Enrollment
534
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Santa Ana, CA
Stephen R. Fitz Intermediate
Federal NCES profile for Stephen R. Fitz Intermediate, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 26/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 061488001843
👥 S:T ratio 3
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 31
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Stephen R. Fitz Intermediate earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of California schools.
- #8 of 8
- middle schools in Santa Ana · Resource Index
- 26
- Resource Index · Lower
- 24.3:1
- large classes for California
- 84.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Stephen R. Fitz Intermediate has class sizes larger than 74% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Stephen R. Fitz Intermediate ranks #8 of 8 middle schools in Santa Ana, CA.
School address
District: Garden Grove Unified · California
NCES ID 061488001843 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.3:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
84.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
+52% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Stephen R. Fitz Intermediate compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Stephen R. Fitz Intermediate
Stephen R. Fitz Intermediate is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Santa Ana, California, enrolling 534 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24.3:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 84.2% of students qualify for free meals, 52% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 534 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,932 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #930.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (85% of enrollment) (diversity index 27/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 534 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Santa Ana's middle schools, it stands alongside Gonzalo Felicitas Mendez Fundamental Intermediate (1,234 students): Stephen R. Fitz Intermediate is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (24.3:1 vs 22:1).
Garden Grove Unified also operates Garden Grove High (2,148 students) and La Quinta High (2,041 students) alongside Stephen R. Fitz Intermediate.
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 Stephen R. Fitz Intermediate compares
Stephen R. Fitz Intermediate on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 24.3:1 | ▲ 13% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 84.2% | ▲ 52% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 534 | top 40% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.3:1
Leaner classes than 6% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
534
Bigger than 66% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
84.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 52% above the California average of 55.5%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
24.3:1
students per teacher
- 13% above state mean
Top 74% in California - lower ratio than 26% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
27.5%
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
$16,783
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 534 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 57 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.7 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 84.5%
Asian 11.0%
Two or More 2.2%
White 1.9%
African American 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 84.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 27.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 27.3, Stephen R. Fitz Intermediate is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Garden Grove Unified, which includes Stephen R. Fitz Intermediate.
$16,783
Per student
+2%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+1%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.3%
State 56.8%
Federal 12.9%
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 Stephen R. Fitz Intermediate Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garden Grove High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| La Quinta High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bolsa Grande High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Santiago High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Pacifica High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Stephen R. Fitz Intermediate's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,148
- Students per teacher
- 23.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 2,041
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,701
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,664
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,634
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar middle schools in Santa Ana
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Gonzalo Felicitas Mendez Fundamental Intermediate
Standard public school
1,234 students 22:1 students per teacher
Douglas Macarthur Fundamental Intermediate
Standard public school
1,005 students 21.4:1 students per teacher
Raymond a. Villa Fundamental Intermediate
Standard public school
936 students 19.5:1 students per teacher
Hewes Middle
Standard public school
929 students 27.3:1 students per teacher
Gerald P. Carr Intermediate
Standard public school
886 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
Julia C. Lathrop Intermediate
Standard public school
584 students 13.6:1 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 (~534 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~24.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Stephen R. Fitz Intermediate's federal record.
- Compare Stephen R. Fitz Intermediate against another school. Compare schools
- Garden Grove 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 Stephen R. Fitz Intermediate
How many students attend Stephen R. Fitz Intermediate?
Stephen R. Fitz Intermediate has 534 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Santa Ana, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Stephen R. Fitz Intermediate?
The student-teacher ratio at Stephen R. Fitz Intermediate is 24.3:1, which is 13% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 55% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Stephen R. Fitz Intermediate?
84.2% of students at Stephen R. Fitz Intermediate are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Stephen R. Fitz Intermediate?
The largest demographic group at Stephen R. Fitz Intermediate is Hispanic or Latino at 84.5% of enrollment, in Santa Ana, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Stephen R. Fitz Intermediate?
Stephen R. Fitz Intermediate has a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (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 Stephen R. Fitz Intermediate rank among middle schools in Santa Ana?
By Resource Investment Index, Stephen R. Fitz Intermediate ranks #8 of 8 middle schools in Santa Ana, 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 Santa Ana on the city page.
Is Stephen R. Fitz Intermediate a good school?
Stephen R. Fitz Intermediate earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% 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 Garden Grove Unified?
Besides Stephen R. Fitz Intermediate, Garden Grove Unified also operates Garden Grove High (2,148 students), La Quinta High (2,041 students), and Bolsa Grande High (1,701 students). See the Garden Grove 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.