Enrollment
807
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Carlsbad, CA
Valley Middle
Federal NCES profile for Valley Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 060750000715
👥 S:T ratio 19
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 19
📋 Attendance 32
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Valley Middle earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #2 of 3
- middle schools in Carlsbad · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 20.2:1
- students per teacher
- 24.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Valley Middle has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Valley Middle ranks #2 of 3 middle schools in Carlsbad, CA.
School address
District: Carlsbad Unified · California
NCES ID 060750000715 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
40.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.2:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
24.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
-55% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Valley Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Valley Middle
Valley Middle is a mid-sized middle school in Carlsbad, California, enrolling 807 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 20.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 24.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 807 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,147 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #519.
Its student body is led by White (55%) and Hispanic or Latino (33%) (diversity index 59/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 404 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Carlsbad's middle schools, it stands alongside Aviara Oaks Middle (991 students): Valley Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (20.2:1 vs 22:1).
Carlsbad Unified also operates Carlsbad High (2,336 students) and Sage Creek High (1,289 students) alongside Valley 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 Middle compares
Valley 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 | 20.2:1 | ▼ 6% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 24.7% | ▼ 55% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 807 | top 17% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.2:1
Leaner classes than 15% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
807
Bigger than 86% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
24.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 55% 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
20.2:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 36% in California - lower ratio than 64% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
27.4%
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
$13,634
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 404 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 53 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.6 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 54.8%
Hispanic or Latino 32.5%
Two or More 8.3%
Asian 2.5%
African American 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 54.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 58.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 58.6, Valley Middle is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Carlsbad Unified, which includes Valley Middle.
$13,634
Per student
-17%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 80.1%
State 14.0%
Federal 5.8%
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 Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carlsbad High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sage Creek High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Aviara Oaks Middle | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hope Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Calavera Hills Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Valley Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,336
- Students per teacher
- 24.1:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,289
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 991
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 659
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 655
- Students per teacher
- 21.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar middle schools in Carlsbad
2 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 (~807 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Valley Middle's federal record.
- Compare Valley Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Carlsbad 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 Middle
How many students attend Valley Middle?
Valley Middle has 807 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Carlsbad, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Valley Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Valley Middle is 20.2:1, which is 6% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 29% 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 Valley Middle?
24.7% of students at Valley Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Valley Middle?
The largest demographic group at Valley Middle is White at 54.8% of enrollment, in Carlsbad, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Valley Middle?
Valley Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (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 Valley Middle rank among middle schools in Carlsbad?
By Resource Investment Index, Valley Middle ranks #2 of 3 middle schools in Carlsbad, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Carlsbad on the city page.
Is Valley Middle a good school?
Valley Middle earns 35/100 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 Carlsbad Unified?
Besides Valley Middle, Carlsbad Unified also operates Carlsbad High (2,336 students), Sage Creek High (1,289 students), and Aviara Oaks Middle (991 students). See the Carlsbad 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.