Enrollment
400
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Los Angeles, CA
Watts Learning Center Charter Middle
Federal NCES profile for Watts Learning Center Charter Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 10/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 060169912491Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Watts Learning Center Charter Middle earns 10/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% of California schools.
- #65 of 67
- middle schools in Los Angeles · Resource Index
- 10
- Resource Index · Lower
- 25:1
- large classes for California
- 93.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Watts Learning Center Charter Middle has class sizes larger than 79% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Watts Learning Center Charter Middle ranks #65 of 67 middle schools in Los Angeles, CA.
School address
NCES ID 060169912491 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
93.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
+69% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Watts Learning Center Charter Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Watts Learning Center Charter Middle
Watts Learning Center Charter Middle is a high-poverty, mid-sized charter middle school in Los Angeles, California, enrolling 400 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 25:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 93.7% of students qualify for free meals, 69% above the California average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 400 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 98% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 977 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #941, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (83% of enrollment) (diversity index 28/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 42.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Watts Learning Center Charter Middle District spends $12,878 per pupil, 22% below the California average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 16.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Los Angeles's middle schools, it stands alongside Paul Revere Charter Middle (1,715 students): Watts Learning Center Charter Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (25:1 vs 24.5:1).
Watts Learning Center Charter Middle District is a single-school charter district, so Watts Learning Center Charter Middle operates independently rather than alongside district-mates.
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 Watts Learning Center Charter Middle compares
Watts Learning Center Charter 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 | 25:1 | ▲ 16% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 93.7% | ▲ 69% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 400 | top 60% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25:1
Leaner classes than 5% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
400
Bigger than 47% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
93.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 69% above the California average of 55.5%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
25:1
students per teacher
- 16% above state mean
Top 79% in California - lower ratio than 21% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
42.5%
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
$12,878
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.5 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 83.0%
African American 16.3%
White 0.5%
Two or More 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 83.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 28.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 28.4, Watts Learning Center Charter Middle is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Watts Learning Center Charter Middle District, which includes Watts Learning Center Charter Middle.
$12,878
Per student
-22%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.9%
State 56.8%
Federal 16.3%
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.
Similar middle schools in Los Angeles
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Paul Revere Charter Middle
Standard public school
1,715 students 24.5:1 students per teacher
Thomas Starr King Middle School Film and Media Magnet
Alternative education program
1,547 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
John Burroughs Middle
Standard public school
1,302 students 19.7:1 students per teacher
Palms Middle
Standard public school
1,081 students 19.3:1 students per teacher
Griffith Middle
Alternative education program
1,070 students 17:1 students per teacher
Virgil Middle
Standard public school
975 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
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 (~400 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~25:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Watts Learning Center Charter Middle's federal record.
- Compare Watts Learning Center Charter Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Watts Learning Center Charter Middle District'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 Watts Learning Center Charter Middle
How many students attend Watts Learning Center Charter Middle?
Watts Learning Center Charter Middle has 400 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Los Angeles, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Watts Learning Center Charter Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Watts Learning Center Charter Middle is 25:1, which is 16% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 59% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Watts Learning Center Charter Middle?
93.7% of students at Watts Learning Center Charter Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Watts Learning Center Charter Middle?
The largest demographic group at Watts Learning Center Charter Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 83.0% of enrollment, in Los Angeles, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Watts Learning Center Charter Middle?
Watts Learning Center Charter Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 10/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Watts Learning Center Charter Middle rank among middle schools in Los Angeles?
By Resource Investment Index, Watts Learning Center Charter Middle ranks #65 of 67 middle schools in Los Angeles, 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 Los Angeles on the city page.
Is Watts Learning Center Charter Middle a good school?
Watts Learning Center Charter Middle earns 10/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% 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 Watts Learning Center Charter Middle District?
None; Watts Learning Center Charter Middle District is a single-school charter district, and Watts Learning Center Charter Middle is its only campus.
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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.