Enrollment
479
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · San Francisco, CA
Lick (James) Middle
Federal NCES profile for Lick (James) Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 063441005629
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 53
📋 Attendance 9
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lick (James) Middle earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 87% of California schools.
- #6 of 14
- middle schools in San Francisco · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16:1
- small classes for California
- 61.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Lick (James) Middle has class sizes smaller than 87% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lick (James) Middle ranks #6 of 14 middle schools in San Francisco, CA.
School address
District: San Francisco Unified · California
NCES ID 063441005629 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
61.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
+10% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lick (James) Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lick (James) Middle
Lick (James) Middle is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in San Francisco, California, enrolling 479 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 16:1, Lick (James) Middle is leaner than roughly 87% of California schools and 26% under the state's 21.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 61.2% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 479 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 1,885 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #493.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (74%) and White (10%) (diversity index 44/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 235 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding San Francisco Unified spends $23,654 per pupil, 43% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among San Francisco's middle schools, it stands alongside Giannini (a.P.) Middle (1,183 students): Lick (James) Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16:1 vs 25.7:1).
San Francisco Unified also operates Lowell High (2,571 students) and Lincoln (Abraham) High (2,074 students) alongside Lick (James) 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 Lick (James) Middle compares
Lick (James) 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 | 16:1 | ▼ 26% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 61.2% | ▲ 10% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 479 | top 48% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16:1
Leaner classes than 38% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
479
Bigger than 59% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
61.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 10% 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
16:1
students per teacher
- 26% below state mean
Top 13% in California - lower ratio than 87% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
36.5%
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
$23,654
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 235 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 44 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.2 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 73.7%
White 9.6%
Two or More 6.9%
African American 6.7%
Asian 2.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 73.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 43.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 43.8, Lick (James) Middle is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for San Francisco Unified, which includes Lick (James) Middle.
$23,654
Per student
+43%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+43%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 56.8%
State 31.2%
Federal 12.0%
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 Lick (James) Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lowell High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lincoln (Abraham) High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Washington (George) High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Galileo High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Balboa High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lick (James) Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,571
- Students per teacher
- 23.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,074
- Students per teacher
- 23.8:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 2,068
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,750
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,238
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar middle schools in San Francisco
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Giannini (a.P.) Middle
Standard public school
1,183 students 25.7:1 students per teacher
Presidio Middle
Standard public school
992 students 24.8:1 students per teacher
Hoover (Herbert) Middle
Standard public school
963 students 24.1:1 students per teacher
Aptos Middle
Standard public school
911 students 24.6:1 students per teacher
Denman (James) Middle
Standard public school
807 students 23.1:1 students per teacher
Roosevelt Middle
Standard public school
657 students 20.5:1 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 (~479 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lick (James) Middle's federal record.
- Compare Lick (James) Middle against another school. Compare schools
- San Francisco 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 Lick (James) Middle
How many students attend Lick (James) Middle?
Lick (James) Middle has 479 students enrolled. It is a middle school in San Francisco, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lick (James) Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Lick (James) Middle is 16:1, which is 26% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 2% 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 Lick (James) Middle?
61.2% of students at Lick (James) Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lick (James) Middle?
The largest demographic group at Lick (James) Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 73.7% of enrollment, in San Francisco, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lick (James) Middle?
Lick (James) Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (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 Lick (James) Middle rank among middle schools in San Francisco?
By Resource Investment Index, Lick (James) Middle ranks #6 of 14 middle schools in San Francisco, 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 San Francisco on the city page.
Is Lick (James) Middle a good school?
Lick (James) Middle earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 87% 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 San Francisco Unified?
Besides Lick (James) Middle, San Francisco Unified also operates Lowell High (2,571 students), Lincoln (Abraham) High (2,074 students), and Washington (George) High (2,068 students). See the San Francisco 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.