Enrollment
1,138
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Santa Clarita, CA
Rio Norte Junior High
Federal NCES profile for Rio Norte Junior High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 064251011320
👥 S:T ratio 3
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 24
📋 Attendance 78
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Rio Norte Junior High earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #6 of 10
- public schools in Santa Clarita · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 24.2:1
- large classes for California
- 11.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Rio Norte Junior High has class sizes larger than 73% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Rio Norte Junior High ranks #6 of 10 public schools in Santa Clarita, CA.
School address
District: William S. Hart Union High · California
NCES ID 064251011320 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
47.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.2:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
11.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
-80% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Rio Norte Junior High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Rio Norte Junior High
Rio Norte Junior High is a lower-poverty, large middle school in Santa Clarita, California, enrolling 1,138 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24.2:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 11.2% free-meal eligibility runs 80% below the California average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 91% of state schools at 1,138 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 390 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #227.
Its student body is led by White (38%) and Asian (26%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 72/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 379 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.8% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Santa Clarita's middle schools, it stands alongside La Mesa Junior High (1,017 students): Rio Norte Junior High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (24.2:1 vs 18.8:1).
William S. Hart Union High also operates Saugus High (2,317 students) and Valencia High (2,286 students) alongside Rio Norte 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 Rio Norte Junior High compares
Rio Norte 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 | 24.2:1 | ▲ 13% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 11.2% | ▼ 80% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,138 | top 9% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.2:1
Leaner classes than 6% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,138
Bigger than 93% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
11.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 80% 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
24.2:1
students per teacher
- 13% above state mean
Top 73% in California - lower ratio than 27% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
8.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$14,012
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 379 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 29 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.0 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 38.3%
Asian 25.8%
Hispanic or Latino 24.8%
Two or More 6.2%
African American 4.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 38.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 71.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 71.9, Rio Norte Junior High is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for William S. Hart Union High, which includes Rio Norte Junior High.
$14,012
Per student
-15%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.8%
State 59.6%
Federal 11.6%
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 Rio Norte Junior High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saugus High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Valencia High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Golden Valley High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Canyon High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| William S. Hart High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Rio Norte Junior High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,317
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 2,286
- Students per teacher
- 22.9:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,980
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,952
- Students per teacher
- 23.2:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,941
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar middle schools in Santa Clarita
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 (~1,138 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~24.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Rio Norte Junior High's federal record.
- Compare Rio Norte Junior High against another school. Compare schools
- William S. Hart Union High'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 Rio Norte Junior High
How many students attend Rio Norte Junior High?
Rio Norte Junior High has 1,138 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Santa Clarita, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Rio Norte Junior High?
The student-teacher ratio at Rio Norte Junior High is 24.2:1, which is 13% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 54% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Rio Norte Junior High?
11.2% of students at Rio Norte Junior High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Rio Norte Junior High?
The largest demographic group at Rio Norte Junior High is White at 38.3% of enrollment, in Santa Clarita, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 71.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Rio Norte Junior High?
Rio Norte Junior High 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 Rio Norte Junior High rank among public schools in Santa Clarita?
By Resource Investment Index, Rio Norte Junior High ranks #6 of 10 public schools in Santa Clarita, 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 Santa Clarita on the city page.
Is Rio Norte Junior High a good school?
Rio Norte Junior High earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% 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 William S. Hart Union High?
Besides Rio Norte Junior High, William S. Hart Union High also operates Saugus High (2,317 students), Valencia High (2,286 students), and Golden Valley High (1,980 students). See the William S. Hart Union High 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.