Enrollment
410
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · San Diego, CA
Taft Middle
Federal NCES profile for Taft 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 063432005558
👥 S:T ratio 22
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 48
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Taft Middle earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #10 of 37
- middle schools in San Diego · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.5:1
- students per teacher
- 43.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Taft Middle has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Taft Middle ranks #10 of 37 middle schools in San Diego, CA.
School address
District: San Diego Unified · California
NCES ID 063432005558 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.5:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
43.2%
vs 55.5% California avg
-22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Taft Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Taft Middle
Taft Middle is a mid-sized middle school in San Diego, California, enrolling 410 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 19.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 43.2% of students eligible for free meals.
With 410 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 1,236 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #414.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (42%) and White (15%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 74/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among San Diego's middle schools, it stands alongside Oak Valley Middle (1,503 students): Taft Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (19.5:1 vs 24.6:1).
San Diego Unified also operates Henry High (2,485 students) and Mira Mesa High (2,187 students) alongside Taft 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 Taft Middle compares
Taft 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 | 19.5:1 | ▼ 9% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 43.2% | ▼ 22% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 410 | top 59% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.5:1
Leaner classes than 18% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
410
Bigger than 49% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
43.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 22% below the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
19.5:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 31% in California - lower ratio than 69% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
21.0%
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
$18,665
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
18
in-school suspensions + 43 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.9 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
Hispanic or Latino 41.7%
White 15.4%
African American 15.4%
Two or More 14.6%
Asian 11.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 41.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 74.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 74.4, Taft Middle is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for San Diego Unified, which includes Taft Middle.
$18,665
Per student
+13%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 60.5%
State 25.1%
Federal 14.4%
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 Taft Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Henry High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mira Mesa High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hoover High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Scripps Ranch High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Point Loma High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Taft Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,485
- Students per teacher
- 25.9:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 2,187
- Students per teacher
- 24.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,011
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
- Enrollment
- 1,890
- Students per teacher
- 27:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,724
- Students per teacher
- 26.1:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
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 (~410 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Taft Middle's federal record.
- Compare Taft Middle against another school. Compare schools
- San Diego 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 Taft Middle
How many students attend Taft Middle?
Taft Middle has 410 students enrolled. It is a middle school in San Diego, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Taft Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Taft Middle is 19.5:1, which is 9% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 24% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Taft Middle?
43.2% of students at Taft Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Taft Middle?
The largest demographic group at Taft Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 41.7% of enrollment, in San Diego, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 74.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Taft Middle?
Taft 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 Taft Middle rank among middle schools in San Diego?
By Resource Investment Index, Taft Middle ranks #10 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 Taft Middle a good school?
Taft Middle earns 33/100 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 San Diego Unified?
Besides Taft Middle, San Diego Unified also operates Henry High (2,485 students), Mira Mesa High (2,187 students), and Hoover High (2,011 students). See the San Diego 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.