Enrollment
75
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Madera, CA
Sherman Thomas Stem Academy
Federal NCES profile for Sherman Thomas Stem Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 060222514101Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 80
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sherman Thomas Stem Academy earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of California schools.
- #1 of 5
- middle schools in Madera · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 37.5:1
- large classes for California
- 29.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Sherman Thomas Stem Academy has class sizes larger than 99% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sherman Thomas Stem Academy ranks #1 of 5 middle schools in Madera, CA.
School address
District: Sherman Thomas Stem Academy District · California
NCES ID 060222514101 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
2.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
37.5:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+74% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
29.3%
vs 55.5% California avg
-47% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sherman Thomas Stem Academy compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sherman Thomas Stem Academy
Sherman Thomas Stem Academy is a small charter middle school in Madera, California, enrolling 75 students.
Class loads run heavy: 37.5:1 is larger than about 99% of California schools and 74% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 29.3% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 92% of California schools, with 75 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 109 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #50.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (67%) and White (25%) (diversity index 49/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.0% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Sherman Thomas Stem Academy District spends $10,947 per pupil, 34% below the California average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Madera's middle schools, it stands alongside Thomas Jefferson Middle (948 students): Sherman Thomas Stem Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (37.5:1 vs 19.3:1).
Sherman Thomas Stem Academy District is a single-school charter district, so Sherman Thomas Stem Academy operates independently rather than alongside district-mates. At 75 students, it is also a small operation, on the smaller end of California's single-school districts.
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 Sherman Thomas Stem Academy compares
Sherman Thomas Stem Academy on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 37.5:1 | ▲ 74% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 29.3% | ▼ 47% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 75 | top 92% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
37.5:1
Leaner classes than 1% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
75
Bigger than 8% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
29.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 47% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
37.5:1
students per teacher
- 74% above state mean
Top 99% in California - lower ratio than 1% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
8.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$10,947
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.7 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 66.7%
White 25.3%
Asian 5.3%
Two or More 2.7%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 66.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.8, Sherman Thomas Stem Academy is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sherman Thomas Stem Academy District, which includes Sherman Thomas Stem Academy.
$10,947
Per student
-34%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 16.0%
State 83.9%
Federal 0.1%
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 Madera
4 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Thomas Jefferson Middle
Standard public school
948 students 19.3:1 students per teacher
Martin Luther King Jr. Middle
Standard public school
865 students 18.8:1 students per teacher
Jack G. Desmond Middle
Standard public school
838 students 20.4:1 students per teacher
Ranchos Middle
Standard public school
452 students 30.1:1 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 (~75 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~37.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sherman Thomas Stem Academy's federal record.
- Compare Sherman Thomas Stem Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Sherman Thomas Stem Academy 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 Sherman Thomas Stem Academy
How many students attend Sherman Thomas Stem Academy?
Sherman Thomas Stem Academy has 75 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Madera, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sherman Thomas Stem Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Sherman Thomas Stem Academy is 37.5:1, which is 74% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 139% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sherman Thomas Stem Academy?
29.3% of students at Sherman Thomas Stem Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sherman Thomas Stem Academy?
The largest demographic group at Sherman Thomas Stem Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 66.7% of enrollment, in Madera, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sherman Thomas Stem Academy?
Sherman Thomas Stem Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Sherman Thomas Stem Academy rank among middle schools in Madera?
By Resource Investment Index, Sherman Thomas Stem Academy ranks #1 of 5 middle schools in Madera, 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 Madera on the city page.
Is Sherman Thomas Stem Academy a good school?
Sherman Thomas Stem Academy earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% 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 Sherman Thomas Stem Academy District?
None; Sherman Thomas Stem Academy District is a single-school charter district, and Sherman Thomas Stem Academy 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.