Enrollment
1,018
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Los Alamitos, CA
Sharon Christa Mcauliffe Middle
Federal NCES profile for Sharon Christa Mcauliffe Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 062259007306
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 71
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sharon Christa Mcauliffe Middle earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #7 of 8
- public schools in Los Alamitos · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 25.4:1
- large classes for California
- 16.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Sharon Christa Mcauliffe Middle has class sizes larger than 82% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sharon Christa Mcauliffe Middle ranks #7 of 8 public schools in Los Alamitos, CA.
School address
District: Los Alamitos Unified · California
NCES ID 062259007306 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
40.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
16.8%
vs 55.5% California avg
-70% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sharon Christa Mcauliffe Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sharon Christa Mcauliffe Middle
Sharon Christa Mcauliffe Middle is a lower-poverty, large middle school in Los Alamitos, California, enrolling 1,018 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 25.4:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 16.8% free-meal eligibility runs 70% below the California average.
Enrollment of 1,018 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 657 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #348.
Its student body is led by White (36%) and Hispanic or Latino (34%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 72/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 679 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
11.5% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Los Alamitos's middle schools, it stands alongside Oak Middle (998 students): Sharon Christa Mcauliffe Middle is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (25.4:1 vs 27:1).
Los Alamitos Unified also operates Los Alamitos High (2,915 students) and Oak Middle (998 students) alongside Sharon Christa Mcauliffe 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 Sharon Christa Mcauliffe Middle compares
Sharon Christa Mcauliffe 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 | 25.4:1 | ▲ 18% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 16.8% | ▼ 70% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,018 | top 11% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25.4:1
Leaner classes than 5% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,018
Bigger than 91% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
16.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 70% 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
25.4:1
students per teacher
- 18% above state mean
Top 82% in California - lower ratio than 18% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
11.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$13,884
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
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 679 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 26 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 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
White 36.2%
Hispanic or Latino 33.7%
Asian 13.8%
Two or More 12.9%
African American 2.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 36.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 71.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 71.9, Sharon Christa Mcauliffe Middle is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Los Alamitos Unified, which includes Sharon Christa Mcauliffe Middle.
$13,884
Per student
-16%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 49.2%
State 42.3%
Federal 8.4%
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 Sharon Christa Mcauliffe Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Alamitos High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Oak Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| J. H. Mcgaugh Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Francis Hopkinson Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Jack L. Weaver Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sharon Christa Mcauliffe Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,915
- Students per teacher
- 24.3:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 998
- Students per teacher
- 27:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 721
- Students per teacher
- 21.2:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 642
- Students per teacher
- 26.8:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 640
- Students per teacher
- 26.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar middle schools in Los Alamitos
1 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 (~1,018 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~25.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sharon Christa Mcauliffe Middle's federal record.
- Compare Sharon Christa Mcauliffe Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Los Alamitos 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 Sharon Christa Mcauliffe Middle
How many students attend Sharon Christa Mcauliffe Middle?
Sharon Christa Mcauliffe Middle has 1,018 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Los Alamitos, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sharon Christa Mcauliffe Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Sharon Christa Mcauliffe Middle is 25.4:1, which is 18% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 62% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sharon Christa Mcauliffe Middle?
16.8% of students at Sharon Christa Mcauliffe Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sharon Christa Mcauliffe Middle?
The largest demographic group at Sharon Christa Mcauliffe Middle is White at 36.2% of enrollment, in Los Alamitos, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 71.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sharon Christa Mcauliffe Middle?
Sharon Christa Mcauliffe Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (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 Sharon Christa Mcauliffe Middle rank among public schools in Los Alamitos?
By Resource Investment Index, Sharon Christa Mcauliffe Middle ranks #7 of 8 public schools in Los Alamitos, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Los Alamitos on the city page.
Is Sharon Christa Mcauliffe Middle a good school?
Sharon Christa Mcauliffe Middle earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of California schools. It is also more 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 Alamitos Unified?
Besides Sharon Christa Mcauliffe Middle, Los Alamitos Unified also operates Los Alamitos High (2,915 students), Oak Middle (998 students), and J. H. Mcgaugh Elementary (721 students). See the Los Alamitos 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.