Enrollment
841
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Cupertino, CA
Sam H. Lawson Middle
Federal NCES profile for Sam H. Lawson Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 061029011448
👥 S:T ratio 22
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 16
📋 Attendance 86
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sam H. Lawson Middle earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #1 of 3
- middle schools in Cupertino · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.6:1
- students per teacher
- 5.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Sam H. Lawson Middle has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sam H. Lawson Middle ranks #1 of 3 middle schools in Cupertino, CA.
School address
District: Cupertino Union · California
NCES ID 061029011448 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
43.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
5.0%
vs 55.5% California avg
-91% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sam H. Lawson Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sam H. Lawson Middle
Sam H. Lawson Middle is a lower-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Cupertino, California, enrolling 841 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 19.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 5.0% free-meal eligibility runs 91% below the California average.
Enrollment of 841 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 497 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #220.
Its student body is predominantly Asian (84% of enrollment) (diversity index 29/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 421 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 5.5% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Cupertino's middle schools, it stands alongside John F. Kennedy Middle (880 students): Sam H. Lawson Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (19.6:1 vs 22:1).
Cupertino Union also operates Cupertino Middle (1,067 students) and Joaquin Miller Middle (1,067 students) alongside Sam H. Lawson 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 Sam H. Lawson Middle compares
Sam H. Lawson 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 | 19.6:1 | ▼ 9% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 5.0% | ▼ 91% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 841 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.6:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
841
Bigger than 87% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
5.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 91% 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
19.6:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 32% in California - lower ratio than 68% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
5.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$14,632
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 421 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 8 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
Asian 83.6%
White 6.2%
Two or More 5.5%
Hispanic or Latino 3.7%
African American 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Asian at 83.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 29.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 29.3, Sam H. Lawson Middle is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cupertino Union, which includes Sam H. Lawson Middle.
$14,632
Per student
-11%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 60.6%
State 33.6%
Federal 5.9%
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 Sam H. Lawson Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cupertino Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Joaquin Miller Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| John F. Kennedy Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Louis E. Stocklmeir Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Warren E. Hyde Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sam H. Lawson Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,067
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,067
- Students per teacher
- 21.8:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 880
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 840
- Students per teacher
- 25.5:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 800
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar middle schools in Cupertino
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.
Similar enrollment (~841 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sam H. Lawson Middle's federal record.
- Compare Sam H. Lawson Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Cupertino Union'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 Sam H. Lawson Middle
How many students attend Sam H. Lawson Middle?
Sam H. Lawson Middle has 841 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Cupertino, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sam H. Lawson Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Sam H. Lawson Middle is 19.6:1, which is 9% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 25% 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 Sam H. Lawson Middle?
5.0% of students at Sam H. Lawson Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sam H. Lawson Middle?
The largest demographic group at Sam H. Lawson Middle is Asian at 83.6% of enrollment, in Cupertino, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sam H. Lawson Middle?
Sam H. Lawson Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 Sam H. Lawson Middle rank among middle schools in Cupertino?
By Resource Investment Index, Sam H. Lawson Middle ranks #1 of 3 middle schools in Cupertino, 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 Cupertino on the city page.
Is Sam H. Lawson Middle a good school?
Sam H. Lawson Middle earns 38/100 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 Cupertino Union?
Besides Sam H. Lawson Middle, Cupertino Union also operates Cupertino Middle (1,067 students), Joaquin Miller Middle (1,067 students), and John F. Kennedy Middle (880 students). See the Cupertino Union 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.