Middle school (grades 6-8) · Rancho Palos Verdes, CA

Rudecinda Sepulveda Dodson Middle

Federal NCES profile for Rudecinda Sepulveda Dodson Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.

2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 062271002960
0/100100/10037/100
👥 S:T ratio
16
🌟 Gifted program
70
🎓 Counselors
33
📋 Attendance
30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Rudecinda Sepulveda Dodson Middle earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.

#3 of 3
middle schools in Rancho Palos Verdes · Resource Index
37
Resource Index · Typical
20.9:1
students per teacher
48.9%
free-lunch eligible

Rudecinda Sepulveda Dodson Middle has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, Rudecinda Sepulveda Dodson Middle ranks #3 of 3 middle schools in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA.

Enrollment

1,337

California · 2024-25 NCES data

Teachers (FTE)

64.0

Federal CCD staff survey

Students per teacher

20.9:1

vs 21.5:1 California avg

-3% vs state

Free-lunch eligible

48.9%

vs 55.5% California avg

-12% vs state

Student-teacher ratio in context

How Rudecinda Sepulveda Dodson Middle compares with California and U.S. medians

At or below state median

Source: NCES Common Core of Data As of 2024-25 federal staff survey Total enrollment ÷ full-time-equivalent classroom teachers

What stands out at Rudecinda Sepulveda Dodson Middle

Rudecinda Sepulveda Dodson Middle is a large middle school in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, enrolling 1,337 students.

At 20.9:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.

Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 48.9% of students eligible for free meals.

By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 93% of state schools at 1,337 students.

Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.

Against 484 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #86.

Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (57%) and African American (15%) (diversity index 63/100).

Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 334 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.

Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.9% 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 Rancho Palos Verdes's middle schools, it stands alongside Ridgecrest Intermediate (881 students): Rudecinda Sepulveda Dodson Middle is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (20.9:1 vs 25.9:1).

Los Angeles Unified also operates Grover Cleveland Charter High (2,719 students) and North Hollywood Senior High (2,444 students) alongside Rudecinda Sepulveda Dodson 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 Rudecinda Sepulveda Dodson Middle compares

Rudecinda Sepulveda Dodson 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 20.9:1 ▼ 3% 21.5:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 48.9% ▼ 12% 55.5% 51.7%
Enrollment 1,337 top 7% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

20.9:1
Leaner classes than 13% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,337
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.

Equity indicators (what these measure)

Economic need
48.9%
free-lunch eligible - 12% 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
20.9:1
students per teacher - 3% below state mean
Top 42% in California - lower ratio than 58% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
27.9%
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
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 334 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 56.5%
African American 14.8%
Asian 12.6%
White 10.6%
Two or More 5.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%

Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 56.5% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 62.9/100

Simpson diversity index - at 62.9, Rudecinda Sepulveda Dodson 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 Rudecinda Sepulveda Dodson 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 Rudecinda Sepulveda Dodson Middle Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
Grover Cleveland Charter High Larger Higher economic need Higher S:T ratio
North Hollywood Senior High Larger Higher economic need Similar S:T ratio
Phineas Banning Senior High Larger Higher economic need Lower S:T ratio
San Pedro Senior High Larger Higher economic need Similar S:T ratio
Venice Senior High Larger Higher economic need Higher S:T ratio

Comparisons are relative to Rudecinda Sepulveda Dodson Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.

Other Schools in This District

Los Angeles Unified · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Similar middle schools in Rancho Palos Verdes

2 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.

Next steps

Verify locally before acting on Rudecinda Sepulveda Dodson Middle's federal record.

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 Rudecinda Sepulveda Dodson Middle

How many students attend Rudecinda Sepulveda Dodson Middle?

Rudecinda Sepulveda Dodson Middle has 1,337 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Rudecinda Sepulveda Dodson Middle?

The student-teacher ratio at Rudecinda Sepulveda Dodson Middle is 20.9:1, which is 3% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 33% 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 Rudecinda Sepulveda Dodson Middle?

48.9% of students at Rudecinda Sepulveda Dodson Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Rudecinda Sepulveda Dodson Middle?

The largest demographic group at Rudecinda Sepulveda Dodson Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 56.5% of enrollment, in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.9/100.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Rudecinda Sepulveda Dodson Middle?

Rudecinda Sepulveda Dodson Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (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 Rudecinda Sepulveda Dodson Middle rank among middle schools in Rancho Palos Verdes?

By Resource Investment Index, Rudecinda Sepulveda Dodson Middle ranks #3 of 3 middle schools in Rancho Palos Verdes, 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 Rancho Palos Verdes on the city page.

Is Rudecinda Sepulveda Dodson Middle a good school?

Rudecinda Sepulveda Dodson Middle earns 37/100 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 Los Angeles Unified?

Besides Rudecinda Sepulveda Dodson 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.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2021-22) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

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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.