Enrollment
464
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Santa Maria, CA
Orcutt Junior High
Federal NCES profile for Orcutt Junior High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 17/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 062871004465
👥 S:T ratio 16
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 7
📋 Attendance 14
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Orcutt Junior High earns 17/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #5 of 6
- middle schools in Santa Maria · Resource Index
- 17
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21.1:1
- students per teacher
- 31.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Orcutt Junior High has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Orcutt Junior High ranks #5 of 6 middle schools in Santa Maria, CA.
School address
District: Orcutt Union Elementary · California
NCES ID 062871004465 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.1:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
31.6%
vs 55.5% California avg
-43% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Orcutt Junior High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Orcutt Junior High
Orcutt Junior High is a mid-sized middle school in Santa Maria, California, enrolling 464 students.
At 21.1:1, 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 31.6% of students eligible for free meals.
With 464 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 1,273 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,165, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (54%) and White (31%) (diversity index 60/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 464 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 34.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Orcutt Union Elementary spends $12,686 per pupil, 23% below the California average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Santa Maria's middle schools, it stands alongside Fesler (Isaac) Junior High (974 students): Orcutt Junior High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (21.1:1 vs 19.1:1).
Orcutt Union Elementary also operates Orcutt Academy Charter (812 students) and Joe Nightingale Elementary (695 students) alongside Orcutt Junior High.
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 Orcutt Junior High compares
Orcutt Junior High on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 21.1:1 | ▼ 2% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 31.6% | ▼ 43% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 464 | top 50% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.1:1
Leaner classes than 13% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
464
Bigger than 57% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
31.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 43% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
21.1:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 44% in California - lower ratio than 56% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
34.3%
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
$12,686
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 464 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 39 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.4 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 53.7%
White 31.3%
Two or More 10.1%
Asian 2.8%
African American 1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 53.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.2, Orcutt Junior High is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Orcutt Union Elementary, which includes Orcutt Junior High.
$12,686
Per student
-23%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.2%
State 55.5%
Federal 7.4%
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 Orcutt Junior High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orcutt Academy Charter | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Joe Nightingale Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Patterson Road Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pine Grove Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Alice Shaw Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Orcutt Junior High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 812
- Students per teacher
- 23.9:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 695
- Students per teacher
- 26.7:1
- Resource Index
- 14/100
- Enrollment
- 662
- Students per teacher
- 30.1:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
- Enrollment
- 569
- Students per teacher
- 28.4:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 530
- Students per teacher
- 26.5:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
Similar middle schools in Santa Maria
5 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Fesler (Isaac) Junior High
Standard public school
974 students 19.1:1 students per teacher
Kunst (Tommie) Junior High
Standard public school
912 students 16.3:1 students per teacher
El Camino Junior High
Standard public school
830 students 18.4:1 students per teacher
Arellanes Junior High
Standard public school
668 students 22.3:1 students per teacher
Lakeview Junior High
Standard public school
463 students 24.4:1 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 (~464 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Orcutt Junior High's federal record.
- Compare Orcutt Junior High against another school. Compare schools
- Orcutt Union Elementary'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 Orcutt Junior High
How many students attend Orcutt Junior High?
Orcutt Junior High has 464 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Santa Maria, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Orcutt Junior High?
The student-teacher ratio at Orcutt Junior High is 21.1:1, which is 2% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 34% 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 Orcutt Junior High?
31.6% of students at Orcutt Junior High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Orcutt Junior High?
The largest demographic group at Orcutt Junior High is Hispanic or Latino at 53.7% of enrollment, in Santa Maria, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Orcutt Junior High?
Orcutt Junior High has a Resource Investment Index of 17/100 (lower 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 Orcutt Junior High rank among middle schools in Santa Maria?
By Resource Investment Index, Orcutt Junior High ranks #5 of 6 middle schools in Santa Maria, 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 Santa Maria on the city page.
Is Orcutt Junior High a good school?
Orcutt Junior High earns 17/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. 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 Orcutt Union Elementary?
Besides Orcutt Junior High, Orcutt Union Elementary also operates Orcutt Academy Charter (812 students), Joe Nightingale Elementary (695 students), and Patterson Road Elementary (662 students). See the Orcutt Union Elementary 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.