Enrollment
766
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Valley Center, CA
Valley Center Middle
Federal NCES profile for Valley Center Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 12/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 060006908612
👥 S:T ratio 12
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 5
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Valley Center Middle earns 12/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #7 of 9
- public schools in Valley Center · Resource Index
- 12
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21.9:1
- students per teacher
- 40.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Valley Center Middle has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Valley Center Middle ranks #7 of 9 public schools in Valley Center, CA.
School address
District: Valley Center-Pauma Unified · California
NCES ID 060006908612 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
40.1%
vs 55.5% California avg
-28% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Valley Center Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Valley Center Middle
Valley Center Middle is a mid-sized middle school in Valley Center, California, enrolling 766 students.
At 21.9:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 40.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 766 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 95% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 1,209 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #1,144, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (65%) and White (19%) (diversity index 53/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 613 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 37.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Valley Center-Pauma Unified also operates Valley Center High (1,075 students) and Valley Center Primary (496 students) alongside Valley Center 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 Valley Center Middle compares
Valley Center 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 | 21.9:1 | ▲ 2% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 40.1% | ▼ 28% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 766 | top 19% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.9:1
Leaner classes than 11% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
766
Bigger than 84% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
40.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 28% 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
21.9:1
students per teacher
- 2% above state mean
Top 52% in California - lower ratio than 48% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
37.9%
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
$14,038
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
Counselors1.3 FTE
Per 613 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
9
in-school suspensions + 55 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 64.8%
White 19.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 7.6%
Two or More 6.9%
Asian 1.2%
African American 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 64.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.3, Valley Center Middle is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Valley Center-Pauma Unified, which includes Valley Center Middle.
$14,038
Per student
-15%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 44.6%
State 41.7%
Federal 13.7%
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 Valley Center Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valley Center High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Valley Center Primary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Valley Center Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lilac | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Pauma Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Valley Center Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,075
- Students per teacher
- 21.1:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 496
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
- Enrollment
- 476
- Students per teacher
- 25.1:1
- Resource Index
- 9/100
- Enrollment
- 438
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 245
- Students per teacher
- 27.2:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
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 (~766 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Valley Center Middle's federal record.
- Compare Valley Center Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Valley Center-Pauma 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 Valley Center Middle
How many students attend Valley Center Middle?
Valley Center Middle has 766 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Valley Center, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Valley Center Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Valley Center Middle is 21.9:1, which is 2% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 39% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Valley Center Middle?
40.1% of students at Valley Center Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Valley Center Middle?
The largest demographic group at Valley Center Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 64.8% of enrollment, in Valley Center, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Valley Center Middle?
Valley Center Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 12/100 (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 Valley Center Middle rank among public schools in Valley Center?
By Resource Investment Index, Valley Center Middle ranks #7 of 9 public schools in Valley Center, 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 Valley Center on the city page.
Is Valley Center Middle a good school?
Valley Center Middle earns 12/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. 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 Valley Center-Pauma Unified?
Besides Valley Center Middle, Valley Center-Pauma Unified also operates Valley Center High (1,075 students), Valley Center Primary (496 students), and Valley Center Elementary (476 students). See the Valley Center-Pauma 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.