Enrollment
1,137
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Orange, CA
Santiago Middle
Federal NCES profile for Santiago Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 11/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 060189404450Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 15
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Santiago Middle earns 11/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of California schools.
- #3 of 3
- middle schools in Orange · Resource Index
- 11
- Resource Index · Lower
- 27.1:1
- large classes for California
- 52.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Santiago Middle has class sizes larger than 90% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Santiago Middle ranks #3 of 3 middle schools in Orange, CA.
School address
District: Santiago Middle District · California
NCES ID 060189404450 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
42.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
27.1:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
52.5%
vs 55.5% California avg
-5% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Santiago Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Santiago Middle
Santiago Middle is a higher-need, large charter middle school in Orange, California, enrolling 1,137 students.
Class loads run heavy: 27.1:1 is larger than about 90% of California schools and 26% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 52.5% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 91% of state schools at 1,137 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 96% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 651 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #600, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (66%) and White (19%) (diversity index 53/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 569 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 34.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Santiago Middle District spends $11,105 per pupil, 33% below the California average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 4 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Orange's middle schools, it stands alongside Portola Middle (422 students): Santiago Middle is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (27.1:1 vs 15.6:1).
Santiago Middle District is a single-school charter district, so Santiago Middle operates independently rather than alongside district-mates.
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 Santiago Middle compares
Santiago 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 | 27.1:1 | ▲ 26% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 52.5% | ▼ 5% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,137 | top 9% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
27.1:1
Leaner classes than 3% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,137
Bigger than 93% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
52.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 5% 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
27.1:1
students per teacher
- 26% above state mean
Top 90% in California - lower ratio than 10% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
34.1%
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
$11,105
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 569 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 67 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 4 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 65.5%
White 19.0%
Two or More 6.2%
Asian 5.5%
African American 2.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.9%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 65.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 52.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 52.7, Santiago Middle is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Santiago Middle District, which includes Santiago Middle.
$11,105
Per student
-33%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 57.8%
State 34.6%
Federal 7.6%
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.
Similar middle schools in Orange
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 (~1,137 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~27.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Santiago Middle's federal record.
- Compare Santiago Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Santiago Middle District'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 Santiago Middle
How many students attend Santiago Middle?
Santiago Middle has 1,137 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Orange, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Santiago Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Santiago Middle is 27.1:1, which is 26% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 73% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Santiago Middle?
52.5% of students at Santiago Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Santiago Middle?
The largest demographic group at Santiago Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 65.5% of enrollment, in Orange, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 52.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Santiago Middle?
Santiago Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 11/100 (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 Santiago Middle rank among middle schools in Orange?
By Resource Investment Index, Santiago Middle ranks #3 of 3 middle schools in Orange, 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 Orange on the city page.
Is Santiago Middle a good school?
Santiago Middle earns 11/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% 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 Santiago Middle District?
None; Santiago Middle District is a single-school charter district, and Santiago Middle is its only campus.
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.