Enrollment
1,140
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Hesperia, CA
Ranchero Middle
Federal NCES profile for Ranchero Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 16/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 060001409676
👥 S:T ratio 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 24
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ranchero Middle earns 16/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #1 of 3
- middle schools in Hesperia · Resource Index
- 16
- Resource Index · Lower
- 22.4:1
- students per teacher
- 56.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Ranchero Middle has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ranchero Middle ranks #1 of 3 middle schools in Hesperia, CA.
School address
District: Hesperia Unified · California
NCES ID 060001409676 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
51.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
56.9%
vs 55.5% California avg
+3% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ranchero Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ranchero Middle
Ranchero Middle is a higher-need, large middle school in Hesperia, California, enrolling 1,140 students.
At 22.4:1, 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.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 56.9% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 91% of state schools at 1,140 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 661 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #554, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (73%) and White (19%) (diversity index 43/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 380 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 48.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 18 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Hesperia's middle schools, it stands alongside Hesperia Junior High (1,228 students): Ranchero Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (22.4:1 vs 25.1:1).
Hesperia Unified also operates Hesperia High (2,405 students) and Oak Hills High (2,370 students) alongside Ranchero 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 Ranchero Middle compares
Ranchero 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 | 22.4:1 | ▲ 4% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 56.9% | ▲ 3% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,140 | top 9% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.4:1
Leaner classes than 9% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,140
Bigger than 93% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
56.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 3% 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
22.4:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 57% in California - lower ratio than 43% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
48.9%
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
$13,688
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 380 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 195 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 17.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 18 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 73.2%
White 18.6%
African American 5.7%
Two or More 1.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Asian 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 73.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 42.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 42.6, Ranchero Middle is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hesperia Unified, which includes Ranchero Middle.
$13,688
Per student
-17%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 11.0%
State 73.1%
Federal 15.9%
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 Ranchero Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hesperia High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Oak Hills High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Sultana High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hesperia Junior High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cedar Middle | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ranchero Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,405
- Students per teacher
- 24.3:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 2,370
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 2,098
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 1,228
- Students per teacher
- 25.1:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
- Enrollment
- 1,061
- Students per teacher
- 24.7:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
Similar middle schools in Hesperia
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 (~1,140 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ranchero Middle's federal record.
- Compare Ranchero Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Hesperia 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 Ranchero Middle
How many students attend Ranchero Middle?
Ranchero Middle has 1,140 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Hesperia, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ranchero Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Ranchero Middle is 22.4:1, which is 4% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 43% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ranchero Middle?
56.9% of students at Ranchero Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ranchero Middle?
The largest demographic group at Ranchero Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 73.2% of enrollment, in Hesperia, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ranchero Middle?
Ranchero Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 16/100 (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 Ranchero Middle rank among middle schools in Hesperia?
By Resource Investment Index, Ranchero Middle ranks #1 of 3 middle schools in Hesperia, 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 Hesperia on the city page.
Is Ranchero Middle a good school?
Ranchero Middle earns 16/100 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 Hesperia Unified?
Besides Ranchero Middle, Hesperia Unified also operates Hesperia High (2,405 students), Oak Hills High (2,370 students), and Sultana High (2,098 students). See the Hesperia 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.