Enrollment
634
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · San Clemente, CA
Shorecliffs Middle
Federal NCES profile for Shorecliffs Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 060744000704
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 37
📋 Attendance 16
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Shorecliffs Middle earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 83% of California schools.
- #2 of 3
- middle schools in San Clemente · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.1:1
- small classes for California
- 35.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Shorecliffs Middle has class sizes smaller than 83% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Shorecliffs Middle ranks #2 of 3 middle schools in San Clemente, CA.
School address
District: Capistrano Unified · California
NCES ID 060744000704 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.1:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
35.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
-36% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Shorecliffs Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Shorecliffs Middle
Shorecliffs Middle is a mid-sized middle school in San Clemente, California, enrolling 634 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 17.1:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 35.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 634 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 1,386 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #280.
Its student body is led by White (59%) and Hispanic or Latino (30%) (diversity index 56/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 317 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among San Clemente's middle schools, it stands alongside Bernice Ayer Middle (919 students): Shorecliffs Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.1:1 vs 21.4:1).
Capistrano Unified also operates San Clemente High (2,740 students) and San Juan Hills High (2,641 students) alongside Shorecliffs 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 Shorecliffs Middle compares
Shorecliffs 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 | 17.1:1 | ▼ 20% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 35.4% | ▼ 36% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 634 | top 29% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.1:1
Leaner classes than 30% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
634
Bigger than 76% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
35.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 36% 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
17.1:1
students per teacher
- 20% below state mean
Top 17% in California - lower ratio than 83% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
33.6%
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
$14,421
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 317 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
24
in-school suspensions + 35 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 58.5%
Hispanic or Latino 29.9%
Two or More 9.8%
Asian 1.3%
African American 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 58.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.9, Shorecliffs Middle is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Capistrano Unified, which includes Shorecliffs Middle.
$14,421
Per student
-13%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 61.2%
State 31.0%
Federal 7.7%
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 Shorecliffs Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Clemente High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| San Juan Hills High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Aliso Niguel High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Tesoro High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Capistrano Valley High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Shorecliffs Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,740
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 2,641
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 2,563
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 2,030
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,991
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
Similar middle schools in San Clemente
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 (~634 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Shorecliffs Middle's federal record.
- Compare Shorecliffs Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Capistrano 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 Shorecliffs Middle
How many students attend Shorecliffs Middle?
Shorecliffs Middle has 634 students enrolled. It is a middle school in San Clemente, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Shorecliffs Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Shorecliffs Middle is 17.1:1, which is 20% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 9% 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 Shorecliffs Middle?
35.4% of students at Shorecliffs Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Shorecliffs Middle?
The largest demographic group at Shorecliffs Middle is White at 58.5% of enrollment, in San Clemente, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Shorecliffs Middle?
Shorecliffs Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (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 Shorecliffs Middle rank among middle schools in San Clemente?
By Resource Investment Index, Shorecliffs Middle ranks #2 of 3 middle schools in San Clemente, 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 San Clemente on the city page.
Is Shorecliffs Middle a good school?
Shorecliffs Middle earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 83% 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 Capistrano Unified?
Besides Shorecliffs Middle, Capistrano Unified also operates San Clemente High (2,740 students), San Juan Hills High (2,641 students), and Aliso Niguel High (2,563 students). See the Capistrano 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.