Enrollment
1,329
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Downey, CA
Stauffer (Mary R.) Middle
Federal NCES profile for Stauffer (Mary R.) Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 25/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 061146001279
👥 S:T ratio 3
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 11
📋 Attendance 16
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Stauffer (Mary R.) Middle earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of California schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #3 of 4
- middle schools in Downey · Resource Index
- 25
- Resource Index · Lower
- 24.2:1
- large classes for California
- 61.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Stauffer (Mary R.) Middle has class sizes larger than 73% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Stauffer (Mary R.) Middle ranks #3 of 4 middle schools in Downey, CA.
School address
District: Downey Unified · California
NCES ID 061146001279 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
55.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.2:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
61.5%
vs 55.5% California avg
+11% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Stauffer (Mary R.) Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Stauffer (Mary R.) Middle
Stauffer (Mary R.) Middle is a higher-need, large middle school in Downey, California, enrolling 1,329 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24.2:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 61.5% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 93% of state schools at 1,329 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 515 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #323.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (92% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 16/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 443 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Downey's middle schools, it stands alongside Doty (Wendy Lopour) Middle (1,304 students): Stauffer (Mary R.) Middle is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (24.2:1 vs 26.1:1).
Downey Unified also operates Downey High (4,051 students) and Warren (Earl) High (3,609 students) alongside Stauffer (Mary R.) 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 Stauffer (Mary R.) Middle compares
Stauffer (Mary R.) 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 | 24.2:1 | ▲ 13% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 61.5% | ▲ 11% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,329 | top 7% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.2:1
Leaner classes than 6% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,329
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
61.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 11% 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
24.2:1
students per teacher
- 13% above state mean
Top 73% in California - lower ratio than 27% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
33.5%
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
$15,382
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 443 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 70 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.3 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 91.7%
White 3.4%
African American 2.0%
Asian 1.9%
Two or More 0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 91.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 15.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 15.7, Stauffer (Mary R.) Middle is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Downey Unified, which includes Stauffer (Mary R.) Middle.
$15,382
Per student
-7%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-7%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.5%
State 67.1%
Federal 12.4%
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 Stauffer (Mary R.) Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Downey High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Warren (Earl) High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Doty (Wendy Lopour) Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Griffiths (Gordon) Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Sussman (Edward a.) Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Stauffer (Mary R.) Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 4,051
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 3,609
- Students per teacher
- 24.9:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,304
- Students per teacher
- 26.1:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 1,264
- Students per teacher
- 25.3:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,240
- Students per teacher
- 26.4:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
Similar middle schools in Downey
3 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 (~1,329 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~24.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Stauffer (Mary R.) Middle's federal record.
- Compare Stauffer (Mary R.) Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Downey 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 Stauffer (Mary R.) Middle
How many students attend Stauffer (Mary R.) Middle?
Stauffer (Mary R.) Middle has 1,329 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Downey, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Stauffer (Mary R.) Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Stauffer (Mary R.) Middle is 24.2:1, which is 13% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 54% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Stauffer (Mary R.) Middle?
61.5% of students at Stauffer (Mary R.) Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Stauffer (Mary R.) Middle?
The largest demographic group at Stauffer (Mary R.) Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 91.7% of enrollment, in Downey, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Stauffer (Mary R.) Middle?
Stauffer (Mary R.) Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (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 Stauffer (Mary R.) Middle rank among middle schools in Downey?
By Resource Investment Index, Stauffer (Mary R.) Middle ranks #3 of 4 middle schools in Downey, 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 Downey on the city page.
Is Stauffer (Mary R.) Middle a good school?
Stauffer (Mary R.) Middle earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% 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 Downey Unified?
Besides Stauffer (Mary R.) Middle, Downey Unified also operates Downey High (4,051 students), Warren (Earl) High (3,609 students), and Doty (Wendy Lopour) Middle (1,304 students). See the Downey 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.