Enrollment
276
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Los Angeles, CA
Sal Castro Middle
Federal NCES profile for Sal Castro 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 062271012483
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 45
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sal Castro Middle earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #14 of 67
- middle schools in Los Angeles · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.5:1
- small classes for California
- 98.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Sal Castro Middle has class sizes smaller than 90% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sal Castro Middle ranks #14 of 67 middle schools in Los Angeles, CA.
School address
District: Los Angeles Unified · California
NCES ID 062271012483 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.5:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-33% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
98.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
+77% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sal Castro Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sal Castro Middle
Sal Castro Middle is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Los Angeles, California, enrolling 276 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 14.5:1, Sal Castro Middle is leaner than roughly 90% of California schools and 33% under the state's 21.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 98.2% of students qualify for free meals, 77% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 276 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 378 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #53.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (90% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 18/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 276 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 41.3% 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 Los Angeles's middle schools, it stands alongside Paul Revere Charter Middle (1,715 students): Sal Castro Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.5:1 vs 24.5:1).
Los Angeles Unified also operates Grover Cleveland Charter High (2,719 students) and North Hollywood Senior High (2,444 students) alongside Sal Castro 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 Sal Castro Middle compares
Sal Castro 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 | 14.5:1 | ▼ 33% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 98.2% | ▲ 77% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 276 | top 76% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.5:1
Leaner classes than 52% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
276
Bigger than 29% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
98.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 77% 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
14.5:1
students per teacher
- 33% below state mean
Top 10% in California - lower ratio than 90% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
41.3%
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 276 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.4 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 90.2%
African American 4.7%
White 2.2%
Asian 1.4%
Two or More 1.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 90.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 18.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 18.3, Sal Castro Middle is less 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 Sal Castro 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 Sal Castro 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 | Higher 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 Sal Castro 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 Los Angeles
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Paul Revere Charter Middle
Standard public school
1,715 students 24.5:1 students per teacher
Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet
Alternative education program
1,547 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
John Burroughs Middle
Standard public school
1,302 students 19.7:1 students per teacher
Palms Middle
Standard public school
1,081 students 19.3:1 students per teacher
Griffith Middle
Alternative education program
1,070 students 17:1 students per teacher
Virgil Middle
Standard public school
975 students 17.4:1 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 (~276 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sal Castro Middle's federal record.
- Compare Sal Castro 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 Sal Castro Middle
How many students attend Sal Castro Middle?
Sal Castro Middle has 276 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Los Angeles, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sal Castro Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Sal Castro Middle is 14.5:1, which is 33% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 8% lower 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 Sal Castro Middle?
98.2% of students at Sal Castro Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sal Castro Middle?
The largest demographic group at Sal Castro Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 90.2% of enrollment, in Los Angeles, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sal Castro Middle?
Sal Castro 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 Sal Castro Middle rank among middle schools in Los Angeles?
By Resource Investment Index, Sal Castro Middle ranks #14 of 67 middle schools in Los Angeles, 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 Los Angeles on the city page.
Is Sal Castro Middle a good school?
Sal Castro Middle earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% 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 Los Angeles Unified?
Besides Sal Castro 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.