Enrollment
451
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · San Carlos, CA
Tierra Linda Middle
Federal NCES profile for Tierra Linda 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 063429008627
👥 S:T ratio 18
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 83
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Tierra Linda 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.
- #3 of 9
- public schools in San Carlos · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 20.5:1
- students per teacher
- 7.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Tierra Linda Middle has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Tierra Linda Middle ranks #3 of 9 public schools in San Carlos, CA.
School address
District: San Carlos Elementary · California
NCES ID 063429008627 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.5:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
7.0%
vs 55.5% California avg
-87% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Tierra Linda Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Tierra Linda Middle
Tierra Linda Middle is a lower-poverty, mid-sized middle school in San Carlos, California, enrolling 451 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 20.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 7.0% free-meal eligibility runs 87% below the California average.
With 451 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 679 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #450.
Its student body is led by White (36%) and Asian (32%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 72/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 752 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 6.9% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among San Carlos's middle schools, it stands alongside Central Middle (443 students): Tierra Linda Middle is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (20.5:1 vs 22.1:1).
San Carlos Elementary also operates Central Middle (443 students) and Brittan Acres Elementary (411 students) alongside Tierra Linda 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 Tierra Linda Middle compares
Tierra Linda 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 | 20.5:1 | ▼ 5% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 7.0% | ▼ 87% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 451 | top 53% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.5:1
Leaner classes than 14% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
451
Bigger than 55% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
7.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 87% 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
20.5:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 39% in California - lower ratio than 61% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
6.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$17,313
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.6 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.7 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
White 35.9%
Asian 32.4%
Hispanic or Latino 16.6%
Two or More 13.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.9%
African American 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 35.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 72.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 72.0, Tierra Linda Middle is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for San Carlos Elementary, which includes Tierra Linda Middle.
$17,313
Per student
+5%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 86.6%
State 12.0%
Federal 1.4%
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 Tierra Linda Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Brittan Acres Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Arundel Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mariposa | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Heather Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Tierra Linda Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 443
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 411
- Students per teacher
- 24.2:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 388
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 322
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 320
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar middle schools in San Carlos
1 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 (~451 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Tierra Linda Middle's federal record.
- Compare Tierra Linda Middle against another school. Compare schools
- San Carlos Elementary'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 Tierra Linda Middle
How many students attend Tierra Linda Middle?
Tierra Linda Middle has 451 students enrolled. It is a middle school in San Carlos, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Tierra Linda Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Tierra Linda Middle is 20.5:1, which is 5% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 31% 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 Tierra Linda Middle?
7.0% of students at Tierra Linda Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Tierra Linda Middle?
The largest demographic group at Tierra Linda Middle is White at 35.9% of enrollment, in San Carlos, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 72.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Tierra Linda Middle?
Tierra Linda Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (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 Tierra Linda Middle rank among public schools in San Carlos?
By Resource Investment Index, Tierra Linda Middle ranks #3 of 9 public schools in San Carlos, 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 San Carlos on the city page.
Is Tierra Linda Middle a good school?
Tierra Linda 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 Carlos Elementary?
Besides Tierra Linda Middle, San Carlos Elementary also operates Central Middle (443 students), Brittan Acres Elementary (411 students), and Arundel Elementary (388 students). See the San Carlos Elementary 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.