Enrollment
129
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Monterey, CA
Walter Colton
Federal NCES profile for Walter Colton, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 062553003818
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 87
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Walter Colton earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% of California schools.
- #2 of 6
- public schools in Monterey · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.3:1
- small classes for California
- 69.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Walter Colton has class sizes smaller than 90% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Walter Colton ranks #2 of 6 public schools in Monterey, CA.
School address
District: Monterey Peninsula Unified · California
NCES ID 062553003818 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
9.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-33% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
69.8%
vs 55.5% California avg
+26% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Walter Colton compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Walter Colton
Walter Colton is a higher-need, small middle school in Monterey, California, enrolling 129 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 14.3:1, Walter Colton is leaner than roughly 90% of California schools and 33% under the state's 21.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 69.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 129 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 339 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #141.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 65 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 61.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Monterey Peninsula Unified also operates Monterey High (1,401 students) and Seaside High (1,073 students) alongside Walter Colton.
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 Walter Colton compares
Walter Colton on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.3:1 | ▼ 33% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 69.8% | ▲ 26% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 129 | top 87% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.3:1
Leaner classes than 54% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
129
Bigger than 13% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
69.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 26% above the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.3:1
students per teacher
- 33% below state mean
Top 10% in California - lower ratio than 90% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
61.2%
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
$16,404
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 65 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 24 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 19.4 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.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Monterey Peninsula Unified, which includes Walter Colton.
$16,404
Per student
-1%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-1%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 46.8%
State 40.7%
Federal 12.5%
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 Walter Colton Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monterey High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Seaside High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Marina High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| La Mesa | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Monte Vista | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Walter Colton's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,401
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 1,073
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 721
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 689
- Students per teacher
- 26.5:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 688
- Students per teacher
- 26.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
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 (~129 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Walter Colton's federal record.
- Compare Walter Colton against another school. Compare schools
- Monterey Peninsula 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 Walter Colton
How many students attend Walter Colton?
Walter Colton has 129 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Monterey, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Walter Colton?
The student-teacher ratio at Walter Colton is 14.3:1, which is 33% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 9% lower 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 Walter Colton?
69.8% of students at Walter Colton are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Walter Colton?
Walter Colton has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (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 Walter Colton rank among public schools in Monterey?
By Resource Investment Index, Walter Colton ranks #2 of 6 public schools in Monterey, 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 Monterey on the city page.
Is Walter Colton a good school?
Walter Colton earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% of 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 Monterey Peninsula Unified?
Besides Walter Colton, Monterey Peninsula Unified also operates Monterey High (1,401 students), Seaside High (1,073 students), and Marina High (721 students). See the Monterey Peninsula 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.