Enrollment
429
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Compton, CA
Whaley Middle
Federal NCES profile for Whaley Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 060962001002
👥 S:T ratio 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 57
📋 Attendance 64
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Whaley Middle earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #4 of 7
- middle schools in Compton · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 22.6:1
- students per teacher
- 62.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Whaley Middle has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Whaley Middle ranks #4 of 7 middle schools in Compton, CA.
School address
District: Compton Unified · California
NCES ID 060962001002 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
62.8%
vs 55.5% California avg
+13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Whaley Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Whaley Middle
Whaley Middle is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Compton, California, enrolling 429 students.
At 22.6:1, 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.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 62.8% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 429 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 92% of the 9,998 California schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 1,832 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need California schools statewide, it ranks #35, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (87% of enrollment) (diversity index 23/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 215 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
14.5% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Compton's middle schools, it stands alongside Davis Middle (520 students): Whaley Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (22.6:1 vs 28.9:1).
Compton Unified also operates Dominguez High (1,582 students) and Compton High (1,438 students) alongside Whaley 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 Whaley Middle compares
Whaley 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 | 22.6:1 | ▲ 5% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 62.8% | ▲ 13% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 429 | top 56% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.6:1
Leaner classes than 9% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
429
Bigger than 52% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
62.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 13% 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
22.6:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 59% in California - lower ratio than 41% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
14.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$15,270
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 215 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.7 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 87.2%
African American 11.0%
Two or More 1.4%
White 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 87.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 22.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 22.7, Whaley Middle is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Compton Unified, which includes Whaley Middle.
$15,270
Per student
-8%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 15.5%
State 70.8%
Federal 13.8%
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 Whaley Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dominguez High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Compton High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Centennial High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Clinton William Jefferson | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Kelly Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Whaley Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,582
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,438
- Students per teacher
- 24.8:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 908
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 692
- Students per teacher
- 23.9:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 685
- Students per teacher
- 25.4:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
Similar middle schools in Compton
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Davis Middle
Standard public school
520 students 28.9:1 students per teacher
Willowbrook Middle
Standard public school
304 students 33.8:1 students per teacher
Bunche Middle
Standard public school
286 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
Enterprise Middle
Standard public school
182 students 20.2:1 students per teacher
Bridges Preparatory Academy
Standard public school
151 students 30.2:1 students per teacher
Walton Middle
Standard public school
72 students 8:1 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 (~429 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Whaley Middle's federal record.
- Compare Whaley Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Compton 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 Whaley Middle
How many students attend Whaley Middle?
Whaley Middle has 429 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Compton, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Whaley Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Whaley Middle is 22.6:1, which is 5% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 44% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Whaley Middle?
62.8% of students at Whaley Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Whaley Middle?
The largest demographic group at Whaley Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 87.2% of enrollment, in Compton, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Whaley Middle?
Whaley Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (higher 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 Whaley Middle rank among middle schools in Compton?
By Resource Investment Index, Whaley Middle ranks #4 of 7 middle schools in Compton, 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 Compton on the city page.
Is Whaley Middle a good school?
Whaley Middle earns 50/100 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 Compton Unified?
Besides Whaley Middle, Compton Unified also operates Dominguez High (1,582 students), Compton High (1,438 students), and Centennial High (908 students). See the Compton 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.