Enrollment
643
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Ridgecrest, CA
Murray Middle
Federal NCES profile for Murray Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 063680006238
👥 S:T ratio 14
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 36
📋 Attendance 46
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Murray Middle earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #2 of 10
- public schools in Ridgecrest · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 21.4:1
- students per teacher
- 45.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Murray Middle has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Murray Middle ranks #2 of 10 public schools in Ridgecrest, CA.
School address
District: Sierra Sands Unified · California
NCES ID 063680006238 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-0% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
45.1%
vs 55.5% California avg
-19% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Murray Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Murray Middle
Murray Middle is a mid-sized middle school in Ridgecrest, California, enrolling 643 students.
At 21.4:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 45.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 643 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 1,370 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #119, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (43%) and Hispanic or Latino (36%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 67/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 322 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.5% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Discipline events run high: 135 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 643 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Ridgecrest's middle schools, it stands alongside James Monroe Middle (490 students): Murray Middle is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (21.4:1 vs 18.8:1).
Sierra Sands Unified also operates Burroughs High (1,536 students) and Las Flores Elementary (526 students) alongside Murray 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 Murray Middle compares
Murray 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 | 21.4:1 | ▼ 0% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 45.1% | ▼ 19% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 643 | top 28% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.4:1
Leaner classes than 12% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
643
Bigger than 76% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
45.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 19% below the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
21.4:1
students per teacher
- 0% below state mean
Top 47% in California - lower ratio than 53% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
21.5%
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
$14,502
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 322 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
22
in-school suspensions + 113 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 21.0 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
White 43.4%
Hispanic or Latino 36.4%
African American 6.7%
Two or More 6.5%
Asian 5.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
Largest group: White at 43.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.8, Murray Middle is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sierra Sands Unified, which includes Murray Middle.
$14,502
Per student
-12%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 17.0%
State 69.4%
Federal 13.6%
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 Murray Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burroughs High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Las Flores Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Faller Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| James Monroe Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Richmond Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Murray Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,536
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 526
- Students per teacher
- 25:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
- Enrollment
- 516
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 490
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 364
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
Similar middle schools in Ridgecrest
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 (~643 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Murray Middle's federal record.
- Compare Murray Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Sierra Sands 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 Murray Middle
How many students attend Murray Middle?
Murray Middle has 643 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Ridgecrest, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Murray Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Murray Middle is 21.4:1, which is 0% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 36% 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 Murray Middle?
45.1% of students at Murray Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Murray Middle?
The largest demographic group at Murray Middle is White at 43.4% of enrollment, in Ridgecrest, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Murray Middle?
Murray Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (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 Murray Middle rank among public schools in Ridgecrest?
By Resource Investment Index, Murray Middle ranks #2 of 10 public schools in Ridgecrest, 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 Ridgecrest on the city page.
Is Murray Middle a good school?
Murray Middle earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also more 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 Sierra Sands Unified?
Besides Murray Middle, Sierra Sands Unified also operates Burroughs High (1,536 students), Las Flores Elementary (526 students), and Faller Elementary (516 students). See the Sierra Sands 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.