Enrollment
687
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Whittier, CA
Rancho-Starbuck Intermediate
Federal NCES profile for Rancho-Starbuck Intermediate, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 062301003512
👥 S:T ratio 8
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 75
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Rancho-Starbuck Intermediate earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #7 of 7
- middle schools in Whittier · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 22.9:1
- students per teacher
- 37.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Rancho-Starbuck Intermediate has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Rancho-Starbuck Intermediate ranks #7 of 7 middle schools in Whittier, CA.
School address
District: Lowell Joint · California
NCES ID 062301003512 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
37.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
-32% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Rancho-Starbuck Intermediate compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Rancho-Starbuck Intermediate
Rancho-Starbuck Intermediate is a mid-sized middle school in Whittier, California, enrolling 687 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 22.9:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 37.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 687 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 1,320 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #707.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (71%) and White (18%) (diversity index 46/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 687 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.9% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Lowell Joint spends $12,708 per pupil, 23% below the California average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Whittier's middle schools, it stands alongside Granada Middle (989 students): Rancho-Starbuck Intermediate is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (22.9:1 vs 21:1).
Lowell Joint also operates Jordan Elementary (516 students) and Meadow Green Elementary (470 students) alongside Rancho-Starbuck Intermediate.
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 Rancho-Starbuck Intermediate compares
Rancho-Starbuck Intermediate on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 22.9:1 | ▲ 7% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 37.7% | ▼ 32% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 687 | top 25% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.9:1
Leaner classes than 8% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
687
Bigger than 79% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
37.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 32% 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
22.9:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 61% in California - lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
9.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$12,708
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 687 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 30 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.8 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 70.7%
White 17.8%
Asian 6.1%
Two or More 3.9%
African American 1.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 70.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 46.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 46.3, Rancho-Starbuck Intermediate is about as mixed as the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lowell Joint, which includes Rancho-Starbuck Intermediate.
$12,708
Per student
-23%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.5%
State 55.3%
Federal 11.2%
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 Rancho-Starbuck Intermediate Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jordan Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Meadow Green Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| El Portal Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Olita Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Macy Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Rancho-Starbuck Intermediate's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 516
- Students per teacher
- 25.8:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 470
- Students per teacher
- 24.7:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 469
- Students per teacher
- 23.4:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 425
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 413
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
Similar middle schools in Whittier
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Granada Middle
Standard public school
989 students 21:1 students per teacher
East Whittier Middle
Standard public school
985 students 21.9:1 students per teacher
Katherine Edwards Middle
Standard public school
894 students 23.5:1 students per teacher
Hillview Middle
Standard public school
643 students 20.7:1 students per teacher
Walter F. Dexter Middle
Standard public school
610 students 20.3:1 students per teacher
Richard L. Graves Middle
Standard public school
484 students 19.4:1 students per teacher
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 (~687 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Rancho-Starbuck Intermediate's federal record.
- Compare Rancho-Starbuck Intermediate against another school. Compare schools
- Lowell Joint'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 Rancho-Starbuck Intermediate
How many students attend Rancho-Starbuck Intermediate?
Rancho-Starbuck Intermediate has 687 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Whittier, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Rancho-Starbuck Intermediate?
The student-teacher ratio at Rancho-Starbuck Intermediate is 22.9:1, which is 7% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 46% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Rancho-Starbuck Intermediate?
37.7% of students at Rancho-Starbuck Intermediate are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Rancho-Starbuck Intermediate?
The largest demographic group at Rancho-Starbuck Intermediate is Hispanic or Latino at 70.7% of enrollment, in Whittier, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Rancho-Starbuck Intermediate?
Rancho-Starbuck Intermediate has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (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 Rancho-Starbuck Intermediate rank among middle schools in Whittier?
By Resource Investment Index, Rancho-Starbuck Intermediate ranks #7 of 7 middle schools in Whittier, 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 Whittier on the city page.
Is Rancho-Starbuck Intermediate a good school?
Rancho-Starbuck Intermediate earns 28/100 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 Lowell Joint?
Besides Rancho-Starbuck Intermediate, Lowell Joint also operates Jordan Elementary (516 students), Meadow Green Elementary (470 students), and El Portal Elementary (469 students). See the Lowell Joint 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.