Enrollment
398
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Watsonville, CA
Pajaro Middle
Federal NCES profile for Pajaro Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 062949004547
👥 S:T ratio 24
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 20
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pajaro Middle earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 73% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #1 of 5
- middle schools in Watsonville · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19:1
- small classes for California
- 86.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Pajaro Middle has class sizes smaller than 73% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Pajaro Middle ranks #1 of 5 middle schools in Watsonville, CA.
School address
District: Pajaro Valley Unified · California
NCES ID 062949004547 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
86.8%
vs 55.5% California avg
+56% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pajaro Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Pajaro Middle
Pajaro Middle is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Watsonville, California, enrolling 398 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 19:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 86.8% of students qualify for free meals, 56% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 398 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,478 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #621.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (99% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 3/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 398 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 45.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 4 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Watsonville's middle schools, it stands alongside Rolling Hills Middle (588 students): Pajaro Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (19:1 vs 21:1).
Pajaro Valley Unified also operates Watsonville High (2,215 students) and Pajaro Valley High (1,293 students) alongside Pajaro 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 Pajaro Middle compares
Pajaro 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 | 19:1 | ▼ 12% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 86.8% | ▲ 56% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 398 | top 61% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19:1
Leaner classes than 20% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
398
Bigger than 47% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
86.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 56% 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
19:1
students per teacher
- 12% below state mean
Top 27% in California - lower ratio than 73% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
45.5%
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
$17,011
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 398 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 68 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 18.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 4 expulsions.
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 98.7%
White 0.8%
Asian 0.3%
Two or More 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 98.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 2.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 2.6, Pajaro Middle is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Pajaro Valley Unified, which includes Pajaro Middle.
$17,011
Per student
+3%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.6%
State 56.5%
Federal 12.9%
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 Pajaro Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watsonville High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pajaro Valley High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Aptos High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Alianza Charter | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rolling Hills Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Pajaro Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,215
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,293
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,274
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 626
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 588
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
Similar middle schools in Watsonville
4 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Rolling Hills Middle
Standard public school
588 students 21:1 students per teacher
Cesar E. Chavez Middle
Standard public school
548 students 21.1:1 students per teacher
E. a. Hall Middle
Standard public school
491 students 19.6:1 students per teacher
Lakeview Middle
Standard public school
425 students 21.3:1 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 (~398 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pajaro Middle's federal record.
- Compare Pajaro Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Pajaro Valley 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 Pajaro Middle
How many students attend Pajaro Middle?
Pajaro Middle has 398 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Watsonville, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pajaro Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Pajaro Middle is 19:1, which is 12% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 21% 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 Pajaro Middle?
86.8% of students at Pajaro Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pajaro Middle?
The largest demographic group at Pajaro Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 98.7% of enrollment, in Watsonville, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pajaro Middle?
Pajaro Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (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 Pajaro Middle rank among middle schools in Watsonville?
By Resource Investment Index, Pajaro Middle ranks #1 of 5 middle schools in Watsonville, 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 Watsonville on the city page.
Is Pajaro Middle a good school?
Pajaro Middle earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 73% 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 Pajaro Valley Unified?
Besides Pajaro Middle, Pajaro Valley Unified also operates Watsonville High (2,215 students), Pajaro Valley High (1,293 students), and Aptos High (1,274 students). See the Pajaro Valley 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.