Is La Cumbre Junior High a good school?

La Cumbre Junior High ranks 1698 th of 2777 California middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend La Cumbre Junior High?

In the 2023-24 school year, 450 students attended La Cumbre Junior High.

What is the racial makeup of La Cumbre Junior High?

Students at La Cumbre Junior High are 90% Hispanic, 7% White.

What high school do graduates of La Cumbre Junior High attend?

Students who attend La Cumbre Junior High usually go on to attend San Marcos Senior High

La Cumbre Junior High

Summary:

La Cumbre Junior High is a public middle school in Santa Barbara, California, serving 458 students in grades 7-8. The school is part of the Santa Barbara Unified School District, which is ranked 696 out of 1,568 districts in the state.

Despite being located in the affluent Santa Barbara area, La Cumbre Junior High consistently underperforms the district and state averages in standardized test scores across all subjects and grade levels. For example, in 2023-2024, the school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts (33.57% for end-of-course, 39.09% for 7th grade, and 27.59% for 8th grade) and Mathematics (25.46% for end-of-course, 25.76% for 7th grade, and 25.12% for 8th grade) are significantly lower than the district and state averages. The school's performance in Science is also significantly lower, with only 14.35% of 8th-grade students proficient or better. Additionally, La Cumbre Junior High has experienced a concerning increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 9.5% in 2017-2018 to 28.5% in 2022-2023, which is significantly higher than the district and state averages.

Compared to nearby schools like Goleta Valley Junior High and La Colina Junior High, La Cumbre Junior High serves a significantly higher percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, with 89.08% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch in 2022-2023. This suggests that the school may require additional resources and support to address the unique needs of its student population and improve academic outcomes.

Detail:

Public 7-8

2255 Modoc Rd.
Santa Barbara, CA 93101-3935

(805) 687-0761

District: Santa Barbara Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
1698^th of 2,777 California Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,527

Students who attend La Cumbre Junior High usually attend:

High:

San Marcos Senior High

Feeder schools for La Cumbre Junior High:

Elementary:	Adams Elementary
	Harding University Partnership
	McKinley Elementary
	Monroe Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 16.0

Number of students: 450

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

90.4%

White:

7.1%

Asian:

0.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 90%

See top rated California middle schools

Compare La Cumbre Junior High to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details La Cumbre Junior High ranks worse than 61.1% of middle schools in California. It also ranks last among 4 ranked middle schools in the Santa Barbara Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 33.06. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (90.4%), White (7.1%), Asian (0.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 90% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Santa Barbara Unified School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at La Cumbre Junior High is 16. 2 middle schools in the Santa Barbara Unified School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare La Cumbre Junior High employs 28.1 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at La Cumbre Junior High is $12,527, which is the highest among 5 middle schools in the Santa Barbara Unified School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

La Cumbre Junior High:

SchoolDigger ranks La Cumbre Junior High 1698^th of 2777 California public middle schools. (See La Cumbre Junior High in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Homeless students:

Female students:

Military Connected students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

Santa Barbara Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Santa Barbara Unified 696^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for La Cumbre Junior High.

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Rank History for La Cumbre Junior High

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Rank History for all students at La Cumbre Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2013	57.46	948^th	2379	60.2%
2015	56.09	951^st	2477	61.6%
2016	48.15	1154^th	2497	53.8%
2017	57.65	921^st	2508	63.3%
2018	56.44	935^th	2480	62.3%
2019	49.53	1162^nd	2715	57.2%
2022	34.28	1641^st	2740	40.1%
2023	32.69	1714^th	2802	38.8%
2024	33.06	1698^th	2777	38.9%

See the entire list of California Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at La Cumbre Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	40.42	605^th	1364	55.6%
2019	41.17	643^rd	1442	55.4%
2022	41.98	688^th	1540	55.3%
2023	39.38	797^th	1529	47.9%
2024	47.34	509^th	1477	65.5%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at La Cumbre Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	38.46	811^th	1538	47.3%
2024	32.08	1022^nd	1550	34.1%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at La Cumbre Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	64.91	590^th	2230	73.5%
2019	61.47	694^th	2369	70.7%
2022	37.38	1425^th	2458	42.0%
2023	39.05	1381^st	2549	45.8%
2024	39.58	1388^th	2575	46.1%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at La Cumbre Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2022	72.17	66^th	336	80.4%
2023	63.77	82^nd	321	74.5%
2024	55.16	130^th	394	67.0%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at La Cumbre Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	55.36	900^th	2262	60.2%
2019	50.37	1052^nd	2380	55.8%
2022	35.65	1475^th	2509	41.2%
2023	38.06	1389^th	2547	45.5%
2024	35.80	1481^st	2546	41.8%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at La Cumbre Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	49.12	503^rd	1369	63.3%
2019	48.48	574^th	1491	61.5%
2022	52.74	512^th	1531	66.6%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Military Connected students at La Cumbre Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	41.84	114^th	193	40.9%
2024	19.69	154^th	191	19.4%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Military Connected Students!

