Enrollment
524
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Laguna Beach, CA
Thurston Middle
Federal NCES profile for Thurston Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 062037002455
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 48
📋 Attendance 58
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Thurston Middle earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 87% of California schools.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Laguna Beach · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.9:1
- small classes for California
- 16.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Thurston Middle has class sizes smaller than 87% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Thurston Middle ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Laguna Beach, CA.
School address
District: Laguna Beach Unified · California
NCES ID 062037002455 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
16.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
-70% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Thurston Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Thurston Middle
Thurston Middle is a lower-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Laguna Beach, California, enrolling 524 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 15.9:1, Thurston Middle is leaner than roughly 87% of California schools and 26% under the state's 21.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 16.4% free-meal eligibility runs 70% below the California average.
With 524 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 94% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 1,189 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #28, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (70%) and Hispanic or Latino (12%) (diversity index 48/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 262 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
16.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Laguna Beach Unified spends $26,628 per pupil, 61% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Laguna Beach Unified also operates Laguna Beach High (815 students) and Top of the World Elementary (536 students) alongside Thurston 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 Thurston Middle compares
Thurston 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 | 15.9:1 | ▼ 26% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 16.4% | ▼ 70% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 524 | top 42% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.9:1
Leaner classes than 39% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
524
Bigger than 65% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
16.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 70% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.9:1
students per teacher
- 26% below state mean
Top 13% in California - lower ratio than 87% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
16.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$26,628
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 262 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
10
in-school suspensions + 23 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 expulsions.
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
White 70.4%
Hispanic or Latino 12.4%
Two or More 9.9%
Asian 5.5%
African American 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 70.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.6, Thurston Middle is about as mixed as the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Laguna Beach Unified, which includes Thurston Middle.
$26,628
Per student
+61%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+60%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 86.1%
State 9.4%
Federal 4.6%
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 Thurston Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laguna Beach High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Top of the World Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| El Morro Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Thurston Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 815
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 536
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 404
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
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 (~524 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Thurston Middle's federal record.
- Compare Thurston Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Laguna Beach 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 Thurston Middle
How many students attend Thurston Middle?
Thurston Middle has 524 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Laguna Beach, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Thurston Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Thurston Middle is 15.9:1, which is 26% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 1% 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 Thurston Middle?
16.4% of students at Thurston Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Thurston Middle?
The largest demographic group at Thurston Middle is White at 70.4% of enrollment, in Laguna Beach, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Thurston Middle?
Thurston Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (higher 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 Thurston Middle rank among public schools in Laguna Beach?
By Resource Investment Index, Thurston Middle ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Laguna Beach, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Laguna Beach on the city page.
Is Thurston Middle a good school?
Thurston Middle earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 87% 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 Laguna Beach Unified?
Besides Thurston Middle, Laguna Beach Unified also operates Laguna Beach High (815 students), Top of the World Elementary (536 students), and El Morro Elementary (404 students). See the Laguna Beach 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.