Enrollment
524
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Davis, CA
Ralph Waldo Emerson Junior High
Federal NCES profile for Ralph Waldo Emerson Junior High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 54/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 061062001177
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 48
📋 Attendance 68
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ralph Waldo Emerson Junior High earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 81% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #1 of 5
- schools in Davis · Resource Index
- 54
- Resource Index · Higher
- 17.5:1
- small classes for California
- 11.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Ralph Waldo Emerson Junior High has class sizes smaller than 81% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ralph Waldo Emerson Junior High ranks #1 of 5 schools in Davis, CA.
School address
District: Davis Joint Unified · California
NCES ID 061062001177 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.5:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
11.5%
vs 55.5% California avg
-79% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ralph Waldo Emerson Junior High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ralph Waldo Emerson Junior High
Ralph Waldo Emerson Junior High is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Davis, California, enrolling 524 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 17.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 11.5% free-meal eligibility runs 79% below the California average.
With 524 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 95% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 972 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #18, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (50%) and Hispanic or Latino (27%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 66/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 262 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
12.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Davis's public schools, it stands alongside Oliver Wendell Holmes Junior High (588 students): Ralph Waldo Emerson Junior High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.5:1 vs 19:1).
Davis Joint Unified also operates Davis Senior High (1,755 students) and Oliver Wendell Holmes Junior High (588 students) alongside Ralph Waldo Emerson 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 Ralph Waldo Emerson Junior High compares
Ralph Waldo Emerson 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 | 17.5:1 | ▼ 19% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 11.5% | ▼ 79% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 524 | top 42% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.5:1
Leaner classes than 27% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
524
Bigger than 65% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
11.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 79% 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
17.5:1
students per teacher
- 19% below state mean
Top 19% in California - lower ratio than 81% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
12.8%
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
$15,208
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 262 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.9 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 49.6%
Hispanic or Latino 26.5%
Two or More 11.3%
Asian 9.2%
African American 2.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 49.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.2, Ralph Waldo Emerson 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 Davis Joint Unified, which includes Ralph Waldo Emerson Junior High.
$15,208
Per student
-8%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 52.6%
State 40.4%
Federal 7.0%
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 Ralph Waldo Emerson Junior High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Davis Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Oliver Wendell Holmes Junior High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pioneer Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Birch Lane Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Da Vinci Charter Academy | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ralph Waldo Emerson Junior High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,755
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 588
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 572
- Students per teacher
- 24.9:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 571
- Students per teacher
- 24.8:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 562
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
Similar other schools in Davis
4 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Oliver Wendell Holmes Junior High
Standard public school
588 students 19:1 students per teacher
Da Vinci Charter Academy
Standard public school
562 students 18.7:1 students per teacher
Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Junior High
Standard public school
533 students 19.7:1 students per teacher
Davis School for Independent Study
Alternative education program
124 students 10.3:1 students per teacher
Similar other 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 (~524 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ralph Waldo Emerson Junior High's federal record.
- Compare Ralph Waldo Emerson Junior High against another school. Compare schools
- Davis Joint 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 Ralph Waldo Emerson Junior High
How many students attend Ralph Waldo Emerson Junior High?
Ralph Waldo Emerson Junior High has 524 students enrolled. It is a public school in Davis, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ralph Waldo Emerson Junior High?
The student-teacher ratio at Ralph Waldo Emerson Junior High is 17.5:1, which is 19% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 11% 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 Ralph Waldo Emerson Junior High?
11.5% of students at Ralph Waldo Emerson Junior High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ralph Waldo Emerson Junior High?
The largest demographic group at Ralph Waldo Emerson Junior High is White at 49.6% of enrollment, in Davis, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ralph Waldo Emerson Junior High?
Ralph Waldo Emerson Junior High has a Resource Investment Index of 54/100 (higher 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 Ralph Waldo Emerson Junior High rank among schools in Davis?
By Resource Investment Index, Ralph Waldo Emerson Junior High ranks #1 of 5 schools in Davis, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Davis on the city page.
Is Ralph Waldo Emerson Junior High a good school?
Ralph Waldo Emerson Junior High earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 81% 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 Davis Joint Unified?
Besides Ralph Waldo Emerson Junior High, Davis Joint Unified also operates Davis Senior High (1,755 students), Oliver Wendell Holmes Junior High (588 students), and Pioneer Elementary (572 students). See the Davis Joint 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.