Enrollment
1,026
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Lake Elsinore, CA
Terra Cotta Middle
Federal NCES profile for Terra Cotta 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 060002709496
👥 S:T ratio 4
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 36
📋 Attendance 14
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Terra Cotta Middle earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of California schools.
- #1 of 3
- middle schools in Lake Elsinore · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 23.9:1
- large classes for California
- 65.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Terra Cotta Middle has class sizes larger than 70% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Terra Cotta Middle ranks #1 of 3 middle schools in Lake Elsinore, CA.
School address
District: Lake Elsinore Unified · California
NCES ID 060002709496 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
43.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
65.8%
vs 55.5% California avg
+19% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Terra Cotta Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Terra Cotta Middle
Terra Cotta Middle is a higher-need, large middle school in Lake Elsinore, California, enrolling 1,026 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 23.9:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 65.8% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 1,026 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 903 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #230.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (79%) and White (12%) (diversity index 36/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 321 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 34.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Lake Elsinore's middle schools, it stands alongside Canyon Lake Middle (951 students): Terra Cotta Middle is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (23.9:1 vs 23.8:1).
Lake Elsinore Unified also operates Temescal Canyon High (2,373 students) and Elsinore High (1,927 students) alongside Terra Cotta 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 Terra Cotta Middle compares
Terra Cotta 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 | 23.9:1 | ▲ 11% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 65.8% | ▲ 19% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,026 | top 11% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.9:1
Leaner classes than 7% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,026
Bigger than 92% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
65.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 19% 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
23.9:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 70% in California - lower ratio than 30% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
34.3%
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
$14,740
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
Counselors3.2 FTE
Per 321 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 58 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 79.0%
White 12.2%
African American 3.4%
Asian 3.2%
Two or More 1.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 79.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 35.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 35.8, Terra Cotta Middle is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lake Elsinore Unified, which includes Terra Cotta Middle.
$14,740
Per student
-11%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-11%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 25.9%
State 61.4%
Federal 12.6%
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 Terra Cotta Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Temescal Canyon High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Elsinore High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lakeside High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| David a. Brown Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Canyon Lake Middle | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Terra Cotta Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,373
- Students per teacher
- 27.3:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 1,927
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 1,687
- Students per teacher
- 23.4:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,030
- Students per teacher
- 27.1:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 951
- Students per teacher
- 23.8:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
Similar middle schools in Lake Elsinore
2 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 (~1,026 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~23.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Terra Cotta Middle's federal record.
- Compare Terra Cotta Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Lake Elsinore 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 Terra Cotta Middle
How many students attend Terra Cotta Middle?
Terra Cotta Middle has 1,026 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Lake Elsinore, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Terra Cotta Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Terra Cotta Middle is 23.9:1, which is 11% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 52% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Terra Cotta Middle?
65.8% of students at Terra Cotta Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Terra Cotta Middle?
The largest demographic group at Terra Cotta Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 79.0% of enrollment, in Lake Elsinore, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Terra Cotta Middle?
Terra Cotta 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 Terra Cotta Middle rank among middle schools in Lake Elsinore?
By Resource Investment Index, Terra Cotta Middle ranks #1 of 3 middle schools in Lake Elsinore, 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 Lake Elsinore on the city page.
Is Terra Cotta Middle a good school?
Terra Cotta Middle earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% 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 Lake Elsinore Unified?
Besides Terra Cotta Middle, Lake Elsinore Unified also operates Temescal Canyon High (2,373 students), Elsinore High (1,927 students), and Lakeside High (1,687 students). See the Lake Elsinore 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.