Enrollment
1,082
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Gardena, CA
Robert E. Peary Middle
Federal NCES profile for Robert E. Peary Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 062271003277
👥 S:T ratio 28
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 57
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Robert E. Peary Middle earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 79% of California schools.
- #5 of 16
- public schools in Gardena · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18:1
- small classes for California
- 85.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Robert E. Peary Middle has class sizes smaller than 79% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Robert E. Peary Middle ranks #5 of 16 public schools in Gardena, CA.
School address
District: Los Angeles Unified · California
NCES ID 062271003277 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
60.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
85.1%
vs 55.5% California avg
+53% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Robert E. Peary Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Robert E. Peary Middle
Robert E. Peary Middle is a high-poverty, large middle school in Gardena, California, enrolling 1,082 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 18:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 85.1% of students qualify for free meals, 53% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 90% of state schools at 1,082 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 615 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #55, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (63%) and African American (27%) (diversity index 52/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 216 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 46.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Los Angeles Unified spends $21,940 per pupil, 33% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 19.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Gardena's middle schools, it stands alongside Environmental Charter Middle (360 students): Robert E. Peary Middle is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (18:1 vs 20:1).
Los Angeles Unified also operates Grover Cleveland Charter High (2,719 students) and North Hollywood Senior High (2,444 students) alongside Robert E. Peary 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 Robert E. Peary Middle compares
Robert E. Peary 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 | 18:1 | ▼ 16% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 85.1% | ▲ 53% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,082 | top 10% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18:1
Leaner classes than 24% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,082
Bigger than 93% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
85.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 53% above the California average of 55.5%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
18:1
students per teacher
- 16% below state mean
Top 21% in California - lower ratio than 79% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
46.2%
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
$21,940
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 216 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 11 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.0 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
Hispanic or Latino 63.4%
African American 26.9%
Asian 4.2%
Two or More 3.7%
White 1.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 63.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 52.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 52.2, Robert E. Peary Middle is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Los Angeles Unified, which includes Robert E. Peary Middle.
$21,940
Per student
+33%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.3%
State 54.5%
Federal 19.2%
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 Robert E. Peary Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grover Cleveland Charter High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Hollywood Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Phineas Banning Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| San Pedro Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Venice Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Robert E. Peary Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,719
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,444
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,422
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 2,398
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 2,293
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar middle schools in Gardena
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 (~1,082 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Robert E. Peary Middle's federal record.
- Compare Robert E. Peary Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Los Angeles 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 Robert E. Peary Middle
How many students attend Robert E. Peary Middle?
Robert E. Peary Middle has 1,082 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Gardena, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Robert E. Peary Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Robert E. Peary Middle is 18:1, which is 16% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 15% 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 Robert E. Peary Middle?
85.1% of students at Robert E. Peary Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Robert E. Peary Middle?
The largest demographic group at Robert E. Peary Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 63.4% of enrollment, in Gardena, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 52.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Robert E. Peary Middle?
Robert E. Peary Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (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 Robert E. Peary Middle rank among public schools in Gardena?
By Resource Investment Index, Robert E. Peary Middle ranks #5 of 16 public schools in Gardena, 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 Gardena on the city page.
Is Robert E. Peary Middle a good school?
Robert E. Peary Middle earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 79% 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 Los Angeles Unified?
Besides Robert E. Peary Middle, Los Angeles Unified also operates Grover Cleveland Charter High (2,719 students), North Hollywood Senior High (2,444 students), and Phineas Banning Senior High (2,422 students). See the Los Angeles 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.