Enrollment
261
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Salinas, CA
San Benancio Middle
Federal NCES profile for San Benancio Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 064161006861
👥 S:T ratio 13
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 13
📋 Attendance 60
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
San Benancio Middle earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #5 of 8
- middle schools in Salinas · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21.8:1
- students per teacher
- 17.5%
- free-lunch eligible
San Benancio Middle has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, San Benancio Middle ranks #5 of 8 middle schools in Salinas, CA.
School address
District: Washington Union Elementary · California
NCES ID 064161006861 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
12.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
17.5%
vs 55.5% California avg
-68% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How San Benancio Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at San Benancio Middle
San Benancio Middle is a lower-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Salinas, California, enrolling 261 students.
At 21.8:1, 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.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 17.5% free-meal eligibility runs 68% below the California average.
Enrollment of 261 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 319 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #229, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (53%) and Hispanic or Latino (29%) (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 435 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
16.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Washington Union Elementary spends $12,940 per pupil, 22% below the California average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Salinas's middle schools, it stands alongside Harden Middle (1,101 students): San Benancio Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (21.8:1 vs 22:1).
Washington Union Elementary also operates Toro Park Elementary (341 students) and Washington Elementary (154 students) alongside San Benancio 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 San Benancio Middle compares
San Benancio 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 | 21.8:1 | ▲ 1% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 17.5% | ▼ 68% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 261 | top 78% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.8:1
Leaner classes than 11% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
261
Bigger than 27% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
17.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 68% 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
21.8:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 51% in California - lower ratio than 49% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
16.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$12,940
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.6 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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: 4.2 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
White 52.9%
Hispanic or Latino 28.7%
Asian 10.0%
Two or More 8.4%
Largest group: White at 52.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.1, San Benancio Middle is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Washington Union Elementary, which includes San Benancio Middle.
$12,940
Per student
-22%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 69.6%
State 27.4%
Federal 3.0%
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 San Benancio Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toro Park Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Washington Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to San Benancio Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 341
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 154
- Students per teacher
- 25.7:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
Similar middle schools in Salinas
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Harden Middle
Standard public school
1,101 students 22:1 students per teacher
La Paz Middle
Standard public school
1,099 students 21.5:1 students per teacher
Washington Middle
Standard public school
1,082 students 24.6:1 students per teacher
El Sausal Middle
Standard public school
1,067 students 22.7:1 students per teacher
John Gutierrez Middle
Standard public school
568 students 21.8:1 students per teacher
Gavilan View Middle
Standard public school
556 students 19.9:1 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 (~261 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on San Benancio Middle's federal record.
- Compare San Benancio Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Washington Union Elementary'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 San Benancio Middle
How many students attend San Benancio Middle?
San Benancio Middle has 261 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Salinas, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at San Benancio Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at San Benancio Middle is 21.8:1, which is 1% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 39% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at San Benancio Middle?
17.5% of students at San Benancio Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of San Benancio Middle?
The largest demographic group at San Benancio Middle is White at 52.9% of enrollment, in Salinas, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for San Benancio Middle?
San Benancio Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (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 San Benancio Middle rank among middle schools in Salinas?
By Resource Investment Index, San Benancio Middle ranks #5 of 8 middle schools in Salinas, 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 Salinas on the city page.
Is San Benancio Middle a good school?
San Benancio Middle earns 29/100 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 Washington Union Elementary?
Besides San Benancio Middle, Washington Union Elementary also operates Toro Park Elementary (341 students) and Washington Elementary (154 students). See the Washington Union Elementary 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.