Enrollment
422
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Orange, CA
Portola Middle
Federal NCES profile for Portola Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 062865004446
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 16
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Portola Middle earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 88% of California schools.
- #2 of 3
- middle schools in Orange · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.6:1
- small classes for California
- 79.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Portola Middle has class sizes smaller than 88% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Portola Middle ranks #2 of 3 middle schools in Orange, CA.
School address
District: Orange Unified · California
NCES ID 062865004446 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
79.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
+43% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Portola Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Portola Middle
Portola Middle is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Orange, California, enrolling 422 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 15.6:1, Portola Middle is leaner than roughly 88% of California schools and 27% under the state's 21.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 79.2% of students eligible for free meals.
With 422 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 1,971 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #587.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (88% of enrollment) (diversity index 22/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 422 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 51.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Orange's middle schools, it stands alongside Santiago Middle (1,137 students): Portola Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.6:1 vs 27.1:1).
Orange Unified also operates Canyon High (2,183 students) and Villa Park High (2,023 students) alongside Portola 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 Portola Middle compares
Portola 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 | 15.6:1 | ▼ 27% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 79.2% | ▲ 43% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 422 | top 57% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.6:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
422
Bigger than 51% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
79.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 43% above the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.6:1
students per teacher
- 27% below state mean
Top 12% in California - lower ratio than 88% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
51.4%
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
$14,036
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 422 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 67 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 17.5 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 88.1%
Asian 5.9%
White 3.8%
Two or More 1.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
African American 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 88.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 21.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 21.9, Portola Middle is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Orange Unified, which includes Portola Middle.
$14,036
Per student
-15%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 53.9%
State 35.0%
Federal 11.0%
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 Portola Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canyon High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Villa Park High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| El Modena High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Orange High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| El Rancho Charter | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Portola Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,183
- Students per teacher
- 27.3:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 2,023
- Students per teacher
- 24.1:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,795
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,728
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,144
- Students per teacher
- 29.3:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar middle schools in Orange
2 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 (~422 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Portola Middle's federal record.
- Compare Portola Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Orange 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 Portola Middle
How many students attend Portola Middle?
Portola Middle has 422 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Orange, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Portola Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Portola Middle is 15.6:1, which is 27% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 1% lower 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 Portola Middle?
79.2% of students at Portola Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Portola Middle?
The largest demographic group at Portola Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 88.1% of enrollment, in Orange, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Portola Middle?
Portola Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (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 Portola Middle rank among middle schools in Orange?
By Resource Investment Index, Portola Middle ranks #2 of 3 middle schools in Orange, 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 Orange on the city page.
Is Portola Middle a good school?
Portola Middle earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 88% 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 Orange Unified?
Besides Portola Middle, Orange Unified also operates Canyon High (2,183 students), Villa Park High (2,023 students), and El Modena High (1,795 students). See the Orange 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.