Enrollment
814
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Fresno, CA
Rutherford B. Gaston Sr. Middle
Federal NCES profile for Rutherford B. Gaston Sr. Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 16/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 061455013767
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Rutherford B. Gaston Sr. Middle earns 16/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 85% of California schools.
- #13 of 19
- middle schools in Fresno · Resource Index
- 16
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.6:1
- small classes for California
- 78.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Rutherford B. Gaston Sr. Middle has class sizes smaller than 85% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Rutherford B. Gaston Sr. Middle ranks #13 of 19 middle schools in Fresno, CA.
School address
District: Fresno Unified · California
NCES ID 061455013767 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
49.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
78.0%
vs 55.5% California avg
+41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Rutherford B. Gaston Sr. Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Rutherford B. Gaston Sr. Middle
Rutherford B. Gaston Sr. Middle is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Fresno, California, enrolling 814 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 16.6:1, Rutherford B. Gaston Sr. Middle is leaner than roughly 85% of California schools and 23% under the state's 21.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 78.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 814 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 1,497 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,166, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (74%) and African American (14%) (diversity index 43/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 814 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 44.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 171 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 814 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 8 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Fresno's middle schools, it stands alongside Granite Ridge Intermediate (1,167 students): Rutherford B. Gaston Sr. Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.6:1 vs 27.8:1).
Fresno Unified also operates Sunnyside High (2,858 students) and Bullard High (2,485 students) alongside Rutherford B. Gaston Sr. 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 Rutherford B. Gaston Sr. Middle compares
Rutherford B. Gaston Sr. 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 | 16.6:1 | ▼ 23% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 78.0% | ▲ 41% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 814 | top 17% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.6:1
Leaner classes than 33% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
814
Bigger than 86% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
78.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% 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
16.6:1
students per teacher
- 23% below state mean
Top 15% in California - lower ratio than 85% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
44.2%
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
$18,783
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 814 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 166 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 21.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 8 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 74.2%
African American 14.1%
Asian 5.7%
White 2.6%
Two or More 2.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 74.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 42.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 42.5, Rutherford B. Gaston Sr. Middle is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fresno Unified, which includes Rutherford B. Gaston Sr. Middle.
$18,783
Per student
+14%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 12.0%
State 66.8%
Federal 21.2%
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 Rutherford B. Gaston Sr. Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunnyside High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bullard High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Edison High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Roosevelt High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mclane High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Rutherford B. Gaston Sr. Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,858
- Students per teacher
- 21.8:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 2,485
- Students per teacher
- 21.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 2,339
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 2,175
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 2,056
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
Similar middle schools in Fresno
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Granite Ridge Intermediate
Standard public school
1,167 students 27.8:1 students per teacher
Kastner Intermediate
Standard public school
1,155 students 23.1:1 students per teacher
Glacier Point Middle
Standard public school
947 students 21.5:1 students per teacher
Tenaya Middle
Standard public school
876 students 21.9:1 students per teacher
Kings Canyon Middle
Standard public school
862 students 18.3:1 students per teacher
Rio Vista Middle
Standard public school
851 students 23.6:1 students per teacher
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 (~814 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Rutherford B. Gaston Sr. Middle's federal record.
- Compare Rutherford B. Gaston Sr. Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Fresno 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 Rutherford B. Gaston Sr. Middle
How many students attend Rutherford B. Gaston Sr. Middle?
Rutherford B. Gaston Sr. Middle has 814 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Fresno, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Rutherford B. Gaston Sr. Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Rutherford B. Gaston Sr. Middle is 16.6:1, which is 23% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 6% 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 Rutherford B. Gaston Sr. Middle?
78.0% of students at Rutherford B. Gaston Sr. Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Rutherford B. Gaston Sr. Middle?
The largest demographic group at Rutherford B. Gaston Sr. Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 74.2% of enrollment, in Fresno, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Rutherford B. Gaston Sr. Middle?
Rutherford B. Gaston Sr. Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 16/100 (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 Rutherford B. Gaston Sr. Middle rank among middle schools in Fresno?
By Resource Investment Index, Rutherford B. Gaston Sr. Middle ranks #13 of 19 middle schools in Fresno, 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 Fresno on the city page.
Is Rutherford B. Gaston Sr. Middle a good school?
Rutherford B. Gaston Sr. Middle earns 16/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 85% 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 Fresno Unified?
Besides Rutherford B. Gaston Sr. Middle, Fresno Unified also operates Sunnyside High (2,858 students), Bullard High (2,485 students), and Edison High (2,339 students). See the Fresno 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.