Enrollment
515
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · San Diego, CA
Southwest Middle
Federal NCES profile for Southwest Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 063864006491
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 74
📋 Attendance 21
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Southwest Middle earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #13 of 37
- middle schools in San Diego · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 25.8:1
- large classes for California
- 72.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Southwest Middle has class sizes larger than 84% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Southwest Middle ranks #13 of 37 middle schools in San Diego, CA.
School address
District: Sweetwater Union High · California
NCES ID 063864006491 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.8:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
72.1%
vs 55.5% California avg
+30% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Southwest Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Southwest Middle
Southwest Middle is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in San Diego, California, enrolling 515 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 25.8:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 72.1% of students eligible for free meals.
With 515 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 2,185 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #559.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (95% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 10/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 129 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among San Diego's middle schools, it stands alongside Oak Valley Middle (1,503 students): Southwest Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (25.8:1 vs 24.6:1).
Sweetwater Union High also operates Eastlake High (2,557 students) and Otay Ranch Senior High (2,440 students) alongside Southwest 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 Southwest Middle compares
Southwest 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 | 25.8:1 | ▲ 20% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 72.1% | ▲ 30% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 515 | top 43% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25.8:1
Leaner classes than 4% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
515
Bigger than 64% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
72.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 30% above the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
25.8:1
students per teacher
- 20% above state mean
Top 84% in California - lower ratio than 16% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
31.5%
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
$13,859
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
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 129 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 60 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.7 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 95.1%
Asian 1.7%
Two or More 1.4%
African American 1.2%
White 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 95.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 9.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 9.5, Southwest Middle is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sweetwater Union High, which includes Southwest Middle.
$13,859
Per student
-16%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.2%
State 58.4%
Federal 9.4%
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 Southwest Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastlake High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Otay Ranch Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Sweetwater High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Olympian High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bonita Vista Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Southwest Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,557
- Students per teacher
- 23.2:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 2,440
- Students per teacher
- 24.2:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 2,290
- Students per teacher
- 21.2:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 2,289
- Students per teacher
- 24.1:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,960
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar middle schools in San Diego
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Oak Valley Middle
Standard public school
1,503 students 24.6:1 students per teacher
Bernardo Heights Middle
Standard public school
1,487 students 24.4:1 students per teacher
Marshall Middle
Standard public school
1,390 students 27.3:1 students per teacher
Mesa Verde Middle
Standard public school
1,178 students 28.7:1 students per teacher
Black Mountain Middle
Standard public school
1,077 students 22.9:1 students per teacher
Lewis Middle
Standard public school
1,013 students 25.3:1 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 (~515 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~25.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Southwest Middle's federal record.
- Compare Southwest Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Sweetwater Union High'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 Southwest Middle
How many students attend Southwest Middle?
Southwest Middle has 515 students enrolled. It is a middle school in San Diego, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Southwest Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Southwest Middle is 25.8:1, which is 20% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 64% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Southwest Middle?
72.1% of students at Southwest Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Southwest Middle?
The largest demographic group at Southwest Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 95.1% of enrollment, in San Diego, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Southwest Middle?
Southwest Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (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 Southwest Middle rank among middle schools in San Diego?
By Resource Investment Index, Southwest Middle ranks #13 of 37 middle schools in San Diego, 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 Diego on the city page.
Is Southwest Middle a good school?
Southwest Middle earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of California schools. It is also less 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 Sweetwater Union High?
Besides Southwest Middle, Sweetwater Union High also operates Eastlake High (2,557 students), Otay Ranch Senior High (2,440 students), and Sweetwater High (2,290 students). See the Sweetwater Union High 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.