Enrollment
591
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Stockton, CA
Sierra Middle
Federal NCES profile for Sierra Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 12/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 062169002581
👥 S:T ratio 2
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 16
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sierra Middle earns 12/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of California schools.
- #6 of 6
- middle schools in Stockton · Resource Index
- 12
- Resource Index · Lower
- 24.6:1
- large classes for California
- 54.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Sierra Middle has class sizes larger than 76% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sierra Middle ranks #6 of 6 middle schools in Stockton, CA.
School address
District: Lincoln Unified · California
NCES ID 062169002581 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
54.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
-1% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sierra Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sierra Middle
Sierra Middle is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Stockton, California, enrolling 591 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24.6:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 54.7% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 591 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 95% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 1,646 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,467, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (57%) and White (17%) (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 591 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Lincoln Unified spends $12,746 per pupil, 23% below the California average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 6 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Stockton's middle schools, it stands alongside Christa Mcauliffe Middle (734 students): Sierra Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (24.6:1 vs 22.9:1).
Lincoln Unified also operates Lincoln High (2,801 students) and Brookside (768 students) alongside Sierra 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 Sierra Middle compares
Sierra 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 | 24.6:1 | ▲ 14% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 54.7% | ▼ 1% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 591 | top 33% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.6:1
Leaner classes than 6% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
591
Bigger than 72% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
54.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 1% 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
24.6:1
students per teacher
- 14% above state mean
Top 76% in California - lower ratio than 24% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
33.7%
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
$12,746
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 591 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 74 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 12.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 6 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 57.4%
White 16.6%
African American 10.7%
Asian 8.8%
Two or More 5.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 57.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.0, Sierra Middle is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lincoln Unified, which includes Sierra Middle.
$12,746
Per student
-23%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.0%
State 66.3%
Federal 9.7%
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 Sierra Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Brookside | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mable Barron | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Tully C. Knoles | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lincoln Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sierra Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,801
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 768
- Students per teacher
- 26.5:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 657
- Students per teacher
- 24.3:1
- Resource Index
- 10/100
- Enrollment
- 643
- Students per teacher
- 26.8:1
- Resource Index
- 8/100
- Enrollment
- 569
- Students per teacher
- 25.9:1
- Resource Index
- 7/100
Similar middle schools in Stockton
5 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Christa Mcauliffe Middle
Standard public school
734 students 22.9:1 students per teacher
Morada Middle
Standard public school
685 students 19:1 students per teacher
Aspire Benjamin Holt Middle
Standard public school
573 students 26:1 students per teacher
Delta Sierra Middle
Standard public school
563 students 18.8:1 students per teacher
Team Charter Academy
Standard public school
180 students 18:1 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 (~591 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~24.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sierra Middle's federal record.
- Compare Sierra Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Lincoln 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 Sierra Middle
How many students attend Sierra Middle?
Sierra Middle has 591 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Stockton, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sierra Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Sierra Middle is 24.6:1, which is 14% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 57% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sierra Middle?
54.7% of students at Sierra Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sierra Middle?
The largest demographic group at Sierra Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 57.4% of enrollment, in Stockton, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sierra Middle?
Sierra Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 12/100 (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 Sierra Middle rank among middle schools in Stockton?
By Resource Investment Index, Sierra Middle ranks #6 of 6 middle schools in Stockton, 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 Stockton on the city page.
Is Sierra Middle a good school?
Sierra Middle earns 12/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% 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 Lincoln Unified?
Besides Sierra Middle, Lincoln Unified also operates Lincoln High (2,801 students), Brookside (768 students), and Mable Barron (657 students). See the Lincoln 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.