Enrollment
558
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Shafter, CA
Richland Junior High
Federal NCES profile for Richland Junior High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 26/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 062145009565
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Richland Junior High earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 84% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #8 of 8
- public schools in Shafter · Resource Index
- 26
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.9:1
- small classes for California
- 75.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Richland Junior High has class sizes smaller than 84% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Richland Junior High ranks #8 of 8 public schools in Shafter, CA.
School address
District: Richland Union Elementary · California
NCES ID 062145009565 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
75.9%
vs 55.5% California avg
+37% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Richland Junior High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Richland Junior High
Richland Junior High is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Shafter, California, enrolling 558 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 16.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 75.9% of students eligible for free meals.
With 558 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 2,183 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #936.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (94% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 12/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 558 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 53.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 18.6% 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 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Richland Union Elementary also operates Golden Oak Elementary (717 students) and Redwood Elementary (601 students) alongside Richland 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 Richland Junior High compares
Richland 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 | 16.9:1 | ▼ 21% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 75.9% | ▲ 37% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 558 | top 37% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.9:1
Leaner classes than 31% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
558
Bigger than 69% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
75.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 37% 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
16.9:1
students per teacher
- 21% below state mean
Top 16% in California - lower ratio than 84% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
53.0%
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
$17,728
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 558 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 33 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 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 93.5%
White 4.3%
Asian 1.1%
African American 0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 93.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 12.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 12.4, Richland Junior High is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Richland Union Elementary, which includes Richland Junior High.
$17,728
Per student
+7%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+7%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 17.5%
State 63.9%
Federal 18.6%
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 Richland Junior High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Oak Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Redwood Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Sequoia Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Richland Junior High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 717
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 601
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 534
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
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 (~558 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Richland Junior High's federal record.
- Compare Richland Junior High against another school. Compare schools
- Richland Union Elementary'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 Richland Junior High
How many students attend Richland Junior High?
Richland Junior High has 558 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Shafter, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Richland Junior High?
The student-teacher ratio at Richland Junior High is 16.9:1, which is 21% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 8% 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 Richland Junior High?
75.9% of students at Richland Junior High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Richland Junior High?
The largest demographic group at Richland Junior High is Hispanic or Latino at 93.5% of enrollment, in Shafter, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Richland Junior High?
Richland Junior High has a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (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 Richland Junior High rank among public schools in Shafter?
By Resource Investment Index, Richland Junior High ranks #8 of 8 public schools in Shafter, 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 Shafter on the city page.
Is Richland Junior High a good school?
Richland Junior High earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 84% of California schools. It is also less 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 Richland Union Elementary?
Besides Richland Junior High, Richland Union Elementary also operates Golden Oak Elementary (717 students), Redwood Elementary (601 students), and Sequoia Elementary (534 students). See the Richland Union Elementary 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.