Enrollment
980
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · San Diego, CA
Pershing Middle
Federal NCES profile for Pershing Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 063432005536
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 48
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pershing Middle earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #15 of 37
- middle schools in San Diego · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 31.6:1
- large classes for California
- 22.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Pershing Middle has class sizes larger than 97% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Pershing Middle ranks #15 of 37 middle schools in San Diego, CA.
School address
District: San Diego Unified · California
NCES ID 063432005536 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
31.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+47% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
22.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
-59% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pershing Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Pershing Middle
Pershing Middle is a large middle school in San Diego, California, enrolling 980 students.
Class loads run heavy: 31.6:1 is larger than about 97% of California schools and 47% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 22.7% free-meal eligibility runs 59% below the California average.
Enrollment of 980 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.
Against 814 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #537.
Its student body is led by White (47%) and Hispanic or Latino (30%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 67/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 980 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.8% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among San Diego's middle schools, it stands alongside Oak Valley Middle (1,503 students): Pershing Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (31.6:1 vs 24.6:1).
San Diego Unified also operates Henry High (2,485 students) and Mira Mesa High (2,187 students) alongside Pershing 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 Pershing Middle compares
Pershing 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 | 31.6:1 | ▲ 47% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 22.7% | ▼ 59% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 980 | top 12% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
31.6:1
Leaner classes than 1% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
980
Bigger than 91% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
22.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 59% 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
31.6:1
students per teacher
- 47% above state mean
Top 97% in California - lower ratio than 3% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
20.8%
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
$18,665
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 980 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
21
in-school suspensions + 26 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.8 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 46.8%
Hispanic or Latino 30.0%
Two or More 11.9%
Asian 6.1%
African American 4.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 46.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.1, Pershing Middle is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for San Diego Unified, which includes Pershing Middle.
$18,665
Per student
+13%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 60.5%
State 25.1%
Federal 14.4%
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 Pershing Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Henry High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mira Mesa High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hoover High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Scripps Ranch High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Point Loma High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Pershing Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,485
- Students per teacher
- 25.9:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 2,187
- Students per teacher
- 24.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,011
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
- Enrollment
- 1,890
- Students per teacher
- 27:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,724
- Students per teacher
- 26.1:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
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 (~980 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pershing Middle's federal record.
- Compare Pershing Middle against another school. Compare schools
- San Diego 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 Pershing Middle
How many students attend Pershing Middle?
Pershing Middle has 980 students enrolled. It is a middle school in San Diego, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pershing Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Pershing Middle is 31.6:1, which is 47% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 101% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Pershing Middle?
22.7% of students at Pershing Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pershing Middle?
The largest demographic group at Pershing Middle is White at 46.8% of enrollment, in San Diego, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pershing Middle?
Pershing Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (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 Pershing Middle rank among middle schools in San Diego?
By Resource Investment Index, Pershing Middle ranks #15 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 Pershing Middle a good school?
Pershing Middle earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% 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 Diego Unified?
Besides Pershing Middle, San Diego Unified also operates Henry High (2,485 students), Mira Mesa High (2,187 students), and Hoover High (2,011 students). See the San Diego 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.