Enrollment
565
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA
Vandenberg Middle
Federal NCES profile for Vandenberg Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 062241002690
👥 S:T ratio 22
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 44
📋 Attendance 9
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Vandenberg Middle earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Vandenberg Air Force Base · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.5:1
- students per teacher
- 44.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Vandenberg Middle has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Vandenberg Middle ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA.
School address
District: Lompoc Unified · California
NCES ID 062241002690 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.5:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
44.4%
vs 55.5% California avg
-20% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Vandenberg Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Vandenberg Middle
Vandenberg Middle is a mid-sized middle school in Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, enrolling 565 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 19.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 44.4% of students eligible for free meals.
With 565 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,423 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #302.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (58%) and White (29%) (diversity index 58/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 283 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Lompoc Unified also operates Lompoc High (1,593 students) and Cabrillo High (1,060 students) alongside Vandenberg 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 Vandenberg Middle compares
Vandenberg 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 | 19.5:1 | ▼ 9% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 44.4% | ▼ 20% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 565 | top 36% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.5:1
Leaner classes than 18% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
565
Bigger than 69% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
44.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 20% 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
19.5:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 31% in California - lower ratio than 69% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
36.3%
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
$14,651
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 283 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 52 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.4 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 57.7%
White 28.7%
Two or More 5.7%
Asian 4.4%
African American 2.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 57.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.9, Vandenberg Middle is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lompoc Unified, which includes Vandenberg Middle.
$14,651
Per student
-11%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 25.4%
State 62.9%
Federal 11.7%
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 Vandenberg Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lompoc High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cabrillo High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Arthur Hapgood Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lompoc Valley Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Miguelito Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Vandenberg Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,593
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,060
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 768
- Students per teacher
- 26.5:1
- Resource Index
- 7/100
- Enrollment
- 744
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 634
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 9/100
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 (~565 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Vandenberg Middle's federal record.
- Compare Vandenberg Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Lompoc 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 Vandenberg Middle
How many students attend Vandenberg Middle?
Vandenberg Middle has 565 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Vandenberg Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Vandenberg Middle is 19.5:1, which is 9% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 24% 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 Vandenberg Middle?
44.4% of students at Vandenberg Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Vandenberg Middle?
The largest demographic group at Vandenberg Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 57.7% of enrollment, in Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Vandenberg Middle?
Vandenberg Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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 Vandenberg Middle rank among public schools in Vandenberg Air Force Base?
By Resource Investment Index, Vandenberg Middle ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Vandenberg Air Force Base, 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 Vandenberg Air Force Base on the city page.
Is Vandenberg Middle a good school?
Vandenberg Middle earns 36/100 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 Lompoc Unified?
Besides Vandenberg Middle, Lompoc Unified also operates Lompoc High (1,593 students), Cabrillo High (1,060 students), and Arthur Hapgood Elementary (768 students). See the Lompoc 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.