Enrollment
675
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Vacaville, CA
Vaca Pena Middle
Federal NCES profile for Vaca Pena Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 21/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 064059009002
👥 S:T ratio 20
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 33
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Vaca Pena Middle earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #13 of 20
- public schools in Vacaville · Resource Index
- 21
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.9:1
- students per teacher
- 41.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Vaca Pena Middle has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Vaca Pena Middle ranks #13 of 20 public schools in Vacaville, CA.
School address
District: Vacaville Unified · California
NCES ID 064059009002 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
41.5%
vs 55.5% California avg
-25% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Vaca Pena Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Vaca Pena Middle
Vaca Pena Middle is a mid-sized middle school in Vacaville, California, enrolling 675 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 19.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 41.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 675 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Among 1,350 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,005, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (46%) and White (22%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 71/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 338 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 41.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Vacaville's middle schools, it stands alongside Willis Jepson Middle (954 students): Vaca Pena Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (19.9:1 vs 22.7:1).
Vacaville Unified also operates Vacaville High (2,044 students) and Will C. Wood High (1,671 students) alongside Vaca Pena 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 Vaca Pena Middle compares
Vaca Pena 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 | 19.9:1 | ▼ 7% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 41.5% | ▼ 25% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 675 | top 25% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.9:1
Leaner classes than 16% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
675
Bigger than 79% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
41.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 25% 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
19.9:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 34% in California - lower ratio than 66% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
41.3%
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
$14,205
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 338 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 74 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.0 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 46.0%
White 22.1%
Two or More 11.9%
African American 9.5%
Asian 7.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 2.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 46.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 71.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 71.0, Vaca Pena Middle is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Vacaville Unified, which includes Vaca Pena Middle.
$14,205
Per student
-14%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.7%
State 52.9%
Federal 11.3%
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 Vaca Pena Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vacaville High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Will C. Wood High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Willis Jepson Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Edwin Markham Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Browns Valley Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Vaca Pena Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,044
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,671
- Students per teacher
- 21.2:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 954
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 882
- Students per teacher
- 25.2:1
- Resource Index
- 10/100
- Enrollment
- 806
- Students per teacher
- 26.9:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
Similar middle schools in Vacaville
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 (~675 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Vaca Pena Middle's federal record.
- Compare Vaca Pena Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Vacaville 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 Vaca Pena Middle
How many students attend Vaca Pena Middle?
Vaca Pena Middle has 675 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Vacaville, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Vaca Pena Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Vaca Pena Middle is 19.9:1, which is 7% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 27% 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 Vaca Pena Middle?
41.5% of students at Vaca Pena Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Vaca Pena Middle?
The largest demographic group at Vaca Pena Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 46.0% of enrollment, in Vacaville, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 71.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Vaca Pena Middle?
Vaca Pena Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 21/100 (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 Vaca Pena Middle rank among public schools in Vacaville?
By Resource Investment Index, Vaca Pena Middle ranks #13 of 20 public schools in Vacaville, 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 Vacaville on the city page.
Is Vaca Pena Middle a good school?
Vaca Pena Middle earns 21/100 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 Vacaville Unified?
Besides Vaca Pena Middle, Vacaville Unified also operates Vacaville High (2,044 students), Will C. Wood High (1,671 students), and Willis Jepson Middle (954 students). See the Vacaville 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.