Enrollment
930
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · San Juan Capistrano, CA
Marco Forster Middle
Federal NCES profile for Marco Forster Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 060744000694
👥 S:T ratio 28
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 38
📋 Attendance 16
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Marco Forster Middle earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 79% of California schools.
- #4 of 13
- public schools in San Juan Capistrano · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.9:1
- small classes for California
- 61.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Marco Forster Middle has class sizes smaller than 79% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Marco Forster Middle ranks #4 of 13 public schools in San Juan Capistrano, CA.
School address
District: Capistrano Unified · California
NCES ID 060744000694 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
52.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
61.8%
vs 55.5% California avg
+11% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Marco Forster Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Marco Forster Middle
Marco Forster Middle is a higher-need, large middle school in San Juan Capistrano, California, enrolling 930 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 17.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 61.8% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 930 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.
Among 1,096 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #104, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (70%) and White (23%) (diversity index 45/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 310 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Capistrano Unified also operates San Clemente High (2,740 students) and San Juan Hills High (2,641 students) alongside Marco Forster 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 Marco Forster Middle compares
Marco Forster 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 | 17.9:1 | ▼ 17% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 61.8% | ▲ 11% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 930 | top 13% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.9:1
Leaner classes than 25% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
930
Bigger than 90% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
61.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 11% 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
17.9:1
students per teacher
- 17% below state mean
Top 21% in California - lower ratio than 79% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
33.5%
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
$14,421
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 310 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
19
in-school suspensions + 88 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.5 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 70.0%
White 23.2%
Two or More 5.3%
Asian 1.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 70.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 45.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 45.3, Marco Forster Middle is about as mixed as the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Capistrano Unified, which includes Marco Forster Middle.
$14,421
Per student
-13%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 61.2%
State 31.0%
Federal 7.7%
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 Marco Forster Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Clemente High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| San Juan Hills High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Aliso Niguel High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Tesoro High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Capistrano Valley High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Marco Forster Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,740
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 2,641
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 2,563
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 2,030
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,991
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
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 (~930 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Marco Forster Middle's federal record.
- Compare Marco Forster Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Capistrano 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 Marco Forster Middle
How many students attend Marco Forster Middle?
Marco Forster Middle has 930 students enrolled. It is a middle school in San Juan Capistrano, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Marco Forster Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Marco Forster Middle is 17.9:1, which is 17% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 14% 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 Marco Forster Middle?
61.8% of students at Marco Forster Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Marco Forster Middle?
The largest demographic group at Marco Forster Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 70.0% of enrollment, in San Juan Capistrano, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Marco Forster Middle?
Marco Forster Middle 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 Marco Forster Middle rank among public schools in San Juan Capistrano?
By Resource Investment Index, Marco Forster Middle ranks #4 of 13 public schools in San Juan Capistrano, 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 San Juan Capistrano on the city page.
Is Marco Forster Middle a good school?
Marco Forster Middle earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 79% 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 Capistrano Unified?
Besides Marco Forster Middle, Capistrano Unified also operates San Clemente High (2,740 students), San Juan Hills High (2,641 students), and Aliso Niguel High (2,563 students). See the Capistrano 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.