Enrollment
413
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Twentynine Palms, CA
Twentynine Palms Junior High
Federal NCES profile for Twentynine Palms Junior High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 062586003893
👥 S:T ratio 28
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 21
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Twentynine Palms Junior High earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 79% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #3 of 6
- public schools in Twentynine Palms · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18:1
- small classes for California
- 54.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Twentynine Palms Junior High has class sizes smaller than 79% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Twentynine Palms Junior High ranks #3 of 6 public schools in Twentynine Palms, CA.
School address
District: Morongo Unified · California
NCES ID 062586003893 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
54.0%
vs 55.5% California avg
-3% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Twentynine Palms Junior High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Twentynine Palms Junior High
Twentynine Palms Junior High is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Twentynine Palms, California, enrolling 413 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 18:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 54.0% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 413 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 1,453 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #554.
Its student body is led by White (37%) and Hispanic or Latino (37%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 70/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 393 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 47.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 149 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 413 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 10 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Morongo Unified also operates Yucca Valley High (1,168 students) and Twentynine Palms High (719 students) alongside Twentynine Palms Junior High.
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 Twentynine Palms Junior High compares
Twentynine Palms Junior High on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18:1 | ▼ 16% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 54.0% | ▼ 3% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 413 | top 58% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18:1
Leaner classes than 24% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
413
Bigger than 49% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
54.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 3% 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
18:1
students per teacher
- 16% below state mean
Top 21% in California - lower ratio than 79% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
47.7%
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
$15,753
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
Counselors1.1 FTE
Per 393 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
42
in-school suspensions + 107 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 10.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 36.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 10 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 37.1%
Hispanic or Latino 37.1%
African American 15.5%
Asian 4.4%
Two or More 3.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 37.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.7, Twentynine Palms Junior High is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Morongo Unified, which includes Twentynine Palms Junior High.
$15,753
Per student
-5%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 11.7%
State 72.7%
Federal 15.6%
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 Twentynine Palms Junior High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yucca Valley High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Twentynine Palms High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| La Contenta Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Onaga Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Twentynine Palms Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Twentynine Palms Junior High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,168
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 719
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 647
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 586
- Students per teacher
- 25.5:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
- Enrollment
- 579
- Students per teacher
- 25.2:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
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 (~413 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Twentynine Palms Junior High's federal record.
- Compare Twentynine Palms Junior High against another school. Compare schools
- Morongo 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 Twentynine Palms Junior High
How many students attend Twentynine Palms Junior High?
Twentynine Palms Junior High has 413 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Twentynine Palms, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Twentynine Palms Junior High?
The student-teacher ratio at Twentynine Palms Junior High is 18:1, which is 16% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 15% 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 Twentynine Palms Junior High?
54.0% of students at Twentynine Palms Junior High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Twentynine Palms Junior High?
The largest demographic group at Twentynine Palms Junior High is Hispanic or Latino at 37.1% of enrollment, in Twentynine Palms, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Twentynine Palms Junior High?
Twentynine Palms Junior High has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (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 Twentynine Palms Junior High rank among public schools in Twentynine Palms?
By Resource Investment Index, Twentynine Palms Junior High ranks #3 of 6 public schools in Twentynine Palms, 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 Twentynine Palms on the city page.
Is Twentynine Palms Junior High a good school?
Twentynine Palms Junior High earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 79% of California schools. 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 Morongo Unified?
Besides Twentynine Palms Junior High, Morongo Unified also operates Yucca Valley High (1,168 students), Twentynine Palms High (719 students), and La Contenta Middle (647 students). See the Morongo 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.