Enrollment
718
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · La Mirada, CA
Reginald M. Benton Middle
Federal NCES profile for Reginald M. Benton Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 062769002165
👥 S:T ratio 1
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 28
📋 Attendance 36
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Reginald M. Benton Middle earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of California schools.
- #7 of 10
- public schools in La Mirada · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 24.8:1
- large classes for California
- 41.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Reginald M. Benton Middle has class sizes larger than 78% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Reginald M. Benton Middle ranks #7 of 10 public schools in La Mirada, CA.
School address
District: Norwalk-La Mirada Unified · California
NCES ID 062769002165 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
41.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
-25% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Reginald M. Benton Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Reginald M. Benton Middle
Reginald M. Benton Middle is a mid-sized middle school in La Mirada, California, enrolling 718 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24.8:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 41.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 718 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 1,275 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #372.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (69%) and White (14%) (diversity index 50/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 359 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among La Mirada's middle schools, it stands alongside Arlie F. Hutchinson Middle (646 students): Reginald M. Benton Middle is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (24.8:1 vs 20.8:1).
Norwalk-La Mirada Unified also operates Norwalk High (2,075 students) and La Mirada High (1,726 students) alongside Reginald M. Benton 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 Reginald M. Benton Middle compares
Reginald M. Benton 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 | 24.8:1 | ▲ 15% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 41.7% | ▼ 25% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 718 | top 22% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.8:1
Leaner classes than 5% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
718
Bigger than 81% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
41.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 25% 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
24.8:1
students per teacher
- 15% above state mean
Top 78% in California - lower ratio than 22% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
25.8%
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
$17,508
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 359 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 24 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.3 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 68.5%
White 13.5%
Asian 10.3%
Two or More 4.5%
African American 2.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 68.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 49.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 49.9, Reginald M. Benton Middle is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Norwalk-La Mirada Unified, which includes Reginald M. Benton Middle.
$17,508
Per student
+6%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+6%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.4%
State 65.5%
Federal 10.1%
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 Reginald M. Benton Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norwalk High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| La Mirada High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Los Alisos Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| John H. Glenn High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Corvallis Middle | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Reginald M. Benton Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,075
- Students per teacher
- 25:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,726
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 920
- Students per teacher
- 23:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 882
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 663
- Students per teacher
- 28.8:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
Similar middle schools in La Mirada
1 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 (~718 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~24.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Reginald M. Benton Middle's federal record.
- Compare Reginald M. Benton Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Norwalk-La Mirada 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 Reginald M. Benton Middle
How many students attend Reginald M. Benton Middle?
Reginald M. Benton Middle has 718 students enrolled. It is a middle school in La Mirada, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Reginald M. Benton Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Reginald M. Benton Middle is 24.8:1, which is 15% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 58% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Reginald M. Benton Middle?
41.7% of students at Reginald M. Benton Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Reginald M. Benton Middle?
The largest demographic group at Reginald M. Benton Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 68.5% of enrollment, in La Mirada, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Reginald M. Benton Middle?
Reginald M. Benton Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (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 Reginald M. Benton Middle rank among public schools in La Mirada?
By Resource Investment Index, Reginald M. Benton Middle ranks #7 of 10 public schools in La Mirada, 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 La Mirada on the city page.
Is Reginald M. Benton Middle a good school?
Reginald M. Benton Middle earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% 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 Norwalk-La Mirada Unified?
Besides Reginald M. Benton Middle, Norwalk-La Mirada Unified also operates Norwalk High (2,075 students), La Mirada High (1,726 students), and Los Alisos Middle (920 students). See the Norwalk-La Mirada 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.