Redwood High (2,490 students), Golden West High (2,059 students), and El Diamante High (1,890 students). See the Visalia 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.