Enrollment
855
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Escondido, CA
Mission Middle
Federal NCES profile for Mission Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 061288001456
👥 S:T ratio 33
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 43
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mission Middle earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 84% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #1 of 5
- middle schools in Escondido · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.8:1
- small classes for California
- 87.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Mission Middle has class sizes smaller than 84% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mission Middle ranks #1 of 5 middle schools in Escondido, CA.
School address
District: Escondido Union · California
NCES ID 061288001456 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
51.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
87.3%
vs 55.5% California avg
+57% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mission Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mission Middle
Mission Middle is a high-poverty, large middle school in Escondido, California, enrolling 855 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 16.8:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 87.3% of students qualify for free meals, 57% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 855 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 1,031 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #131.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (95% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 11/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 285 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 46.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Escondido's middle schools, it stands alongside Bear Valley Middle (923 students): Mission Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.8:1 vs 17.4:1).
Escondido Union also operates Bear Valley Middle (923 students) and Del Dios Academy of Arts and Sciences (788 students) alongside Mission 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 Mission Middle compares
Mission 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 | 16.8:1 | ▼ 22% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 87.3% | ▲ 57% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 855 | top 15% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.8:1
Leaner classes than 32% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
855
Bigger than 87% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
87.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 57% above the California average of 55.5%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.8:1
students per teacher
- 22% below state mean
Top 16% in California - lower ratio than 84% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
46.9%
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
$17,027
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 285 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 52 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 94.5%
Two or More 1.9%
White 1.6%
Asian 1.3%
African American 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 94.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 10.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 10.6, Mission Middle is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Escondido Union, which includes Mission Middle.
$17,027
Per student
+3%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.4%
State 52.9%
Federal 14.7%
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 Mission Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bear Valley Middle | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Del Dios Academy of Arts and Sciences | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rincon Middle | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hidden Valley Middle | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| L. R. Green Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mission Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 923
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 788
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 772
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 733
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 717
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
Similar middle schools in Escondido
4 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Bear Valley Middle
Standard public school
923 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Del Dios Academy of Arts and Sciences
Standard public school
788 students 18.8:1 students per teacher
Rincon Middle
Standard public school
772 students 15.4:1 students per teacher
Hidden Valley Middle
Standard public school
733 students 15.9:1 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 (~855 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mission Middle's federal record.
- Compare Mission Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Escondido Union'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 Mission Middle
How many students attend Mission Middle?
Mission Middle has 855 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Escondido, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mission Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Mission Middle is 16.8:1, which is 22% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 7% 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 Mission Middle?
87.3% of students at Mission Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mission Middle?
The largest demographic group at Mission Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 94.5% of enrollment, in Escondido, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mission Middle?
Mission Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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 Mission Middle rank among middle schools in Escondido?
By Resource Investment Index, Mission Middle ranks #1 of 5 middle schools in Escondido, 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 Escondido on the city page.
Is Mission Middle a good school?
Mission Middle earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 84% 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 Escondido Union?
Besides Mission Middle, Escondido Union also operates Bear Valley Middle (923 students), Del Dios Academy of Arts and Sciences (788 students), and Rincon Middle (772 students). See the Escondido Union 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.