Enrollment
694
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Bakersfield, CA
Paul L. Cato Middle
Federal NCES profile for Paul L. Cato Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 23/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 060363013744
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Paul L. Cato Middle earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% of California schools.
- #17 of 25
- middle schools in Bakersfield · Resource Index
- 23
- Resource Index · Lower
- 28.9:1
- large classes for California
- 48.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Paul L. Cato Middle has class sizes larger than 94% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Paul L. Cato Middle ranks #17 of 25 middle schools in Bakersfield, CA.
School address
District: Bakersfield City · California
NCES ID 060363013744 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
28.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+34% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
48.5%
vs 55.5% California avg
-13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Paul L. Cato Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Paul L. Cato Middle
Paul L. Cato Middle is a mid-sized middle school in Bakersfield, California, enrolling 694 students.
Class loads run heavy: 28.9:1 is larger than about 94% of California schools and 34% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 48.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 694 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,344 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #853.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (72%) and White (19%) (diversity index 45/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 51.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Bakersfield's middle schools, it stands alongside Leon H. Ollivier Middle (1,152 students): Paul L. Cato Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (28.9:1 vs 24:1).
Bakersfield City also operates Curran Middle (973 students) and Colonel Howard Nichols Elementary (960 students) alongside Paul L. Cato 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 Paul L. Cato Middle compares
Paul L. Cato 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 | 28.9:1 | ▲ 34% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 48.5% | ▼ 13% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 694 | top 24% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
28.9:1
Leaner classes than 2% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
694
Bigger than 80% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
48.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 13% 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
28.9:1
students per teacher
- 34% above state mean
Top 94% in California - lower ratio than 6% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
51.6%
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
$17,295
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 32 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.6 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 71.6%
White 19.3%
Asian 4.3%
African American 2.6%
Two or More 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 71.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 44.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 44.7, Paul L. Cato Middle is about as mixed as the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bakersfield City, which includes Paul L. Cato Middle.
$17,295
Per student
+5%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 6.5%
State 77.8%
Federal 15.7%
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 Paul L. Cato Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Curran Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Colonel Howard Nichols Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Voorhies Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Walter Stiern Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Horace Mann Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Paul L. Cato Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 973
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 960
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 915
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 891
- Students per teacher
- 25.5:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 870
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
Similar middle schools in Bakersfield
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Leon H. Ollivier Middle
Standard public school
1,152 students 24:1 students per teacher
Standard Middle
Standard public school
1,005 students 20.1:1 students per teacher
Norris Middle
Standard public school
992 students 26.1:1 students per teacher
Stonecreek Junior High
Standard public school
986 students 20.5:1 students per teacher
Curran Middle
Standard public school
973 students 22.6:1 students per teacher
Earl Warren Junior High
Standard public school
965 students 24.1:1 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 (~694 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~28.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Paul L. Cato Middle's federal record.
- Compare Paul L. Cato Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Bakersfield City'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 Paul L. Cato Middle
How many students attend Paul L. Cato Middle?
Paul L. Cato Middle has 694 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Bakersfield, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Paul L. Cato Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Paul L. Cato Middle is 28.9:1, which is 34% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 84% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Paul L. Cato Middle?
48.5% of students at Paul L. Cato Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Paul L. Cato Middle?
The largest demographic group at Paul L. Cato Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 71.6% of enrollment, in Bakersfield, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Paul L. Cato Middle?
Paul L. Cato Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 23/100 (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 Paul L. Cato Middle rank among middle schools in Bakersfield?
By Resource Investment Index, Paul L. Cato Middle ranks #17 of 25 middle schools in Bakersfield, 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 Bakersfield on the city page.
Is Paul L. Cato Middle a good school?
Paul L. Cato Middle earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% of 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 Bakersfield City?
Besides Paul L. Cato Middle, Bakersfield City also operates Curran Middle (973 students), Colonel Howard Nichols Elementary (960 students), and Voorhies Elementary (915 students). See the Bakersfield City 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.