Enrollment
600
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · La Puente, CA
Sparks Middle
Federal NCES profile for Sparks Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 061632502064
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 29
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sparks Middle earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #10 of 27
- public schools in La Puente · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 40:1
- large classes for California
- 70.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Sparks Middle has class sizes larger than 99% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sparks Middle ranks #10 of 27 public schools in La Puente, CA.
School address
District: Hacienda La Puente Unified · California
NCES ID 061632502064 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
40:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+86% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
70.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
+27% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sparks Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sparks Middle
Sparks Middle is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in La Puente, California, enrolling 600 students.
Class loads run heavy: 40:1 is larger than about 99% of California schools and 86% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 70.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 600 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 2,125 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #382.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (92% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 15/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among La Puente's middle schools, it stands alongside Sierra Vista Middle (270 students): Sparks Middle is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (40:1 vs 27:1).
Hacienda La Puente Unified also operates Los Altos High (1,592 students) and Glen a. Wilson High (1,456 students) alongside Sparks 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 Sparks Middle compares
Sparks 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 | 40:1 | ▲ 86% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 70.7% | ▲ 27% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 600 | top 32% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
40:1
Leaner classes than 1% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
600
Bigger than 73% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
70.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 27% 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
40:1
students per teacher
- 86% 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
28.5%
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
$16,162
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 38 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.2 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 92.2%
Asian 5.0%
Two or More 1.5%
White 1.0%
African American 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 92.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 14.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 14.7, Sparks Middle is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hacienda La Puente Unified, which includes Sparks Middle.
$16,162
Per student
-2%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 18.2%
State 68.2%
Federal 13.5%
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 Sparks Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Altos High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Glen a. Wilson High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mesa Robles | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Cedarlane Academy | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| La Puente High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sparks Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,592
- Students per teacher
- 23.4:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,456
- Students per teacher
- 24.7:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,246
- Students per teacher
- 29:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 878
- Students per teacher
- 32.5:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 813
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar middle schools in La Puente
1 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 (~600 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~40:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sparks Middle's federal record.
- Compare Sparks Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Hacienda La Puente 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 Sparks Middle
How many students attend Sparks Middle?
Sparks Middle has 600 students enrolled. It is a middle school in La Puente, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sparks Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Sparks Middle is 40:1, which is 86% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 155% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sparks Middle?
70.7% of students at Sparks Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sparks Middle?
The largest demographic group at Sparks Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 92.2% of enrollment, in La Puente, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sparks Middle?
Sparks Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (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 Sparks Middle rank among public schools in La Puente?
By Resource Investment Index, Sparks Middle ranks #10 of 27 public schools in La Puente, 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 La Puente on the city page.
Is Sparks Middle a good school?
Sparks Middle earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% 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 Hacienda La Puente Unified?
Besides Sparks Middle, Hacienda La Puente Unified also operates Los Altos High (1,592 students), Glen a. Wilson High (1,456 students), and Mesa Robles (1,246 students). See the Hacienda La Puente 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.