Enrollment
971
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · San Diego, CA
Pacific Trails Middle
Federal NCES profile for Pacific Trails Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 063438013861
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 77
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pacific Trails Middle earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #25 of 37
- middle schools in San Diego · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 27.7:1
- large classes for California
- 8.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Pacific Trails Middle has class sizes larger than 92% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Pacific Trails Middle ranks #25 of 37 middle schools in San Diego, CA.
School address
District: San Dieguito Union High · California
NCES ID 063438013861 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
27.7:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
8.3%
vs 55.5% California avg
-85% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pacific Trails Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Pacific Trails Middle
Pacific Trails Middle is a lower-poverty, large middle school in San Diego, California, enrolling 971 students.
Class loads run heavy: 27.7:1 is larger than about 92% of California schools and 29% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 8.3% free-meal eligibility runs 85% below the California average.
Enrollment of 971 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 450 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #377, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Asian (45%) and White (32%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 67/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 747 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.1% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among San Diego's middle schools, it stands alongside Oak Valley Middle (1,503 students): Pacific Trails Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (27.7:1 vs 24.6:1).
San Dieguito Union High also operates Torrey Pines High (2,536 students) and Canyon Crest Academy (2,147 students) alongside Pacific Trails 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 Pacific Trails Middle compares
Pacific Trails 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 | 27.7:1 | ▲ 29% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 8.3% | ▼ 85% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 971 | top 12% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
27.7:1
Leaner classes than 3% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
971
Bigger than 91% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
8.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 85% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
27.7:1
students per teacher
- 29% above state mean
Top 92% in California - lower ratio than 8% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
9.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$13,574
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
Counselors1.3 FTE
Per 747 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 16 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.2 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
Asian 45.4%
White 31.5%
Hispanic or Latino 12.5%
Two or More 9.7%
African American 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: Asian at 45.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.0, Pacific Trails Middle is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for San Dieguito Union High, which includes Pacific Trails Middle.
$13,574
Per student
-18%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 75.9%
State 19.1%
Federal 5.0%
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 Pacific Trails Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Torrey Pines High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Canyon Crest Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| San Dieguito Hs Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| La Costa Canyon High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Oak Crest Middle | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Pacific Trails Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,536
- Students per teacher
- 24.9:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 2,147
- Students per teacher
- 25.3:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,843
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 1,774
- Students per teacher
- 24.3:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
- Enrollment
- 758
- Students per teacher
- 23:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
Similar middle schools in San Diego
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Oak Valley Middle
Standard public school
1,503 students 24.6:1 students per teacher
Bernardo Heights Middle
Standard public school
1,487 students 24.4:1 students per teacher
Marshall Middle
Standard public school
1,390 students 27.3:1 students per teacher
Mesa Verde Middle
Standard public school
1,178 students 28.7:1 students per teacher
Black Mountain Middle
Standard public school
1,077 students 22.9:1 students per teacher
Lewis Middle
Standard public school
1,013 students 25.3:1 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 (~971 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pacific Trails Middle's federal record.
- Compare Pacific Trails Middle against another school. Compare schools
- San Dieguito Union High'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 Pacific Trails Middle
How many students attend Pacific Trails Middle?
Pacific Trails Middle has 971 students enrolled. It is a middle school in San Diego, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pacific Trails Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Pacific Trails Middle is 27.7:1, which is 29% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 76% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Pacific Trails Middle?
8.3% of students at Pacific Trails Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pacific Trails Middle?
The largest demographic group at Pacific Trails Middle is Asian at 45.4% of enrollment, in San Diego, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pacific Trails Middle?
Pacific Trails Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (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 Pacific Trails Middle rank among middle schools in San Diego?
By Resource Investment Index, Pacific Trails Middle ranks #25 of 37 middle schools in San Diego, 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 San Diego on the city page.
Is Pacific Trails Middle a good school?
Pacific Trails Middle earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% 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 San Dieguito Union High?
Besides Pacific Trails Middle, San Dieguito Union High also operates Torrey Pines High (2,536 students), Canyon Crest Academy (2,147 students), and San Dieguito Hs Academy (1,843 students). See the San Dieguito Union High 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.