Enrollment
940
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Newhall, CA
Placerita Junior High
Federal NCES profile for Placerita Junior High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 064251006960
👥 S:T ratio 16
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 37
📋 Attendance 57
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Placerita Junior High earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #3 of 7
- public schools in Newhall · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 20.9:1
- students per teacher
- 42.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Placerita Junior High has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Placerita Junior High ranks #3 of 7 public schools in Newhall, CA.
School address
District: William S. Hart Union High · California
NCES ID 064251006960 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
45.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
42.9%
vs 55.5% California avg
-23% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Placerita Junior High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Placerita Junior High
Placerita Junior High is a large middle school in Newhall, California, enrolling 940 students.
At 20.9:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 42.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 940 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 898 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #242.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (65%) and White (28%) (diversity index 50/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 313 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
17.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
William S. Hart Union High also operates Saugus High (2,317 students) and Valencia High (2,286 students) alongside Placerita 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 Placerita Junior High compares
Placerita 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 | 20.9:1 | ▼ 3% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 42.9% | ▼ 23% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 940 | top 13% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.9:1
Leaner classes than 13% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
940
Bigger than 90% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
42.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 23% 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
20.9:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 42% in California - lower ratio than 58% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
17.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$14,012
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 313 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
9
in-school suspensions + 16 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 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 64.9%
White 27.7%
Asian 3.8%
Two or More 2.6%
African American 1.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 64.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.0, Placerita Junior High is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for William S. Hart Union High, which includes Placerita Junior High.
$14,012
Per student
-15%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.8%
State 59.6%
Federal 11.6%
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 Placerita Junior High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saugus High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Valencia High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Golden Valley High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Canyon High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| William S. Hart High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Placerita Junior High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,317
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 2,286
- Students per teacher
- 22.9:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,980
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,952
- Students per teacher
- 23.2:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,941
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
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 (~940 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Placerita Junior High's federal record.
- Compare Placerita Junior High against another school. Compare schools
- William S. Hart 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 Placerita Junior High
How many students attend Placerita Junior High?
Placerita Junior High has 940 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Newhall, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Placerita Junior High?
The student-teacher ratio at Placerita Junior High is 20.9:1, which is 3% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 33% 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 Placerita Junior High?
42.9% of students at Placerita Junior High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Placerita Junior High?
The largest demographic group at Placerita Junior High is Hispanic or Latino at 64.9% of enrollment, in Newhall, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Placerita Junior High?
Placerita Junior High has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (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 Placerita Junior High rank among public schools in Newhall?
By Resource Investment Index, Placerita Junior High ranks #3 of 7 public schools in Newhall, 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 Newhall on the city page.
Is Placerita Junior High a good school?
Placerita Junior High earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. 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 William S. Hart Union High?
Besides Placerita Junior High, William S. Hart Union High also operates Saugus High (2,317 students), Valencia High (2,286 students), and Golden Valley High (1,980 students). See the William S. Hart 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.