Middle school (grades 6-8) · South Pasadena, CA

South Pasadena Middle

Federal NCES profile for South Pasadena Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.

2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 063750006337
0/100100/10037/100
👥 S:T ratio
9
🌟 Gifted program
30
🎓 Counselors
27
📋 Attendance
84
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

South Pasadena Middle earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.

#4 of 5
public schools in South Pasadena · Resource Index
37
Resource Index · Typical
22.8:1
students per teacher
16.5%
free-lunch eligible

South Pasadena Middle has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, South Pasadena Middle ranks #4 of 5 public schools in South Pasadena, CA.

Enrollment

1,096

California · 2024-25 NCES data

Teachers (FTE)

48.0

Federal CCD staff survey

Students per teacher

22.8:1

vs 21.5:1 California avg

+6% vs state

Free-lunch eligible

16.5%

vs 55.5% California avg

-70% vs state

Student-teacher ratio in context

How South Pasadena Middle compares with California and U.S. medians

Slightly above state median

Source: NCES Common Core of Data As of 2024-25 federal staff survey Total enrollment ÷ full-time-equivalent classroom teachers

What stands out at South Pasadena Middle

South Pasadena Middle is a lower-poverty, large middle school in South Pasadena, California, enrolling 1,096 students.

Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 22.8:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.

Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 16.5% free-meal eligibility runs 70% below the California average.

By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 90% of state schools at 1,096 students.

Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.

Against 551 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #235.

Its student body is led by Asian (39%) and White (22%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 73/100).

Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 365 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.

Attendance holds up well here: only 6.3% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.

South Pasadena Unified also operates South Pasadena Senior High (1,536 students) and Marengo Elementary (783 students) alongside South Pasadena 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 South Pasadena Middle compares

South Pasadena 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 22.8:1 ▲ 6% 21.5:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 16.5% ▼ 70% 55.5% 51.7%
Enrollment 1,096 top 10% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

22.8:1
Leaner classes than 9% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,096
Bigger than 93% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.

Equity indicators (what these measure)

Economic need
16.5%
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
22.8:1
students per teacher - 6% above state mean
Top 61% in California - lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
6.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$13,435
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 365 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 29 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.9 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

Asian 39.2%
White 21.6%
Hispanic or Latino 20.4%
Two or More 17.0%
African American 1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Largest group: Asian at 39.2% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 72.9/100

Simpson diversity index - at 72.9, South Pasadena Middle is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.

Programs

Funding & spending

District-wide per-pupil expenditure for South Pasadena Unified, which includes South Pasadena Middle.

$13,435
Per student
-19%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 40.9%
State 51.3%
Federal 7.8%

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 South Pasadena Middle Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
South Pasadena Senior High Larger Similar economic need Higher S:T ratio
Marengo Elementary Smaller Similar economic need Higher S:T ratio
Arroyo Vista Elementary Smaller Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio
Monterey Hills Elementary Smaller Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio

Comparisons are relative to South Pasadena Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.

Other Schools in This District

South Pasadena Unified · 4 sibling schools

View district profile

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.

Next steps

Verify locally before acting on South Pasadena Middle's federal record.

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 South Pasadena Middle

How many students attend South Pasadena Middle?

South Pasadena Middle has 1,096 students enrolled. It is a middle school in South Pasadena, CA.

What is the student-teacher ratio at South Pasadena Middle?

The student-teacher ratio at South Pasadena Middle is 22.8:1, which is 6% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 45% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at South Pasadena Middle?

16.5% of students at South Pasadena Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Pasadena Middle?

The largest demographic group at South Pasadena Middle is Asian at 39.2% of enrollment, in South Pasadena, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 72.9/100.

What is the Resource Investment Index for South Pasadena Middle?

South Pasadena Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (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 South Pasadena Middle rank among public schools in South Pasadena?

By Resource Investment Index, South Pasadena Middle ranks #4 of 5 public schools in South Pasadena, 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 South Pasadena on the city page.

Is South Pasadena Middle a good school?

South Pasadena Middle earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. 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 South Pasadena Unified?

Besides South Pasadena Middle, South Pasadena Unified also operates South Pasadena Senior High (1,536 students), Marengo Elementary (783 students), and Arroyo Vista Elementary (667 students). See the South Pasadena Unified district page for the complete list.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2021-22) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

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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.