Rank History for Male students at La Cumbre Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	55.11	880^th	2273	61.3%
2019	46.69	1114^th	2407	53.7%
2022	32.53	1560^th	2527	38.3%
2023	27.76	1754^th	2558	31.4%
2024	30.92	1643^rd	2547	35.5%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at La Cumbre Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	63.02	601^st	2072	71.0%
2019	55.81	789^th	2213	64.3%
2022	36.04	1431^st	2359	39.3%
2023	36.90	1376^th	2391	42.5%
2024	39.92	1305^th	2383	45.2%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at La Cumbre Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	91.22	49^th	1496	96.7%
2019	85.41	157^th	1602	90.2%
2022	83.93	166^th	1555	89.3%
2023	76.31	311^th	1552	80.0%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: California Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Thursday, July 28, 2016

My son in is in the CORE knowledge program at La Cumbre and we could not be happier. He arrived mid-year and if you remember your middle school years, it is tough to be the new kid let alone during the middle of a year when friendships have been forged. Other kids welcomed him, teachers accommodated him getting him up to speed with current unit studies, office staff worked with us and his schedule, adjusting classes as we became accustomed to US schooling standards (we had been outside of the US for the former school year). Ongoing feedback from teachers, unsolicited and when asked. My son loves his school and thinks fondly of his classmates, that is a win-win when you are in middle school. Close Quote

Enrollment information for La Cumbre Junior High

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Two or More Races	Total
2012	61	4	7	472	4	6	554
2013	41	4	4	473	6	4	532
2014	47	4	3	475	3	5	537
2015	30	3	4	439	2	3	481
2016	33	5	4	386	2	2	432
2017	54	3	7	396	0	2	462
2018	57	5	8	459	2	4	535
2019	49	4	5	471	1	3	533
2020	42	1	5	418	0	6	472
2021	42	1	3	420	0	7	473
2022	50	2	1	427	0	11	491
2023	37	1	2	415	0	3	458
2024	32	3	4	407	0	4	450

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at La Cumbre Junior High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2012	554	25.4	21.8	n/a
2013	532	24.4	21.8	87.8
2014	537	25.8	20.8	77.8
2015	481	25.0	19.2	69.2
2016	432	23.0	18.7	38
2017	462	22.7	20.3	84
2018	535	24.0	22.2	77.2
2019	533	26.0	20.5	89.5
2020	472	n/a	n/a	85
2021	473	24.3	19.4	71.2
2022	491	26.8	18.2	87.8
2023	458	26.2	17.4	89.1
2024	450	28.1	16.0	90

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio La Cumbre Junior High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2012	554	25.4	21.8	n/a
2013	532	24.4	21.8	87.8
2014	537	25.8	20.8	77.8
2015	481	25.0	19.2	69.2
2016	432	23.0	18.7	38
2017	462	22.7	20.3	84
2018	535	24.0	22.2	77.2
2019	533	26.0	20.5	89.5
2020	472	n/a	n/a	85
2021	473	24.3	19.4	71.2
2022	491	26.8	18.2	87.8
2023	458	26.2	17.4	89.1
2024	450	28.1	16.0	90

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for La Cumbre Junior High

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$12,527

Data source: California Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on La Cumbre Junior High

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 1162^nd of 2715 Middle schools	Ranks 1714^th of 2802 Middle schools	18.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (La Cumbre Junior High)	49	40.7	8.2%
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Santa Barbara Unified)	58.7	53.4	5.3%
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	51.4	47.4	3.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (La Cumbre Junior High)	23	22.7	0.4%
7th Grade Mathematics (Santa Barbara Unified)	50	43.6	6.4%
7th Grade Mathematics (California)	37.9	33.2	4.7%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (La Cumbre Junior High)	50.7	30.6	20.1%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Santa Barbara Unified)	55.3	46.7	8.7%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	49.4	45.7	3.8%
8th Grade Mathematics (La Cumbre Junior High)	45.5	19.3	26.2%
8th Grade Mathematics (Santa Barbara Unified)	50	38.5	11.5%
8th Grade Mathematics (California)	36.6	29.9	6.7%
8th Grade Science (La Cumbre Junior High)	25	17.7	7.3%
8th Grade Science (Santa Barbara Unified)	41.3	35.1	6.3%
8th Grade Science (California)	30.8	28.8	2.1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	533	458	14.1%
African American	4	1	75%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	5	2	60%
Hispanic	471	415	11.9%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	49	37	24.5%
Two or More Races	3	3
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	89.5%	89.1%	0.4%

