Enrollment
1,547
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Los Angeles, CA
Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet
Federal NCES profile for Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 062271003117
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 61
📋 Attendance 21
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% of California schools.
- #6 of 67
- middle schools in Los Angeles · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.4:1
- small classes for California
- 67.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet has class sizes smaller than 82% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet ranks #6 of 67 middle schools in Los Angeles, CA.
School address
District: Los Angeles Unified · California
NCES ID 062271003117 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
89.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
67.5%
vs 55.5% California avg
+22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet
Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet is a higher-need, large middle school in Los Angeles, California, enrolling 1,547 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 17.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 67.5% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 94% of state schools at 1,547 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 396 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #6, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (60%) and White (18%) (diversity index 58/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 193 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Los Angeles Unified spends $21,940 per pupil, 33% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 19.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Los Angeles's middle schools, it stands alongside Paul Revere Charter Middle (1,715 students): Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.4:1 vs 24.5:1).
Los Angeles Unified also operates Grover Cleveland Charter High (2,719 students) and North Hollywood Senior High (2,444 students) alongside Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet.
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 Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet compares
Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.4:1 | ▼ 19% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 67.5% | ▲ 22% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,547 | top 6% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.4:1
Leaner classes than 28% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,547
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
67.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 22% 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
17.4:1
students per teacher
- 19% below state mean
Top 18% in California - lower ratio than 82% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
31.5%
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
$21,940
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors8.0 FTE
Per 193 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 60.4%
White 17.6%
Asian 14.4%
Two or More 4.9%
African American 2.7%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 60.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 58.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 58.0, Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Los Angeles Unified, which includes Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet.
$21,940
Per student
+33%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.3%
State 54.5%
Federal 19.2%
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 Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grover Cleveland Charter High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Hollywood Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Phineas Banning Senior High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| San Pedro Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Venice Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,719
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,444
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,422
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 2,398
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 2,293
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar middle schools in Los Angeles
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Paul Revere Charter Middle
Standard public school
1,715 students 24.5:1 students per teacher
John Burroughs Middle
Standard public school
1,302 students 19.7:1 students per teacher
Palms Middle
Standard public school
1,081 students 19.3:1 students per teacher
Griffith Middle
Alternative education program
1,070 students 17:1 students per teacher
Virgil Middle
Standard public school
975 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Mark Twain Middle
Standard public school
974 students 22.7:1 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 (~1,547 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet's federal record.
- Compare Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet against another school. Compare schools
- Los Angeles 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 Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet
How many students attend Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet?
Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet has 1,547 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Los Angeles, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet?
The student-teacher ratio at Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet is 17.4:1, which is 19% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 11% 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 Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet?
67.5% of students at Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet?
The largest demographic group at Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet is Hispanic or Latino at 60.4% of enrollment, in Los Angeles, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet?
Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (typical 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 Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet rank among middle schools in Los Angeles?
By Resource Investment Index, Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet ranks #6 of 67 middle schools in Los Angeles, 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 Los Angeles on the city page.
Is Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet a good school?
Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% 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 Los Angeles Unified?
Besides Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet, Los Angeles Unified also operates Grover Cleveland Charter High (2,719 students), North Hollywood Senior High (2,444 students), and Phineas Banning Senior High (2,422 students). See the Los Angeles 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.