Enrollment
196
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Needles, CA
Needles Middle
Federal NCES profile for Needles Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 25/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 062676009951
👥 S:T ratio 29
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 17
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Needles Middle earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 80% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #3 of 5
- public schools in Needles · Resource Index
- 25
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17.8:1
- small classes for California
- 79.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Needles Middle has class sizes smaller than 80% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Needles Middle ranks #3 of 5 public schools in Needles, CA.
School address
District: Needles Unified · California
NCES ID 062676009951 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
11.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
79.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
+44% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Needles Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Needles Middle
Needles Middle is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Needles, California, enrolling 196 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 17.8:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 79.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 196 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 519 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #387, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (42%) and Hispanic or Latino (37%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 67/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Needles Unified spends $20,418 per pupil, 24% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 22.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 51 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 196 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Needles Unified also operates Vista Colorado Elementary (319 students) and Needles High (269 students) alongside Needles 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 Needles Middle compares
Needles 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 | 17.8:1 | ▼ 17% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 79.7% | ▲ 44% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 196 | top 83% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.8:1
Leaner classes than 26% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
196
Bigger than 19% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
79.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 44% 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
17.8:1
students per teacher
- 17% below state mean
Top 20% in California - lower ratio than 80% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
33.2%
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
$20,418
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 51 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 26.0 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 41.8%
Hispanic or Latino 36.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 11.2%
Two or More 7.7%
African American 1.5%
Asian 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: White at 41.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.2, Needles Middle is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Needles Unified, which includes Needles Middle.
$20,418
Per student
+24%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.9%
State 54.6%
Federal 22.6%
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 Needles Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vista Colorado Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Needles High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Monument Peak | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Chemehuevi Valley Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Needles Community Day | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Needles Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 319
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
- Enrollment
- 269
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 70
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 40
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
- Enrollment
- 18
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
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 (~196 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Needles Middle's federal record.
- Compare Needles Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Needles 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 Needles Middle
How many students attend Needles Middle?
Needles Middle has 196 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Needles, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Needles Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Needles Middle is 17.8:1, which is 17% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 13% 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 Needles Middle?
79.7% of students at Needles Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Needles Middle?
The largest demographic group at Needles Middle is White at 41.8% of enrollment, in Needles, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Needles Middle?
Needles Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Needles Middle rank among public schools in Needles?
By Resource Investment Index, Needles Middle ranks #3 of 5 public schools in Needles, 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 Needles on the city page.
Is Needles Middle a good school?
Needles Middle earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 80% of California schools. 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 Needles Unified?
Besides Needles Middle, Needles Unified also operates Vista Colorado Elementary (319 students), Needles High (269 students), and Monument Peak (70 students). See the Needles 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.