Schools Near La Cumbre Junior High

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				CSA Spanish Reading/Language Arts (2024)		CAST Science (2024)		Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2024)				Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2024)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2018)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CSA Spanish Reading/Language Arts 6th Grade	CSA Spanish Reading/Language Arts End of Course	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics End of Course	Total
La Cumbre Junior High	Public	7-8	2255 Modoc Rd.	Santa Barbara	93101	Santa Barbara County	Santa Barbara Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 687-0761	450	28	16.0	90.0%	32 (7.1%)	3 (0.7%)	407 (90.4%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.9%)	33.1	1698^th of 2777 public middle schools	38.9%		32.7	1714^th of 2802 public middle schools	38.8%	16			14.4	14.4		39.1	27.6	33.6		25.8	25.1	25.5	$12,527
Alta Vista	Public, Virtual	7-9	215 East Ortega St.	Santa Barbara	93101	Santa Barbara County	Santa Barbara Unified	No	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(805) 966-0883	4	1	3.7		0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Santa Barbara Junior High	Public	7-8	721 East Cota St.	Santa Barbara	93103	Santa Barbara County	Santa Barbara Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 963-7751	502	33	15.1	78.5%	63 (12.5%)	3 (0.6%)	410 (81.7%)	6 (1.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.4%)	35.1	1619^th of 2777 public middle schools	41.7%		29.5	1840^th of 2802 public middle schools	34.3%	221			24.0	24.0		34.1	32.2	33.1		29.7	17.4	23.6	$11,844
La Colina Junior High	Public	7-8	4025 Foothill Rd.	Santa Barbara	93110	Santa Barbara County	Santa Barbara Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 967-4506	893	44	20.1	41.9%	452 (50.6%)	4 (0.4%)	356 (39.9%)	29 (3.2%)	3 (0.3%)	2 (0.2%)	47 (5.3%)	87.7	327^th of 2777 public middle schools	88.2%		88.2	321^st of 2802 public middle schools	88.5%	6			45.2	45.2		68.1	68.0	68.1		50.9	61.6	56.6	$10,904
Goleta Valley Junior High	Public	7-8	6100 Stow Canyon Rd.	Goleta	93117	Santa Barbara County	Santa Barbara Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 967-3486	736	38	19.5	48.5%	279 (37.9%)	9 (1.2%)	353 (48.0%)	37 (5.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (7.6%)	75.9	566^th of 2777 public middle schools	79.6%		79.8	490^th of 2802 public middle schools	82.5%	76			43.1	43.1		55.1	51.8	53.5		50.1	47.7	48.9	$11,572
Carpinteria Middle	Public	6-8	5351 Carpinteria Ave.	Carpinteria	93013	Santa Barbara County	Carpinteria Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 684-4544	402	28	14.5	77.4%	69 (17.2%)	3 (0.7%)	313 (77.9%)	4 (1.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.7%)	54.6	1025^th of 2777 public middle schools	63.1%		47.5	1239^th of 2802 public middle schools	55.8%	214	5.3	5.3	33.9	33.9	33.1	46.5	46.2	41.3	31.4	36.9	43.3	36.9	$7,363

La Cumbre Junior High

La Cumbre Junior High:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Santa Barbara Unified:

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for La Cumbre Junior High

Rank History for all students at La Cumbre Junior High

Rank History for English Language Learner students at La Cumbre Junior High

Rank History for Special Education students at La Cumbre Junior High

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at La Cumbre Junior High

Rank History for Homeless students at La Cumbre Junior High

Rank History for Female students at La Cumbre Junior High

Rank History for Disabled students at La Cumbre Junior High

Rank History for Military Connected students at La Cumbre Junior High

Rank History for Male students at La Cumbre Junior High

Rank History for Hispanic students at La Cumbre Junior High

Rank History for White students at La Cumbre Junior High

Review counts

Enrollment information for La Cumbre Junior High

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at La Cumbre Junior High

Student/Teacher Ratio La Cumbre Junior High

Per Pupil Expenditures for La Cumbre Junior High

Impact of COVID-19 on La Cumbre Junior High

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near La Cumbre Junior High

Frequently Asked Questions about La Cumbre Junior High

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