Enrollment
771
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Upland, CA
Pioneer Junior High
Federal NCES profile for Pioneer Junior High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 060001609092
👥 S:T ratio 4
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 23
📋 Attendance 65
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pioneer Junior High earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% of California schools.
- #6 of 14
- public schools in Upland · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 24.1:1
- large classes for California
- 32.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Pioneer Junior High has class sizes larger than 72% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Pioneer Junior High ranks #6 of 14 public schools in Upland, CA.
School address
District: Upland Unified · California
NCES ID 060001609092 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.1:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
32.8%
vs 55.5% California avg
-41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pioneer Junior High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Pioneer Junior High
Pioneer Junior High is a mid-sized middle school in Upland, California, enrolling 771 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24.1:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 32.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 771 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,235 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #253.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (46%) and White (33%) (diversity index 66/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 386 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
13.9% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Upland's middle schools, it stands alongside Upland Junior High (599 students): Pioneer Junior High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (24.1:1 vs 20.7:1).
Upland Unified also operates Upland High (2,797 students) and Pepper Tree Elementary (719 students) alongside Pioneer 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 Pioneer Junior High compares
Pioneer 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 | 24.1:1 | ▲ 12% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 32.8% | ▼ 41% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 771 | top 19% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.1:1
Leaner classes than 6% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
771
Bigger than 84% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
32.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% 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
24.1:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 72% in California - lower ratio than 28% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
13.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$14,699
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 386 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 25 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.5 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 46.2%
White 32.7%
Asian 13.1%
Two or More 4.8%
African American 3.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 46.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.9, Pioneer Junior High is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Upland Unified, which includes Pioneer Junior High.
$14,699
Per student
-11%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-11%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.3%
State 59.5%
Federal 10.2%
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 Pioneer Junior High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upland High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Pepper Tree Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Baldy View Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Upland Junior High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Valencia Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Pioneer Junior High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,797
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 719
- Students per teacher
- 24.8:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 624
- Students per teacher
- 28.4:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 599
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 571
- Students per teacher
- 23.8:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar middle schools in Upland
1 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
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 (~771 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~24.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pioneer Junior High's federal record.
- Compare Pioneer Junior High against another school. Compare schools
- Upland 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 Pioneer Junior High
How many students attend Pioneer Junior High?
Pioneer Junior High has 771 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Upland, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pioneer Junior High?
The student-teacher ratio at Pioneer Junior High is 24.1:1, which is 12% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 54% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Pioneer Junior High?
32.8% of students at Pioneer Junior High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pioneer Junior High?
The largest demographic group at Pioneer Junior High is Hispanic or Latino at 46.2% of enrollment, in Upland, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pioneer Junior High?
Pioneer Junior High has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (typical 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 Pioneer Junior High rank among public schools in Upland?
By Resource Investment Index, Pioneer Junior High ranks #6 of 14 public schools in Upland, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Upland on the city page.
Is Pioneer Junior High a good school?
Pioneer Junior High earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% 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 Upland Unified?
Besides Pioneer Junior High, Upland Unified also operates Upland High (2,797 students), Pepper Tree Elementary (719 students), and Baldy View Elementary (624 students). See the Upland 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.