Enrollment
1,017
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Santa Clarita, CA
La Mesa Junior High
Federal NCES profile for La Mesa Junior High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 064251003268
👥 S:T ratio 25
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 49
📋 Attendance 47
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
La Mesa Junior High earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 74% of California schools.
- #3 of 10
- public schools in Santa Clarita · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.8:1
- small classes for California
- 38.3%
- free-lunch eligible
La Mesa Junior High has class sizes smaller than 74% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, La Mesa Junior High ranks #3 of 10 public schools in Santa Clarita, CA.
School address
District: William S. Hart Union High · California
NCES ID 064251003268 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
54.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
38.3%
vs 55.5% California avg
-31% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How La Mesa Junior High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at La Mesa Junior High
La Mesa Junior High is a large middle school in Santa Clarita, California, enrolling 1,017 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 38.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 1,017 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 791 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #177.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (57%) and White (18%) (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 254 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.2% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Santa Clarita's middle schools, it stands alongside Rio Norte Junior High (1,138 students): La Mesa Junior High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (18.8:1 vs 24.2:1).
William S. Hart Union High also operates Saugus High (2,317 students) and Valencia High (2,286 students) alongside La Mesa Junior High.
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 Mesa Junior High compares
La Mesa Junior High 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 | 38.3% | ▼ 31% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,017 | top 11% | - | - |
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.
1,017
Bigger than 91% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
38.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 31% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
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
21.2%
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
$14,012
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
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 254 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
18
in-school suspensions + 67 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 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 56.8%
White 17.7%
Asian 13.1%
African American 7.8%
Two or More 4.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 56.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.1, La Mesa Junior High is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for William S. Hart Union High, which includes La Mesa Junior High.
$14,012
Per student
-15%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.8%
State 59.6%
Federal 11.6%
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 La Mesa Junior High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saugus High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Valencia High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Golden Valley High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Canyon High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| William S. Hart High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to La Mesa Junior High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,317
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 2,286
- Students per teacher
- 22.9:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,980
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,952
- Students per teacher
- 23.2:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,941
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar middle schools in Santa Clarita
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 (~1,017 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on La Mesa Junior High's federal record.
- Compare La Mesa Junior High against another school. Compare schools
- William S. Hart Union High'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 Mesa Junior High
How many students attend La Mesa Junior High?
La Mesa Junior High has 1,017 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Santa Clarita, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at La Mesa Junior High?
The student-teacher ratio at La Mesa Junior High 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 La Mesa Junior High?
38.3% of students at La Mesa Junior High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of La Mesa Junior High?
The largest demographic group at La Mesa Junior High is Hispanic or Latino at 56.8% of enrollment, in Santa Clarita, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for La Mesa Junior High?
La Mesa Junior High has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 La Mesa Junior High rank among public schools in Santa Clarita?
By Resource Investment Index, La Mesa Junior High ranks #3 of 10 public schools in Santa Clarita, 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 Santa Clarita on the city page.
Is La Mesa Junior High a good school?
La Mesa Junior High earns 38/100 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 William S. Hart Union High?
Besides La Mesa Junior High, William S. Hart Union High also operates Saugus High (2,317 students), Valencia High (2,286 students), and Golden Valley High (1,980 students). See the William S. Hart Union High 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.